Mom Hack Monday: Fun Shapes Make All the Difference

Fun Shapes to Silence Picky Mealtime Temperaments

Introducing Mom Hack Mondays! Being a parent is hard. It’s messy. It’s rarely photo worthy. But there are some great hacks I’ve learned along the way to help out with those less than perfect moments. Every other Monday, I’ll be posting a new hack I’ve either discovered myself, or learned about from the savvy ladies I’m blessed to call my friends. In addition, I’ll include a photo fail, just to keep it real and give a good laugh. If you have mom hacks to share, make sure you comment below or send me a message. Who knows, I must might feature you one Monday!

For our first edition of Mom Hack Monday, I want to tackle the topic of picky eaters. I have three daughters: 4 yrs, 2 yrs, and almost 1 year old. The baby pretty much eats anything her sisters eat, but the two older girls leave much to be desired when it comes to culinary curiosity. One week PB&J sandwiches are in, the next week they are out. On Tuesday, tomatoes are the hot commodity, but by Wednesday my girls have decided that anything red “tastes yucky”.

It seems like there is no rhyme or reason why my kiddos will eat certain foods sometimes, but turn their noses up to the EXACT. SAME. THING. at another meal. It’s enough to drive me batty!

I’ve come to realize the answer is actually pretty simple. Much like adults don’t like eating the same things over and over again, toddlers are no different. My (mostly) delightful little divas want variety and want to be excited by their meals. Thankfully, it’s not too hard to jazz up a simple meal!

One of the easiest ways entice little ones is to take a normal food and give it a fun shape. Thanks to the never ending selection on Amazon, you can find cookie cutters in all shapes and sizes for relatively little expense. I’ve found sandwich cutters and various other shape cutters for less than $20. My toddlers absolutely love choosing the shape of their sandwich or cucumber slice. They’ve enjoyed everything from dolphins, flowers, hearts, butterflies, and even dinosaurs. I can’t explain it, but a piece of roasted zucchini just tastes better when it’s in the shape of a paw print. Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game right? Most of my girls’ protests over vegetables or lunchtime monotony are quieted when they can choose and enjoy a fun cutout. I’ve even turned large items like sandwiches into a series of smaller shapes for bite-sized snacking that delights little fingers. If you haven’t tried this yet, I encourage you to explore the wide world of online shopping and order a few for your kiddos!

Want more tips and tricks for getting your picky eaters to explore yummy and healthy food? Check out my post: Creative Lunches Your Kiddo (May) Eat for more ideas!