Cosmic Motherhood | Magic + Joy | Lamorinda Resources

Yes, this really happened.

A wiped clean lunchbox – is there anything more satisfying? I have stared back at an untouched and painfully expensively wasted untouched avocado (among other things) more nights than I would like to remember, but through some persistent and practical toddler food practices my daughter has evolved to be a (mostly) easy eater. And so, my top 10 tips for an empty lunchbox (or happy eating in general!):

1. words matter. I never refer to foods as something my daughter likes or dislikes – I let her make that choice. This avoids self fulfilling prophecies based off early possible indicators of preference which are just that, early, and possible (or not). Spicy, sweet, sour – these are all just flavors at the cosmic house that some people like more or sometimes less.
2. try everything once. The intuitive eating experts may come at me for this one, but I think part of learning is to know that sometimes things can pleasantly surprise you. There are always comfortable, well loved foods on her plate or in her lunchbox. While I can’t control if she tries everything at school, at home I do ask her to try everything once. She might resist, or negotiate me down to just a tiny bite (sometimes lick), and I’m okay with that. When I ask her how it was, she as frequently says mmm, no response and runs off to play, or says yuck. I ask her if she feels done and if so, great, we gave it a try, and possibly learned something new for next time. We aim for this at home and when eating out, and I have found her to now start nibbling on her typically-no foods (without prompting!) if they show up in her lunchbox.
3. sprinkles! toppings! goodies! Everyone loves a surprise and I bet most kids appreciate flavor more than we think. After I prep key pieces of lunch I often add “healthy sprinkles” to amp up the lunch – again keeping things easy, this is usually a 1 minute exercise. Go to ideas: shaved Parmesan, nutritional yeast, finely chopped nuts, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, dried herbs, tahini, dressing, and granola, cocoa powder or cinnamon on fruit. A little goes a long way.
4. books about food. We love food over here at the Cosmic Fam, and have incorporated some great literature about food into our story time routine. The books below are playful, fun, and teach about food as a means of connecting, culture, belonging, discovery, and joy. The point of it all – learning that food is family and family is food. ❤️
   • Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel
   • Every Night is Pizza Night
   • Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
   • Olive Harvest in Palestine: A story of childhood memories
   • Grandma and the Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale
   • Dinner’s Ready, Jessie!
   • and the ultimate classic, Pete’s a Pizza
5. a great lunchbox. And water bottle and utensils. Here is what we use:
   • Planetbox Rover Lunchbox, hands down best lunchbox ever. Fully stainless steel, goes right in the dishwasher, doesn’t rust or stain or build up, zero plastic, size is just right for main and sides, opened easily with little fingers, comes with an easy soft carrying case that also fits utensils, ice pack and water bottle and is machine washable. I bought 2 lunchboxes and 2 carrying cases at the start of preschool and it’s an easy in and out every morning / evening. I also sprung for these stainless steel compartments for wetter or messier mains, and a couple of silicone inserts used more sparingly. I skipped the ice pack – we have so many random ones from other sources and the mesh ice compartment stretches to fit many sizes so … less is more. The must have is the lunchbox, everything else fun bells and whistles. 🙂
   • Skiphop Water Bottle and Replacement Straws. Stainless steel cup that washes super easy, plus a simple straw, spout, and plastic lid. I have tried a lot of bottles and this easy system stays clean, doesn’t drip, carries easy, and comes in endless cute designs. I also love that I can swap out the straws every few months. No matter how regimented one is about cleaning straws I feel they all get a little cloudy down the road, and love the simple swap out via replacement straws.
   • Utensils. I send a spoon and fork every day. Big fan of Ahimsa stainless steel. We also have dishwasher safe stainless steel set from Munchkin for new eaters and older toddlers.
6. a “peek”. This is a Cosmic Family fave! After I prep her lunch my daughter often asks me for a “peek” of her lunch, and sometimes a tiny bite of something inside (usually the fruit). I forget if this started with me suggesting she have a peek one day or if she asked, but this visual sneak peek revs up her interest and sets the stage for lunchtime anticipation (and consumption!) I always oblige and I can tell it makes her feel like she’s taking part of mama to school with her that day (not me sobbing about packing lunch).
7. variety. We eat with all of our senses and are wired to thrive if lean into variety. I mix up colors – berries, avocados, carrots all add pops if most other things are white / yellow / beige as carbs can tend to be. I mix up food group sources as well – sometimes protein equals meat, other times cheese or yogurt or tofu or nuts. I maintain a balance between carbs, protein, fruits, veggies, and something I consider a treat (dehydrated fruit, mini avocado mouse, anything that will fall into that magical little section at the center of the Planetbox Rover Lunchbox). If something looks interesting, has variety, and is balanced, your body is wired to crave it, and the nourishment provides a daily positive feedback cycle for your little as they learn what they like.
8. variety (2.0). To make life easier for myself (and again, more varied for little), the “main” in the lunchbox is usually leftovers from dinner, leftovers from takeout, or a handful of rotations like pastas, quesadillas, or sandwiches / rolls. Occasionally I feel like we hit a slump – I’m tired of the options or my daughter is, and so I have a couple of cookbooks that I like tapping for a new burst in the rotation or just a special treat we whip up together and then get excited about putting in the lunch. My 3 favorite toddler friendly cookbooks:
   • Little Bento: 32 Irresistible Bento Box Lunches for Kids
   • Baby-Led Feeding: A Natural Way to Raise Happy, Independent Eaters
   • Downshiftology Healthy Meal Prep: 100+ Make-Ahead Recipes and Quick-Assembly Meals
9. make it easy! As an adult I’m not a fan of a sandwich myself – for me it’s a lot of ingredient management (magical NY deli sandwiches are another story, but I digress). I cut things to little finger size whenever I can. Bites of cheese, half a banana she can hold (isn’t that easier than forking bananas pieces?) and cutting quesadillas or bread into sticks. I’m a 5-min lunch mom though, so you won’t find any cookie cutters or special shapes in my lunchbox prep. Just a sharp knife (my favorite knife ever, fwiw!: https://amzn.to/3AzEldv) and food cut up into quick grazable pieces that require minimal cutting or manipulation at school.
10. whatever you do, don’t give up. Repetition is retention and process is practice. It’s a wild exciting yummy and sometimes scary world out there. Your little are doing a great job and so are you – keep paving the way for food to be a fun and joyful part of your family life, and I promise, the rest will follow in time. 🥗🥪🍱

Happy eating, and for more tips follow along at @cosmic.motherhood. 🪐

Lastly, I always encourage mamas to nourish themselves from the early days of motherhood – see my guide. If you’re fed, your baby will follow. You deserve the best mama!