Stuck in the lunch rut or trying to free up your time in the morning instead of rushing out the door? Well, meet your new time-saving best friend, the bento box. You can make them as easy or elaborate as you want. What else? They’re adult-approved, too.
Bento Box Building Blocks
Here are some of the basics for any bento box:
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Protein: Protein fuels your kiddos through the school day (plus, it doubles as a solid after-school snack, too). We’re biased towards our jerky, or meat sticks, especially our mini beef sticks that were practically made for the lunchbox. However, some other good options include grilled or rotisserie chicken, turkey breast, yogurt, hummus, or nut butter.
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Fruit: Add what you love! Melon, berries, apple slices, bananas, oranges, strawberries, applesauce. Or, waste not and throw whatever leftover fruits you have in your fridge. Fruits provide many of their essential daily nutrients and are usually low in fat and sodium.
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Veggies: Veggie pouches, carrot sticks, celery, cucumber slices, and roasted sweet potatoes are super easy and provide essential nutrients. The more the lunchbox looks like a rainbow, the better! Now, get them to actually eat their veggies and add some ranch dressing, tzatziki sauce, or hummus.
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Add some crunch: Kale chips, roasted chickpeas, tortilla chips, gluten-free crackers, or veggie straws.
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Cheese: Need we say more? There are lunchbox friendly options, from cheddar cheese slices, mini snacking cheese wedges and string cheese to fresh mozzarella snack packs that kiddos (and parents) will love. Cheese offers calcium and a few other vitamins they need.
Bento Box Menu Suggestions
If you don’t know where to start in building your lunch bento box, here are a few ideas:
Bento Box 1:
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Low-sodium turkey
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Sweet potatoes
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Yogurt pouch or tube
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Hickory Smoke Turkey Jerky
Bento Box 2:
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Cubed grilled chicken
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Tomatoes and ranch dip
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Tortilla chips and salsa
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Apple slices
Bento Box 3:
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Mini Beef Sticks
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Carrots and hummus
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Banana and peanut butter
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Orange slices
Bento Box 4:
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Original Beef Jerky
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Gluten-free crackers and hummus
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Cucumber and tzatziki
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String cheese
Bento Box 5:
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Red and green bell pepper slices
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Yogurt-covered raisins
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Apple slices and almond butter
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Mini Beef Sticks
Bento Boxes We Love
Not all bento boxes are created equal, but here are a few we’ve found that work great. Before you buy a bento box, measure your kid’s lunchbox to ensure these fit. The Bentgo Kids boxes, for instance, are a little bigger than some of the others.
A Final Note on Packing Lunches
Once you know what your kiddo likes for lunch, stick with it, but also mix it up from time to time to keep it exciting. That’s why we have so many flavors of jerky and sticks. Pick up a variety pack and try a different one each day in their bento box!
