We all want our kids to make healthy food decisions, but enticing them to eat their fruits and veggies can sometimes feel like you’re arm wrestling a polar bear. In an effort to avoid tantrums and tears I have tried to find ways to make healthy foods look more appealing, and make mealtimes more fun.

Here are some fun food ideas I’ve come up with, along with some others I’ve found and plan to try very soon.

This adorable little raccoon by Ida Skivenes is an edible work of art I know my kids would eat right up. If you want to see more of Ida’s creations check them out here on Kitchn.

One thing that always inspires my kiddos to chow down is ice cream… or anything that remotely resembles ice cream. The look on my son’s face when he saw this plate said it all.

With cute ideas like this one from Fun Foods for Fussy Little Eaters, I really want to see what the rest of the book has to offer. This is definitely one I plan to try as well. It’s so important to teach kids to have a healthy relationship with food from an early age. The more positively they view foods that are good for them, the more likely they will be to choose them throughout there lives. As the old adage goes, “you are what you eat”.