Lunch in a Muffin Tin

I really and truly tried to come up with a more delightful, perhaps even alliterative, title, but ... that's what it is ... Lunch in a Muffin Tin. And sometimes, not often, I just tell it like it is :)

Anyhoo ... this is an idea I came across on Fun Finds for Moms, a website you really should check out. At the time, my little one was not ready for this type of dining experience. The next thing you know, I forgot about it, something recently jogged my memory and now I am giving it a try ... mainly because I am at my wit's end with my toddler's finicky approach to eating.

Here's where I've been with the whole "lunch thing" lately. I verbally offer about a dozen different options at lunch time, and she often replies, "No," to pretty much every one of them. I get frustrated, throw a handful of options on her plate, and walk away. Essentially, Lunch in a Muffin Tin is the same idea - minus the frustration and with a much more pleasing presentation, a combination I am hoping will take us out of our lunch funk!

I actually bought a six-muffin tin - 12 seemed a little overwhelming to me - and filled it with:

1. cucumber
2. goldfish crackers
3. avocado
4. raisins
5. hummus
6. cubes of colby jack cheese

My toddler's first reaction was excitement over the "new" plate she was getting to use. And, in the end, I do think she ate more - and definitely greater variety - of foods than she does at an ordinary lunch. She also spent some time rearranging and mixing up the foods in the various cups, which was fine with me - not the point but fine. If I had two kiddos for lunch, I would probably go with 12 cups because you could always double-up on a favorite. Also, I am hoping to work fruit into the mix, and with more cups, perhaps NHV would be less likely to notice.

Overall, I would say this is worth a try.