If you're hosting a birthday party with a Mexican-inspired menu for your child, you'll have many kid-friendly food options to choose from. Since it is so varied and versatile, Mexican cuisine is ideal for young, picky eaters.

Not only does Mexican food appeal to people of all ages, it's easy to transform it into easy-to-eat dips, appetizers, and child-approved meals. If your favorite item from a local Mexican restaurant--like El Molinito Restaurant & Catering--is spicy, simply remove the peppers when preparing it for the kids' party. Many traditional Mexican recipes can be revised to be mild or completely spice-free.

Here are some Mexican-inspired party food options for your child's next birthday party:

Appetizers

1. Dips

Kids will have fun dipping their chips into a variety of fresh dips, so provide two or three options for a larger group. You can whip up a batch of smooth and creamy guacamole using fresh avocados, a bit of lime juice, and even chopped tomatoes if you'd like. Leave out the jalapenos for the kids, and use fewer or no onions in the child-friendly version. 

When it comes to the salsa, you can't go wrong with a blend of fresh or canned chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, lime juice, and a bit of chopped cilantro. Again the amount of onion that you use is up to your child's specific tastes. 

Round out the dip trio with some homemade queso, which you can easily make using a blend of easy-to-melt American cheese and cheddar cheese. Provide plenty of tortilla chips and event carrot and celery sticks for dipping.

2. Nachos

Another Mexican-inspired dish that kids love is nachos. Place bowls of tortilla chips, shredded cheese and a variety of toppings, such as chopped tomatoes and sliced olives, on a table and allow the young party-goers to design their own appetizers. Bake each creation until the cheese is melted and serve. 

Main Courses

1. Build-Your-Own Taco Bar

Make the birthday dinner an exciting, interactive experience by setting up a build-your-own taco bar. Provide a mix of hard and soft shells, as well as cooked seasoned ground beef or a meatless alternative, refried beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

As another option, provide large, flat corn tortillas and allow kids to build their own tostadas, which may be easier for the younger children to eat. 

2. Quesadillas 

Since kids can eat quesadillas with their hands, they make the perfect party food. Simply fill two soft tortillas with any healthy ingredients you'd like, including shredded chicken, refried beans, shredded cheese, and even sauteed vegetables, and bake until they're golden brown.

Kids can customize their quesadillas with sour cream, guacamole, or chopped tomatoes.