Can this spinning plate get your children to try new foods?

Seriously though, can it? Because if a new product called 8 The Plate really can, it might just be one of the best inventions in the history of parental meal-wrangling. No wonder it’s already hit its target on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, raising nearly £11,000 at the time of writing.

The idea behind this dishwasher-safe plate is simple: eight compartments into which a parent can put different foods: fruit, veg, meat, mini-breadsticks… whatever you like. Then the child eats their way through the compartments, spinning the plate to access each one.

“With each bite, your kiddo spins to their next food group! Before you know it, meal time is over and you’re on your way to a relaxing glass of Merlot,” explains the Kickstarter page. And that’s an absolutely on-point pitch for most parents, if you ask me.

It costs $35 to pledge for a single 8 The Plate (that’s around £25 here in the UK), with a $65 ‘Sibling’ option if you want two. It comes in a choice of three colours – pink, teal and grey – and is due to ship to backers in June.