Here's a lunch idea that's usually pulled out the day before grocery shopping when the food selection is... interesting. We call them nibble trays; an idea adapted from Dr. Sears where he suggests filling ice cube trays with different foods for toddlers to snack on all day. My kids are a bit too big for the ice cube tray concept, so we've graduated to a serving platter and a "sauce palette." With this lunch, the kids are the food artists. Their empty plates, a blank canvas. For their lunch creations, they choose from the nibble tray that contains, well, whatever is around the house to eat, really. The sky is the limit. Here are some ideas:
- Fruit & veggie slices
- Meat slices
- Cheese slices
- Hard boiled eggs
- Nuts & seeds
The sauce palette is where they choose their favorite dips. We use whatever we have on hand that day:
- Ketchup
- Ranch dressing
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Hummus
- Baba Ghanoush
- Muhammara
- Sauerkraut
Like the hummus flower, nibble trays are something the older children can assemble and everyone can help with the clean-up. This is another lunch that brings peace to our table and fills bellies with all things nourishing, no matter what.
As we continue to prepare our home for baby number five, I am really on the look-out for simplifying meals. What are some of the meals your family enjoys that require little to no work on the mama's part?
I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday.
I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday.