Muffin Tin Lunch

Sometimes (well, most of the time) I have a hard time coming up with lunch ideas for K. She's at the age where she only wants to eat one thing, macaroni and cheese. Thankfully she still enjoys most fruits and quite a few vegetables (even if she does dip EVERYTHING in ketchup). So in order to mix things up for her and have a fun lunch together, we make Muffin Tin Lunches. I use a twelve cup standard size muffin pan and fill each one with a different kind of finger food.

In this example I have blueberries, half of a graham cracker, a slice of American cheese, baby carrots, Goldfish, Craisins, Oatmeal Squares, ketchup, marshmallows (for dessert), mandarin oranges, celery, and more blueberries. I find that K will eat more fruits and vegetables if presented in this fun manner. While she eats I make a big deal about having her count how many of her cups are empty and I tease her that there is "no way she can eat everything in ALL the cups." So far, she's never not finished an entire pan. (The dessert cup is always the first one empty.) My only rule with her is that she has to eat everything in all of the cups before she can have seconds of anything. That way I know she'll eat all of the vegetables before getting more Goldfish or something else that I want to limit.

I think I'll go make a Muffin Tin Lunch for her right now.

Have a great Tuesday!