How to Prepare Food for a Teen Party

If they are what they eat, let them be happy, healthy and full of fun.

Things You'll Need

• Party Supplies
• Invitations
• Snack And Appetizer Cookbooks
• Plastic Garbage Cans
• Ice
• Party Snacks
• Garbage Bags
• Recycle Bins
• Coolers
• Garbage bags

Instructions

1. If you are going to serve a meal, include that information on the invitation.

2. Do as accurate a head count as possible so that you can make the right amount of food.

3. Figure at least two to three glasses or cans of soda or other drinks, one to two servings of entrée and a quarter of a bag of snack foods for each teen. Teenagers eat a suprising amount.

4. Prepare food as much in advance as possible, keeping storage capabilities in mind. You don't want to be in the kitchen while havoc is raging in your den.

5. Choose portable foods that can be eaten with the hands: tacos, burgers, pizza and "wraps" are good teen foods and are easy to make or buy.

6. A one-pot entrée, such as chili or pasta, can be easy to make and can be served with paper plates and disposible utensils.

7. Offer a sandwich bar with cold cuts, cheeses, condiments and bagels, wraps, breads and buns.

8. Place bowls of snacks around where you want the kids to congregate, such as in the den or backyard.

9. Fill tubs, plastic garbage pails or coolers with ice and cans of drinks.

10. Keep one iced cooler for watermelon, pineapple or other healthy fruit offerings.

11. Consider cupcakes instead of a cake for ease of eating and cleaning up.

12. Cut up veggies and serve with dips such as ranch, hummus, French or French onion.

Tips & Warnings

• Wind the party down by making the food offerings slowly disappear.

• Cans instead of bottles are safer. Put out a recycle bin.

• If you don't want kids eating pizza in your white-carpeted living room, restrict the eating area by closing doors.

• Remember to have trash cans readily available for tossing used paper goods.

• Keep an eye on the perishables that are outside or unrefrigerated for a while.