If you have followed my blog for awhile, you probably know that I really do not like lunch time. We have tried a few lunch time solutions and they all work, my favorite being pre-making the lunches the night before. However, I found a new way that is seeming to get my 2 picky eaters to eat better! The Communal Lunch! Instead of giving each child their own plate {which usually results in “I’m not eating that” and other whining} I put a ton of healthy food on a tray and give them each a toothpick and let them eat!
On the tray above: tomatoes, avocado, pretzels, Naked pita chips, mango, kiwi, carrots, broccoli and hummus. I often will give ranch also-my oldest prefers it over hummus, but thankfully the picky 2 actually prefer hummus!
As hands dive in, it seems to cause other hands to be a bit more willing to try different foods.
Ladybug and Krash are my picky two-I m constantly exposing them to a variety of foods in hopes that they will develop new tastes! So far, Ladybug still hasn’t touched any veggies on our communal trays, but in time I bet she will!
This is my summer plan. Communal Lunch served after Lunch in a Cup…
The kids are having nutritionally packed smoothies from our Vitamix {I have been waiting for years and finally the guy came back to Costco with the Vitamix display!} for their mid morning “snack” and then I am busting out the communal lunch tray about an hour later. When it has been warm, I have served it all outside! Sometimes I serve it on a plate, depending on how much and the variety,
Their smoothies usually consist of random combinations of: baby spinach, plain/vanilla yogurt, bananas, apples, carrots, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, berries, mango, pineapple, Vega, and ice. I have other stuff I put in them and have no special recipe, just whatever I have and think would go well together. Almost 100% of the time they happily drink whatever I give them.
ps-I have NO clue where we got the green divided tray, we have had it for many years!!! It even has a top so I can put the uneaten portion back in the fridge and pull it out later in the day for snack!