Kids Food Art
It’s easier than you think to be creative with your kids’ lunches and make them fun! Here are some easy-to-follow guides from regular Kimberton Whole Foods shopper, Sarah Troester of The Tasteful Tribe, as well as some healthy, bento-box style lunches for the whole family to enjoy!
Dinosaur
What you’ll need:
- 2 slices preferred bread
- 1 slice cheddar cheese
- 1 slice black forest ham, optional
- avocado cut into triangles
- ยผ cup green grapes, halved
- ยผ cup blueberries
- 3-4 strawberries, cut into hearts (optional)
- Letter Cookies, optional for the letter โDโ
- Dinosaur cut-outs, optional
- 2 Candy Eyes, optional (you can also use blueberries or black sesame seeds)
Instructions:
Place the halved green grapes into the main compartment of the lunchbox.
Make the sandwich; place cheese and ham slices (if using) in between 2 slices of bread. Using a knife or dinosaur head food cutter, cut-out the dinosaur head and place on top of the grapes.
Cut-out triangles from the crust of the bread and place around the backside of the dinosaurโs head.
Place the avocado triangles inside the mouth to form the dinosaurโs teeth. Place the top of a blueberry to form the nose. Place the candy eyes or blueberries to the upper right to form the dinosaurโs eyes.
Using the leftover sandwich, cut-out dinosaur bones or foot with the Dinosaur cut-outs and place into the side compartment along with some blueberries.
Into the other side compartment, place the strawberry heart cut-outs and top with the letter โDโ
ย
Mermaid
What you’ll need
- 2 slices preferred bread
- 2 slices cheddar cheese
- 1 slice turkey, optional
- avocado cut into triangles
- 3-4 strawberries cut-into flowers, optional
- 1 clementine cut into rounds
- ยผ cup goldfish crackers
- Letter Cookies, optional to spell out โSWIMโ
- Edible Markers, optional for the mermaidโs eyes and mouth (you can also use blueberries or black sesame seeds and a piece of strawberry for the smile).
Instructions
Place the blueberries into the main compartment of the lunchbox.
Make the sandwich; place cheese and turkey slices (if using) in between 2 slices of bread. Using a knife or shape food cutters, cut-out a circle, square and two rectangles. Place them on top of the blueberries to form the mermaidโs body and create a triangular path to form the mermaidโs tail, placing the avocado triangles inside it.
Cut-out an oval shape from the cheddar cheese slice to form the mermaidโs hair. Using either a knife, create waves in the hair. On the top of the mermaidโs head, place a strawberry flower cut-out and a cheddar cheese star cut-out. Place two cheddar cheese stars on the square for the mermaidโs bathing suit.
To create the mermaidโs face use Edible Markers or black sesame seeds for the eyes and a piece of strawberry for the smile.
Place the goldfish crackers into a side compartment of the lunchbox.
Into the other compartment, place the clementine rounds, strawberry flower cut-outs and the letter cookies S-W-I-M, if using.
Falafel Waffles with Chickpea Salad
This fun take on classic comfort food has it all โ it combines flavorful ingredients and LOTS of veggies with simple preparation, resulting in a great addition to your meal-prep repertoire.
What you’ll need
Waffles:
โข 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
โข 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
โข 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
โข 3-5 cloves of garlic
โข 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
โข 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
โข 1 teaspoon ground coriander
โข 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
โข 1/4 teaspoon ground gloves
โข salt and pepper to taste
โข zest of 1 lemon
โข juice of two lemons (about 3-4 tablespoons)
โข 2 teaspoons baking powder
โข 2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
โข 1 egg
*This will make 7-8 mini waffles
Creamy Cucumber and Chickpea Salad:
โข 1/2 cup honey Greek yogurt
โข 2 tablespoons olive oil
โข zest and juice of 1 lemon
โข 1 large cucumber, diced
โข 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
โข 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
โข 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
โข 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
โข 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
โข 1 teaspoon garlic powder
โข salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the waffles; add the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth yet still a little chunky.
Preheat and season a mini waffle maker with nonstick spray. Add the mixture, about 2 tablespoons at a time to the waffle maker. Cook for 6-7 minutes and set aside.
For the salad; in a medium-sized bowl combine all ingredients making sure to coat with the Greek yogurt and olive oil.
Assemble into 4 meal prep containers; Add 1-2 waffles in the main compartment and the salad mix into the other. Serve with Tahini, optional.
Pencil Waffles

What you’ll need
Instructions
Chipotle Turkey Meatballs with Cilantro Lime Rice

What you’ll need
Meatballs:
โขย 1 pound ground turkey
โขย 1/4 cup cup coconut flour
โขย 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
โขย 1 lime, zest and juice
โขย 2 tablespoons pico de gallo or fresh salsa
โขย 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
โขย 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
โขย salt and pepper to taste
โขย 1 egg
โขย chipotle aioli, optional for dipping
ย Coconut Lime Rice:
โขย 1 cup white rice
โขย 3/4 cup coconut milk
โขย 1 1/4 cup water
โขย 1 lime, zest and juice
โขย 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely dicedย