Making Mealtimes More Fun & Creative Tips for Busy Parents

Mealtimes can be a struggle, especially for busy parents who are juggling raising their children with work responsibilities and an endless list of household chores. Children aren’t always the most enthusiastic eaters and trying to get them to eat a balanced diet can be stressful. Whether they want to play rather than sit at the dinner table or they’re not open to trying new things, you may feel stuck in a rut when it comes to mealtime. 

Fortunately, making mealtimes more fun could be the perfect way to get your little ones to sit still for a while and eat some fruit and vegetables. Here are some quick and easy ways to transform mealtimes into an enjoyable experience. These creative and easy-to-implement ideas will not only make food fun but also make mealtimes an activity the entire family looks forward to. 

Unique Children's Dinner Plates

To get your children interested in the food they’re eating, you should think about the plates you’re using. Replacing your standard dinner plates with something more fun can instantly make mealtimes more exciting. Unique food plates for children, like our Original Fussy Food Plate, allow your little ones to get creative during mealtimes. They can transform the picture on the plate into a fun character, bringing them to life with spaghetti hair or blueberry earrings. The right plate can make food more engaging and encourage children to eat more. 

Quirky Food Cutters

Another great way to make mealtimes more fun is by using different shaped food cutters. Why serve a plain, square sandwich when you can easily turn it into a more interesting shape? A few extra minutes of meal preparation using the Fussy Food Press & Pops can result in food items that your children will be more likely to eat without fuss. Imagine the joy they will experience when they see a plate full of star-shaped fruits or heart-shaped pancakes. Your children can even participate in the food-cutting process, making it a fun and educational activity.

Go Beyond the Table

While lots of families enjoy spending time together around the dining table, you can enjoy some of your meals elsewhere in the house. Making a picnic on your coffee table in the living room or setting up a mini buffet in the garden can elevate your mealtimes. A change of scenery and something a little bit different can help to make your little ones more interested in the food they’re eating and encourage them to explore more food options. 

Create a DIY Food Bar

One of the best ways to get children actively involved in mealtime is by giving them choices. Set up a DIY food bar for items like pizzas or salads where they can choose their own toppings. Not only does this empower children by allowing them to make decisions about what to eat, but it also minimises the fuss as they’re less likely to put things they don’t enjoy on their plate. This idea works well for both lunch and dinner and is also a great way to make sure they eat a balanced meal filled with their favourite veggies and proteins.

Tell a Food Story

You can turn mealtime into storytime by creating a narrative around the food items on your children’s dinner plates. For example, broccoli florets can become 'trees' in a forest and cherry tomatoes can be 'treasure' in a pirate's quest. Creating a story about something your little one is currently interested in can make the process of eating more interactive and fun. Before you know it, the 'trees' and 'treasures' will have disappeared from their plates.

Let Them Be a Chef

Children are often more inclined to eat something they've helped make. On a weekend when you have more time, involve your little ones in meal planning and preparation. Let them put on an apron and a chef's hat to make it more exciting. Whether it’s pouring ingredients into a bowl or garnishing dishes with grated cheese, the cooking process can be as fun as the meal itself. Plus, this is a great way for them to develop valuable skill sets. 

Create Themed Dinners

Make regular meal times extraordinary by having themed dinner nights. This could be as simple as 'Pasta Night' or as elaborate as 'Superhero Night' where each dish is named after a character. You could decorate the dining room to match the theme and even put on a costume. Themed dinners aren’t just fun, they can be educational too. For example, an 'Around the World' theme can teach children about different cuisines. Not to mention, it’s the perfect opportunity to use unique children's dinner plates that fit the theme.

Make Mealtimes More Fun 

Mealtimes should be an enjoyable experience for both parents and children, yet this isn’t always the case. With the help of these tips, you can turn every meal into a mini-adventure and encourage your little ones to eat everything on their plate. Getting creative at mealtime not only makes food more attractive but also instils healthy eating habits and offers educational opportunities, teaching children about healthy eating, meal preparation and cooking.  

Here at Fussy Food Plates, we understand how stressful mealtimes can be and our children’s dinner plates are a game changer. It’s our mission to take the fuss out of food and our products have been used by lots of busy parents, from celebrity chefs like Lili Forberg and well-known names like Mrs Hinch. You can order food plates for children and different food cutters directly via our website and enjoy using them with your little ones.