Children should never have to settle for buttered pasta off the kids’ menu. All it takes to elevate their food is a tiny bit of pizzazz. Go out for a fun treat, or add instant wow to your lunchbox with these adorable plating hacks. Cute cupcakes seemed like a bit of a cop-out, so for this story, we stuck with items with some nutritional value.
You’ll find these crazy cute piggy buns where you’d least expect it: at the end of a strip mall on Highway 99. Our piggy buns came out of the steamer so fluffy they looked more like old bald men. The dough is slightly sweet and filled with custard, so you’ll want to round out your meal with something more savory.
The rest of the menu at Fashion Dim Sum is regular dim sum fare (sadly no other cute faces), at prices just a smidge higher than what you’d find in the International District.
To buy: $3.85 for 3 at
Fashion Dim Sum, 22923 Hwy 99, Edmonds
If every meal consists of wheedling a tempestuous toddler, take some cues from Japanese parents, whose bento boxes are verifiable works of art. Panda-shaped rice balls with nori eyes and ears? Itty bitty sausage octopuses? Teddy bear sandwich? Yes, please!
Parents of picky eaters, get to Daiso
stat. The Japanese variety store carries an entire section devoted to making these adorable lunchbox creations. Selection varies, and everything is $1.50 unless otherwise marked.
To buy: $1.50 at Daiso. Locations in Westlake, International District, Roosevelt Square, Lynnwood, Southcenter and Crossroads Bellevue.
Rumble, rumble! Little builders will love driving through their dinner plate (and hopefully fork-lifting some peas into their mouths) with these construction site inspired utensils. Constructive Eating was founded by two parents, i.e. people who
know about mealtime battles. Choose from a fork lift (fork), a front loader (spoon) and a bulldozer pusher. All the utensils are dishwasher safe and do not contain lead, phthalates, PVC, BPA or paint.
To buy: $6.50 each at
Magic Mouse Toys (603 1
st Ave, Seattle) and
Fireworks (locations at Westlake, Bellevue Square, University Village, Southcenter and Sea-Tac airport). $19.95 for a set of 3 at
constructiveeating.com
The best Asian food isn’t in Asia, it’s in British Columbia. If you’re headed to a weekend getaway up north, make a pit stop at
T&T, a Canadian supermarket chain that specializes in Asian food. Tons of ready-to-go options in the deli section, including these insanely adorable buns. Choose from red bean paste strawberry buns, coconut monkey buns, happy pig custard buns or cutie buns, a multi-pack that come in bee, penguin, duck and Doremon designs.
Sometimes cute things don’t actually taste good – hello,
fondant – but these buns were surprisingly yummy and not too sweet. Warm them in the microwave under a damp paper towel, or better yet, steam them in the rice cooker.
To buy: C$5.99 to $7.99 for a pack of eight buns at
T&T. Locations in Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby, B.C.
Up your hard-boiled egg game by shaping them into animal faces. These egg molds are easy to use, even for little kitchen helpers. Start by peeling a hard-boiled egg while it’s still hot. Put the egg into the mold, snap the lid shut and put the mold in cold water for 10 minutes before popping them out. Magic!
To buy: $3.48 for two egg molds at
amazon.com 