Thursday, July 21, 2011

Munchkin Munch Plate

munch plate

Isn't that pretty? I get so tickled when food looks pretty. Preacher Man thinks I'm a nut because of this, but there it is. :)

One of our favorite summer lunches is a simple "munch plate". The Littles love them, they can be so pretty, they are nicest with fresh fruit and veggies, you can use them to clean out odds and ends from the fridge, and they don't heat up the kitchen!

Sometimes I do themes, which is especially fun with toddlers and preschoolers. Orange is a very simple one: oranges (obviously!) or peaches, chunks of cheddar, goldfish crackers, carrot sticks

Most of the time, I just throw everything on a lunch plate, but if you have any sectioned plates around, that can be nice. Tiny bits in an ice cube tray is also quite fun.

You can use anything and everything, though finger food is preferable. Some inspiration:

Protein:
  • nuts - we are partial to almonds
  • hard cooked egg or deviled eggs
  • chunks of cooked chicken or other bits of leftover meat
  • cheese cubes
  • hot dog cubes
  • rolled lunch meat
  • mini meatballs
Fruits:
  • apples
  • pears
  • mandarin oranges
  • sectioned oranges/grapefruit
  • peaches or nectarines
  • pitted cherries
  • grapes
  • banana chunks
  • mango
  • pineapple tidbits
  • raisins or craisins
  • strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
  • chunks of melon
  • avacado chunks

Veggies:
  • fresh peas in or out of the pods (the ones in the picture were freshly shelled and uncooked)
  • bell pepper
  • cucumber
  • carrot sticks
  • broccoli florets
  • cauliflower florets
  • fresh green beans uncooked (surprisingly good!)
  • celery (my Littles don't like the strings though)
  • cherry tomatoes
  • mushrooms
  • radishes
  • sprouts

Carbs & Other:
  • dry cereal
  • cubes of bread
  • crackers
  • cooked pasta shapes
  • black beans or chickpeas (drained thoroughly)
  • pickles & olives
Do keep in mind that some of these are choking hazards and select and cut accordingly.

This post is a part of the Four Moms Lunch Menu Linkup.

6 comments:

  1. I like the idea. I think my kids would like this, but I'd be hard pressed to find a lot of things like you did.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You know, a lot of this is leftovers and other odds and ends. I like to throw these together when I don't have enough of any one thing to make an entire lunch meal for all of us. (We eat leftovers for lunch a lot.) I also keep fresh fruits and veggies around for snacks in the afternoons, so I can pull from those.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My kids love meals like this! One more fruit suggestion - the little gal in our family LOVES prunes. I love them, too, but it cracks me up when a 4 year old asks for "those yummy black things that are SOO good for you!"

    ReplyDelete
  4. MMmm... Will you make me a munch plate? Please?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great list! Thanks for posting! I am saving this for ideas for lunches and for Muffin Tin Mondays.

    ReplyDelete
  6. why did I not think about little pasta wheels, the kids would love them.

    ReplyDelete

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