No brain science on this one: slice up small chunks of fruit and put on toothpicks or small skewers. Feel free to add a little container of yogurt for dipping. (If it is an after school snack, melt a little chocolate for your fruit-dipping).
Fruits for skewers:
I am always trying to inject my boys' palates with attention to detail and an edge of curiosity. I prefer they learn to have opinions by tasting an ever-expanding range of flavors. So when I told them that these dainty 'mini-me' orange wannabes packed a shockingly sour punch [mom grimaces on cue] then a surprisingly sweet finish, their curiosity was adequately peeked. And what elementary school boys wouldn't want to trick their friends into eating a blithely jaw shuddering round orange ball? "Sure, it is sweet," they would say to their friends, watching them take their first bite. Eyes popping out of their friends' heads, they exclaimed coolly: "Well, sweet in the end."
And so lunchtime entertainment goes, palates and friends amused with this little fruit-like dynamite. Though you can pop the kumquats into your mouths whole, I don't prefer the seed size or crunch, so I sliced them in half, pop out the seeds with the end of a knife, and throw the half-sphere jaw-shockers into a bag with their lovely, sweet, seedless red grape counterparts.
Welcome to lunch, boys.
In case you end up trying and loving kumquats:
Sometimes the best idea is just to look at things from a different angle. A bad situation, different options that life hands you, or in this humble bagable blog: a piece of fruit.
I don't mean you have to cut all their sandwiches into stars and hearts and cars, in fact I wouldn't recommend doing that except very occasionally. It isn't about catering to the little princes and princesses out there, but it is about adding interest and intrigue to their lunches. And maybe, help the brown bag maker stave off boredom.
Cutting pieces of fruit at different angles doesn't mean adding time to your efforts, but it may offer a moment of interest to your child's lunch hour. Cutting sandwiches they don't like into stars isn't going to make them like the sandwich. Take a pumpkin muffin for example. If they don't like it---the giant size muffin top or bag of miniature muffins won't make your kiddos crave pumpkin. But if they DO like pumpkin muffins, it will add a little fun---and a different angle---to their lunches.
So, take a new approach: instead of four big slices of apple, slice them as thin as possible. Instead of cauliflower florettes, take a whole cauliflower, cut off the base, set it upright and slice straight up and down in 1/4 inch slices like you would slice a loaf of bread. Add that with some dip in their lunch. (No, they won't magically love the flavor or cauliflower, but if they already like it, this can draw attention to the veggie they are eating).
My latest way to cut pears and apples is in thin, thin slices. I cut off the sides, place cut side down and slice as thin as possible. So, brown bag boredom be gone! Time for a new slice in life---or maybe just in a piece of fruit.
