Bento boxes - Trending in school lunches

Do you pack lunch for your kids every day, only to find them bringing their lunchbox home from school mostly untouched?  It can be difficult (and frustrating) to make a packed lunch that is appealing enough to make kids want to eat it.  There is a solution to this age old problem, and it comes in the form of a bento box.

 Kids love fun, bite sized food.  Bento style lunch boxes are perfect for this; they are made up of small compartments that you can fill with a deconstructed style lunch.  For example, instead of giving your child a salad wrap, you could put one salad item from that wrap into each compartment, along with a small wrap cut into wedges.  You might put cherry tomatoes in one section, small cubes of cheese in another etc.  If you still prefer to make wraps or sandwiches, try cutting the wraps into small, bite sized pieces, or using cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes that will make them irresistible to kids.

 Not only are bento boxes more appealing to kids than the usual sandwich and piece of fruit, they are also so much easier to put together, even the kids can get involved.  You can keep prep time to a minimum by using small fruits and vegetables that don’t need cutting, like grapes, cherry tomatoes, dried fruits, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.  Bento boxes might look time consuming, but they are really quite quick and easy.

 Another benefit of bento lunch boxes is that they completely eliminate waste, which is perfect for schools that ask all parents to send along zero rubbish lunches.  Because of the many separate compartments in a bento box, everything has its own place.  You will save money and the environment by not having to use sandwich bags, zip lock bags and other forms of disposable plastic.

Ready to give bento boxes a try? Firstly, SHOP HERE for a range of different styles/sizes on Bento Boxes

THEN,

Include at least one item from each of the groups below and you have a healthy, balanced bento lunch that any child will be excited to eat.

 Start with a protein, such as

• Boiled eggs
• Yoghurt
• Cubed cheese
• Chick peas
• Deli meats

 Next, add some grains like

• Cooked quinoa or couscous
• Pita bread wedges
• Crackers
• Pasta salad
• Muffins

 Add some vegetables

• Sliced cucumber
• Carrot sticks
• Celery sticks
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced red capsicum

 Include some sweetness with fruit

• Grapes
• Apple slices
• Pineapple chunks
• Sliced kiwifruit
• Cubed watermelon
• Fresh berries

 Finally, add in a few snacks

• Dried fruit
• Pretzels
• Rice crackers
• Air popped pop corn
• Cookies
• Dried fruit

 The foods you include might be the same as your child has always eaten, but because they are presented in a different way they will suddenly look far more fun to eat, after all we eat with our eyes.  It’s also a great way to encourage your kids to try new foods.  There is a good chance your children’s’ lunch boxes will all of a sudden come home completely empty.  Even if there is still some food left uneaten, because everything is kept in compartments separate from each other, any leftovers will likely be good to eat as an after school snack.

Here are some examples of packed lunches using Go Green, Bentgo and Yumbox

Inspired!?

We hope so!

Leave any comments about Bento Style eating below.

Liza x