Quick and Easy Baby Shower Food

You cannot throw a baby shower without having tasty nibbles, but you do not have to spend a lot of time in preparation. After all, the focus is on getting together to celebrate the upcoming baby -- the food is just a bonus!

Keep it simple

Typically at a baby shower, the guests are going to end up balancing their food plates on their laps. To protect your flooring and furniture, and keep your guests from getting frustrated, it is a good idea to reach back a few years and put a fresh spin on the types of snacks you had in kindergarten. Instead of celery and peanut butter, try endive with chevre and dried cranberries. Graham cracker sandwiches with a chocolate-hazelnut paste (such as Nutella) are a simple but sinfully tasty treat. Another good rule of thumb is to keep the number of ingredients for each nibble to three or less. Cubed melon wrapped in prosciutto is simple to make and easy to eat. Perfectly ripe seasonal fruits just need washing and arranging to make a stunning, tasty and quick focal point for your food table.

Variety

Try to achieve a good balance between sweet and savory foods. Place a bowl of chocolate candies next to a bowl of salted nuts for guests to snack on as they arrive. You can also combine sweet and savory into one by combining thin slices of a crisp fruit, such as a pear, with a sharp cheddar cheese on pieces of cracker bread.

Forbidden foods

Before you get too far into your planning, call the mother-to-be to see if there are any foods that her doctor has recommended that she not eat or that are not agreeing with her during pregnancy. Fish, alcohol and caffeine frequently show up on the forbidden list.

Remember to keep your ingredient list minimal for each item and focus on strong flavors over intensive preparation.