Bento for my Boy

Snapshots of a few bentos for The Boy.  I’m trying really hard to get some variety in there. Last year, he ate way too many cheese sandwiches.  I’m just thrilled there’s no one in his class this year making fun of him for eating sushi.

Brown rice and avocado sushi, organic strawberries, a fresh plum, and a homemade pumpkin chocolate chip mini muffin.

Quinoa pasta with pesto, hummus and veggie chips, unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon-sugar on top.

Brown rice avocado sushi, veggie booty, hard boiled egg, plum.

The hard boiled eggs are made with these.  The egg is boiled, shelled, and placed in one of these while still hot.

Here are a few thoughts I have on making good kid lunches:

The box does matter.  Sometimes metal, sometimes plastic.  He likes them all.

The Boy is somewhat of a captive audience when it comes to school lunch. He’s hungry and there’s no one to complain to, so he just eats it. Because of this, I am nudging him slowly out of his comfort zone.  I always make sure there is enough of what he likes, so he will not go hungry.  I like to throw in at least four or five different items, that way if he doesn’t like something, there’s still more to choose from.

Making things in big batches and freezing is a huge timesaver when it comes to making a great bento.  I try to keep in the freezer: cooked meatballs, mini muffins, falafel, pesto, and vegetable tomato sauce.  All home made and frozen in individual portions.

Thinking ahead really helps.  I tend to use a domino effect when preparing lunches.  I’ll make enough pasta or sushi rice for two days, then use that as my centerpiece, adding variety in other ways.

Sometimes it helps to “dress up” a familiar item to make it more appealing.  (Grapes on a skewer or toothpick become grape swords!)  I tried the egg molds to make the hard boiled eggs cute, which he loved, but said they were stinky when he got to school.  (He’ll eat them when they are freshly cooked.)

Great sources for bento ideas: Lunch in a Box, this post in particular.  Also, Cooking Cute has lots of great ideas.  I’m hoping to get the book Yum-Yum Bento Box soon.