Fun Cooking with Kids: Plant-Based Lunch Boxes, Food Art, and Hands-On Ideas

Let’s Have Some Kitchen Fun!

Cooking with kids can be a joyful and creative experience. It’s an opportunity to teach them about healthy eating, bond over shared activities, and let their imaginations run wild. Plant-based nutrition is not only great for growing bodies, but it also lends itself beautifully to colorful, fun, and engaging cooking projects. Let’s dive into some exciting ideas for creating lunch boxes, food art, and cooking adventures that your kids will love!

Creative Lunch Box Ideas 

Packing a lunch box doesn’t have to be a mundane task. With a little creativity, you can turn it into a daily surprise that kids look forward to opening. Here are some ideas:

• Themed Lunch Boxes: Pick a theme for the day, like “Rainbow Day,” and pack fruits and vegetables of different colors. Think red cherry tomatoes, orange carrot sticks, yellow bell peppers, green cucumber slices, and purple grapes.
• Superhero Lunch Box: Add a creative twist by designing the lunch around a superhero theme. For example, use star-shaped cookie cutters for “Captain Marvel’s Stars” or pack green items like edamame, kiwi slices, and spinach wraps for “Hulk Power.”
• Space-Themed Lunch: Create an out-of-this-world experience with star-shaped sandwiches, “moon rocks” (grapes), “celestial carrots” (baby carrots), and a thermos of “galaxy soup” (a blend of purple and orange veggies).
• Camping-Themed Lunch: Pack “trail mix” (nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and dark chocolate chips), mini sandwiches wrapped like “campfire bundles,” veggie sticks with hummus, and a plant-based s’mores-inspired treat with graham crackers, dark chocolate, and vegan marshmallows.
• DIY Lunchable-Style Boxes: Let kids assemble their own lunch boxes by offering compartments filled with plant-based options like mini veggie wraps, fruit skewers, hummus, and whole-grain crackers. Add a small treat like dark chocolate or a few nuts for balance. This is great for a build-your-own lunch experience.
• Snackable Favorites: Include kid-friendly finger foods such as roasted chickpeas, homemade granola bars, or energy balls made from dates, oats, and seeds.
• Mini Sandwich Rolls: Use whole-grain tortillas or flatbreads to make veggie wraps or pinwheels. Spread with hummus or avocado and fill with shredded carrots, spinach, or bell peppers before rolling and slicing.
• Fruit Salad Cups: Combine chopped seasonal fruits into colorful fruit salad cups. Add a drizzle of lemon juice to keep them fresh and a sprinkle of chia seeds for extra nutrients.
• Veggie Dippers: Include sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, and celery sticks with small containers of dips like guacamole, hummus, or plant-based ranch.
• Breakfast for Lunch: Pack plant-based pancakes or waffles, a small container of maple syrup or fruit compote, and a side of fresh fruit.

Food Art for Kids

Food art is a fantastic way to make meals more appealing and exciting for kids. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in some extra fruits and veggies!

• Plates with Personality: Use fruits and vegetables to create fun faces on the plate. For example, use a slice of cucumber for a smile, berries for eyes, and shredded carrots for hair.
• Nature Scenes: Arrange foods to depict scenes like a garden (broccoli trees, cherry tomato flowers) or an underwater adventure (cucumber seaweed, starfruit starfish).
• Cookie-Cutter Magic: Use cookie cutters to shape melon slices, tofu, or whole-grain flatbreads into stars, hearts, or animals. Kids love eating foods that look like their favorite shapes.
• Edible Rainbows: Create a rainbow on a plate using an assortment of fruits and vegetables, or different colored legumes such as beans and peas. For example, red strawberries, orange carrots, yellow bell peppers, green cucumber slices, blueberries, and purple grapes. For the beans you could use the colors red (red kidney beans, adzuki beans, cranberry beans), orange (red lentils when cooked), yellow (yellow split peas, chickpeas), green (green peas, edamame, mung beans), blue/purple (black beans when raw, purple hull peas, scarlet runner beans), and white/neutral (navy beans, cannellini beans, great northern beans).This activity doubles as a lesson in eating a variety of nutrients and learning the names of foods.
• Veggie Flowers: Turn cucumbers, carrots, and bell peppers into beautiful floral designs. Use a slice of cucumber as the base and layer thin carrot or pepper slices as petals. Arrange them on a plate with hummus in the center as “soil.”
• Bug-Themed Snacks: Transform snacks into cute bugs! Use celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins for “ants on a log,” or create “ladybugs” using halved cherry tomatoes on crackers with dots of black sesame seeds.
• Animal Faces on Toast: Spread avocado, hummus, or nut butter on whole-grain toast. Add fruit or veggie slices to craft animals like owls, cats, or bears. For instance, banana slices can become owl eyes with blueberries in the center.
• Food Collage Art: Encourage kids to arrange cut fruits, veggies, or nuts into a picture of their choice. They could make landscapes, animals, or abstract designs, turning snack time into a mini art project.Food art is a fantastic way to make meals more appealing and exciting for kids. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in some extra fruits and veggies!

Fun Cooking Activities

Cooking with kids is a hands-on adventure that can be both educational and entertaining. Here are some expanded ideas to keep the fun going in the kitchen:

• Build-Your-Own Sandwich Bar: Lay out whole-grain breads, wraps, or bagels, along with a variety of plant-based spreads (hummus, avocado, or nut butters) and colorful toppings (sliced veggies, sprouts, or fruits). Let kids stack and create their masterpieces.
• Mini Plant-Based Pancakes: Whip up a plant-based pancake batter and let kids pour it onto a griddle in fun shapes like hearts, animals, or initials. Provide toppings like fresh berries, nut butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
• Edible Science Experiments: Teach kids about how baking works by making bread or muffins. They can observe yeast bubbling, measure ingredients, and watch their creations rise in the oven.
• Rainbow Veggie Sushi Rolls: Provide nori sheets, rice, and sliced vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and avocado. Kids can practice rolling their own sushi and enjoy their colorful creations.
• Fruit Popsicle Creations: Blend fruits like mangoes, strawberries, or bananas with plant-based milk or juice. Pour the mixture into molds and freeze for a refreshing treat.
• Veggie Stamping Art: Before cooking, use veggies like okra, bell peppers, or celery sticks as stamps with plant-based food coloring to create fun designs on paper. Once done, turn the veggies into a stir-fry or soup.
• Stuffed Veggies: Hollow out bell peppers, zucchinis, or tomatoes and let kids fill them with a mix of grains (like quinoa or rice), beans, and seasonings. Bake and enjoy a nutritious meal.
• Make-Your-Own Energy Bars: Combine oats, nut butter, seeds, and dried fruits. Let kids mix, shape, and wrap their creations for an easy on-the-go snack.
• Fruit or Veggie Kabobs: Use skewers to thread colorful combinations of fruits or vegetables. Kids can create their own rainbow patterns with options like strawberries, pineapple, grapes, or cherry tomatoes, zucchini slices, and peppers.
• Rainbow Pancakes with Plant-Based Dyes: Make a plant-based pancake batter and separate it into bowls. Add natural food dyes, such as beet juice for red, spinach for green, or turmeric for yellow. Let kids stack their colorful creations into a rainbow and top with fruit or a drizzle of maple syrup.

Getting kids involved in the kitchen not only teaches them valuable skills but also makes them more likely to try new foods. Here are a few easy and fun activities:

• Make-Your-Own Pizza: Start with whole-grain pita or flatbread. Kids can spread tomato sauce and top it with their choice of veggies, plant-based cheese, and herbs.
• Smoothie Creations: Set up a smoothie station with fruits, greens, and plant-based milk or yogurt. Let kids mix and match ingredients to create their perfect blend.
• Homemade Veggie Nuggets: Combine chickpeas, shredded carrots, and breadcrumbs to form nuggets. Let kids shape them with their hands before baking.

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Tips for Engaging Kids in Cooking

• Let Them Choose: Allow kids to pick a recipe or a theme for the week. This gives them a sense of ownership.
• Assign Tasks: Match tasks to their age and skill level, such as stirring batter, washing vegetables, or cutting soft fruits with a kid-safe knife.
• Celebrate Success: Celebrate their creations with positive feedback. Take pictures and share their masterpieces with family or friends.
• Use Storytelling: Turn cooking into an adventure by weaving a story. For example, “Today, we’re baking cookies for a magical tea party!”
• Incorporate Games: Add a playful element, such as a timer challenge (e.g., how quickly they can peel a banana) or guessing the ingredients by smell or taste.
• Learn Measurements Together: Teach kids how to measure ingredients using cups and spoons. This builds math skills while making cooking interactive.
• Focus on Colors and Shapes: Encourage kids to identify and work with colorful ingredients or cut foods into different shapes using safe tools.
• Taste Testing: Let them sample ingredients as you cook, explaining the flavors and textures.
• Encourage Cleanup: Make cleaning up part of the activity by turning it into a game or rewarding them for a tidy workspace.

Plant-Based Nutrition Benefits for Kids

Plant-based eating is packed with nutrients that are essential for kids. Here are some key benefits:

• Protein Power: Foods like beans, lentils, tofu, and quinoa provide ample protein for growing muscles.
• Calcium Boost: Fortified plant milks, leafy greens, and almonds are excellent sources of calcium.
• Iron-Rich Foods: Legumes, seeds, and whole grains paired with vitamin C-rich foods (like citrus fruits) help ensure kids get enough iron.
• Healthy Fats: Avocados, nuts, seeds, and flaxseeds provide essential omega-3 fatty acids to support brain development.
• Fiber Focus: A plant-based diet naturally includes plenty of fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, which supports healthy digestion and prevents constipation.
• Hydration Through Food: Many fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, oranges, and watermelon, contribute to hydration while providing essential vitamins.

Plant-based diets can be perfectly balanced and highly nutritious for kids when planned thoughtfully. Research from organizations like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics confirms that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are suitable for all stages of life, including childhood. Key nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids can be easily obtained through a variety of plant-based foods.

• Nutrition Tip: To ensure proper intake of vitamin B12, include fortified foods like plant-based milks or cereals, or consider a B12 supplement as recommended by a healthcare provider.
• Practical Suggestion: Add a variety of textures and flavors to meals to keep them exciting for kids. For example, crunchy roasted chickpeas, creamy avocado spreads, and sweet fruit purees can make meals more enjoyable.

Recommended Plant-Based Kids Cookbooks and Resources

For parents who want to dive deeper into plant-based cooking with kids, these cookbooks and books are excellent resources:

• “The Plant-Based Baby and Toddler: Your Complete Feeding Guide For the First 3 Years ” by Whitney English and Alexandra Caspero — A guide for parents to introduce plant-based meals to their little ones, complete with recipes and nutritional advice.
• “Plant-Powered Families: Over 100 Kid-Tested, Whole-Foods Vegan Recipes” by Dreena Burton — This book is packed with kid-friendly recipes that the whole family can enjoy.
• “Vegan Kids: Tasty, Healthy Meat-free Meals: 100 Recipes Everyone Will Love” by Heather Whitney — This book provides many great recipes that kids will love!
• “Plant-Based Cooking for Kids: A Plant-Based Family Cookbook with Over 70 Whole-Food, Plant-Based Recipes for Kids” by Faith Goimarac Ralphs — This comes packed with the recipes and tips you’ll need to make kid-friendly plant food for the kiddos (and adults!) in your home.
• “The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids: 60 Easy Plant-Based Recipes Kids Can Make to Stay Healthy and Save the Earth” by Ruby Roth — A fun, colorful and playful and educational cookbook with recipes kids can make themselves and amazing colorful pictures.

Conclusion

Cooking with kids is about more than just food—it’s about creativity, learning, and connection. By incorporating fun and engaging activities into mealtime, you’re not just teaching them to cook; you’re helping them build a lifelong love for healthy eating. Whether it’s a colorful lunch box, a whimsical plate of food art, or a hands-on cooking project, the possibilities are endless.

So grab your aprons and let the fun begin! Remember, the mess is part of the magic.

Sincerely,

Jami Streyle

RN, MS, HWNC-BC, HNB-BC, Nurse Coach

jami@bodyofgraceliving.com