Opinions Please - What to Serve at Daughter's B-day Party

I always offer the veggie/fruit because my daughter likes it and will eat that over junk.

That said, you do need enough teen junk as well. Some popular things are nachos, queso and salsa, cocktail sausages wrapped in crescent rolls with hot mustard dip, and i also offer a couple of pizzas as well.

The teens usually request my punch which is only orange sherbet and orange soda mixed together.

My fridge gets cleaned out weekly by the teens who come visit and the football players eat all the leftovers!!!

have a fruit/ veggie tray. make it really fun and healthier by getting or making a pizza crust and the kids can do the toppings with fresh ingredients and low fat mozzarella cheese.

I would pick up a veggie and fruit platter (or make one if you want to go cheaper, they're usually better that way anyway) and the pizza.

I would go with ordering pizza. You are going to stress yourself out making a veggie fruit platter and no one will eat it. However, if your daughter and her friends are the type that only eat veggies, then I would go for it. I know the teens by me "watch what they eat", because they are crazy.
How about some Spinach Dip with Pita chips? Is there a Trader Joes by you? They have the GREATEST Spinach Dip.
I would also do cupcakes and cookies.

Pizza is fine with the fruit/veggie platter. Keep it simple!

If they won't eat it, they won't eat it.
Meaning the veggie/fruit platter.

I have learned and what I do... is that for my kids birthday's I just serve what they WILL eat and want. Many times, they don't even eat all of it and then I am left with wasted food... and money wasted.

For birthdays... I serve what my kids request. I don't bother with having it to have to be all "nutritious" because it is their birthday and I indulge in their food requests, then.
Other than that, my kids DO eat healthily, because we do not have junk in the house. Anyway.
So... I don''t enforce any eating/nutrition 'rules' for a birthday party.
I have found.. .that the things "I" made for the food buffet... just got not eaten... anyway.... when I was trying to be "nutritious" at birthdays.

Teens like to graze. Have fun tasty finger foods.

all the best,
Susan

I would have a veggie/fruit platter for before the pizza and you will want some simple things they can munch on later.

Girls are watching their figures(yes, at that age) so a nice salad like chinese chicken or ceasar. Order a tin of baked ziti or other pasta, garlic bread, and order a 3 ft sub from the deli. Chips and dips and a veggie platter. Pizza is good but a little boring for kids that age. Good luck! Those sleeping over might get hungry later so the pasta can be reheated and the left over sandwich will do, also.

While I agree on the "keeping it simple" concept in theory, I have always had trouble putting it into practice as I enjoy feeding people! Some other kid-friendly ideas that came to mind besides the veggie/fruit platter were: wings with dip, mini quesadillas, pigs in a blanket, nachos, chips and salsa, stuffed potato skins, mozzarella sticks, garlic knots, stromboli. Not all of them, of course! Just something else to munch on while waiting for the pizza. And don't forget popcorn for the sleepover :)

I would just do the pizza and cake and keep it simple. Its a party and having pizza and cake at a party a few times a year isn't going to hurt anyone.

Although the veggie/fruit platter is the better answer, we're talking about teens so it may be a waste unless you make it a small one. I would get or make hot wings to go w/ the pizza. Have a bag of chips and dip for munching. Nothing fancy but definately teen friendly.