Food is the main attraction at most parties, but planning a fabulous baby shower meal that your guests will love can be stressful. If you keep in mind the following questions, however, you’ll find selecting just the right food for a baby shower can be easy – and fun!

1. What time will the baby shower occur? If you’re planning a celebration around a standard mealtime like noon or 6:00 p.m. (depending on your region), guests will likely expect to be fed a substantial meal and come hungry. If your party doesn’t begin until 3:00 p.m. and ends at 5:30, however, you can get away with offering lighter appetizers and snacks like sliced veggies, fresh fruit, crackers, and cheese.

2. Does the baby shower have a theme? Food is a wonderful way to incorporate a theme into the party, and because the options tend to be fun and silly, flexibility can be enjoyed on behalf of the party planner. If you’re planning a Monkey Boy baby shower, for instance, you can serve baked goods like banana bread slices or mini banana nut muffins and fresh fruit (for more monkey party ideas, click here). If you’re planning a Funfari™ – Fun Safari Jungle baby shower, serving a homemade “jungle mix” of corn cereal, nuts, pretzels, and bite-size chocolates is fun (for more jungle inspiration, click here). Guests at an Under the Sea Critters baby shower will love seeing a creative display of goldfish crackers, gummy sharks and fish, and blue punch (for more under the sea decoration ideas, click here). Guests at a Little Cowboy baby shower will enjoy dining casually on BBQ sandwiches, baked beans, cole slaw, and roasted corn on the cob (for more western party ideas, click here).

3. Does the Mommy-To-Be have any favorite foods? The baby shower is, after all, all about the Mommy-To-Be, and it would be a real treat for the guest of honor to arrive and find all of her favorite foods on display and ready to be enjoyed! Then, it doesn’t matter whether the food matches the theme – it’s all about the soon-to-be mommy!

4. Do you have a specific food budget? You may want to serve each guest at an ocean-themed party their own freshly cut lobster tail, but it’s smart to consider just how much that will cost. Determining a food budget – and then sticking with it – will help you keep your sanity before and after the event.

5. Do your food options complement each other? The idea of serving personalized cookies, coordinating candy, and mini cakes is adorable for a reason, but remember to include a not-so-sweet option, like a decorative bowl of salty pretzels or nuts, to balance your guests’ taste buds. Too much of a good thing can be problematic, but a balanced menu is enjoyable for everyone.

Now that you’re ready to plan, check out our Pinterest boards for great baby shower recipe ideas!