You know all those cute lunches you see on Pinterest? The hard boiled eggs turned into penguins; melons cut into flowers; and animal face sandwiches?? I have to confess that I don't make that kind of thing for my kids on the regular; especially not in their lunches! Spending a lot of time on cute food makes me anxious. Here's why: it puts pressure on my kids to eat.
If I spend a lot of time making something specifically for my kids, I expect them to eat it.....and like it!! I'd be super frustrated if I spent 10 minutes making a penguin out of olives and eggs and it came home an uneaten stinky mess. If instead, I just make something I like, (or something simple in the case of school lunches), then it's not so heart breaking when my child decides not to eat. Why??, because I like the food, and I needed to eat (or it was just a PBJ in the case of lunches) - so it's not a waste of time and energy.
That being said, I do find joy creating fun food crafts WITH my kids. Having them create their own craft removes the pressure. It also gives kids a food activity to do at parties that doesn't involve eating a ton of candy (I'm talking about you "Don't Eat Pete" and "smartie BINGO").
So I thought I'd share a few preschool food crafts I'll be making with my kids this October. These crafts are easy, yummy, and can be prepared faster than a box of mac and cheese. Let me know if you try any of them out! nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com
Another idea I saw online and loved!
Frankenstein toast with avocados on whole wheat bread! There's a lot of healthy ideas out there, let me know if you make any this holiday season!