Cuteness serves many important purposes in life, all of which I firmly believe in. Keeping cats on the Internet, anime on Netflix and getting kids to eat something they otherwise wouldn’t are just some of those important missions. Here’s a great way to use the cute factor to get kids to eat eggs (or just have more fun munching on them).

Eggs pack a nutritional punch of protein, carotenoids, iron and various vitamins. (Check out this article from WebMD if you’re worried about the cholesterol.) Low-calorie and versatile, they are hard to beat for a meal or a quick snack. I always keep some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for a post-workout snack or a quick breakfast on the go.

Now, for a 3-year-old a hard -boiled egg may not seem like such a thrilling option. Texture, taste, smell, you name it can be an issue when introducing any kind of food, especially healthy food.

This is when cuteness comes to the rescue.

With a small time investment you may be able to convince your children to eat hard-boiled eggs and actually be excited about it. The trick is to turn the egg into a car, a fish, a bunny or anything else with the quick help of handy Japanese device called an egg mold.

An egg mold is a hollow plastic form that snaps together to press a freshly boiled hot egg into the desired shape. (Yes, it works. Click here for examples.) You can get them at Reliable Market in Union Square, as well as the Tokai gift store in Porter Exchange in Cambridge. (Or if you want your egg molds at your fingertips, go ahead and buy them on amazon.com.) The price is usually about $1.50 to $2.50 each.

The method is very simple:

1. Boil your egg (for about 8 minutes).
2. Dunk it quickly (no more than 15-20 seconds) into cold water or ice to make the egg easier to peel.
3. Peel the egg, put it in the egg mold and close the mold tightly (do this all while the egg is still hot inside).
4. Put the mold in cold water for about 10 minutes to set.
5. Done! Eat it, put it in a lunch box, dye it pink with beet juice – it’s your      call.

While you’re at Reliable, you can also get sushi rice molds. They are made for sticky rice, but will work just as well for shaping tuna salad.

 Enjoy playing with your food!