Mini Lunches – Another Idea for Child Lunch Concept

By Sherrie Le Masurier

When trying to come up with a creative idea for child lunch sometimes you have to think small. Kids today are into mini versions of just about everything. Food is no exception.

A normal sized sandwich for instance may offer up little appeal to your child but cut the same sandwich into fingers or bite sized pieces and chances are good it will be gobbled up in no time.

Small size your child’s lunch by being creative with each menu item you pack. Just about any idea for child lunch you may have can be made miniature.

For instance, there are baby carrots (which can even be made smaller by slicing in half or in quarters length-wise), mini crackers (such as Ritz bits or gold fish crackers) and tiny spiral sandwiches (made by flattening a slice of bread, spreading on a topping and rolling up, and then slicing into spirals).

Another idea for child lunch includes slicing small things like grapes and cherry tomatoes in half. Or what about cutting things in different shapes like carrot coins instead of carrot sticks? You could also prepare cucumbers in squares instead of rings. (Simply cut off a piece of cucumber, trim the four sides into a square and slice. For even smaller squares, quarter each piece or slice on the diagonal and create triangles).

Take this idea for child lunch one step further and create mini cheese, meat and pickle kabobs.

Mini Kabobs

10 ½ inch cheese cubes (whatever variety your child favors)
 2 dill pickles, cut in chunks
10 ½ inch meat cubes (ham, kielbasa, sauce etc.)
10 olives
10 toothpicks

Thread one cheese cube, a chunk of pickle, a piece of meat, and an olive onto each toothpick. Continue using up remaining ingredients.

Try your hand at other mini kabobs using fruits like grapes, strawberries and melons. Or create a mini vegetable kabob featuring cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and cucumber.

Pack your child’s favorite kabob along side a fruit or vegetable dip.

Finally, add some fun to your child’s tiny lunch by packing a magnifying glass and a note typed in small letters which reads, “I hope you enjoy your mini lunch. Have an awesome day!”