Drawing food monsters is a fun, low-pressure way to talk about food with picky eaters. When broccoli becomes a silly character with a name and a personality, kids get curious about it instead of scared of it. Drawing doesn’t replace good feeding advice, but it can make conversations about new foods lighter and more playful.
Why it can help
Many picky eaters are wary of unfamiliar foods. Seeing, touching and talking about a food without having to eat it is a gentle way to get familiar. Drawing is one more way to spend positive time with a food: looking at its shape and color, giving it a face, telling a story about it.
Food monster activities
- Draw the food of the week. Look at a real carrot, then draw it as a monster.
- Name it. “Captain Carrot,” “Bertha Broccoli.”
- Give it a personality. Is the pea shy? Is the pepper grumpy?
- Food monster family. All the vegetables on the plate as a family.
- Food monster superheroes. What power does spinach give?
- Monster restaurant. Draw a menu with dishes made from food monsters.
- Taste test chart. Draw each new food’s face before and after tasting: did it smile?
Free lessons: food monster drawings.
Tips for parents
- No pressure. Drawing is the activity; eating is optional.
- Keep it positive. Funny monsters, not scary ones.
- Involve the real food. Have it on the table to look at and touch.
- Let them serve it. Kids who help with food often feel more in control.
- Praise curiosity. “You looked really closely at that broccoli.”
For persistent feeding concerns, talk to your pediatrician.
Food monster ideas
- A pizza slice with a cheese mustache.
- A banana in sunglasses.
- A broccoli tree monster.
- A grumpy onion.
- A cupcake with sprinkle eyes.
- A taco on a skateboard.
- A pea who wants to be a soccer ball.
More silly drawing
See silly faces: why goofy drawing is serious learning and monster drawing ideas.
The book that helps
The Food Monsters books turn pizza, bananas, cheese and more into silly characters, in all three formats.
How to Draw: Food Monsters
Trace Then Color: Cartoon Food Monsters
Draw by Grid: Food MonstersAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
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Questions
Can drawing help picky eaters?
Drawing food as silly characters is a low-pressure way to get kids familiar and curious about foods. It works best alongside good feeding practices.
What is a food monster?
A cartoon character made from a food, like a broccoli monster or a banana in sunglasses.
How do I make new foods fun for kids?
Let them look at, touch, draw and talk about the food without pressure to eat it, and involve them in preparing it.