Now that school has started I’m back to making lunches for the kids because let’s face it cafeteria food is…well cafeteria food! My children have never been picky eaters because we’ve never dumbed down their food. What we eat they eat! This ol’ gal doesn’t do multiple meals. Because of that our kids are much more open to trying things most of their contemporaries won’t touch and quite honestly it makes my life much easier. I do have to be honest with you though. Our food philosophy has created borderline food snobs, but hey, worse things could happen ya know?!
Food snob #2, we’ll just call her the 7yr. old loves her little Bento boxes. I think it’s a combination of having something different than her friends or the fact that her food is generally colorful and a surprise. Either way, she’s happy so I’m happy.
I know, by this point you’re saying, “Lisa, what’s your point?” Well my point is I’m going to try very hard to share with y’all as many of the 7yr. old’s Bento box lunches with the hope that maybe you’ll give it a try and surprise your little tax deductions with fun, colorful, nutritious lunches.
WEEK 1
I forgot to take a picture of Monday’s box but in this post I will include both Wednesday and Thursday.
Wednesday
Ingredients
- 1/2 Bountiful Baskets wrap (I used garlic herb)
- 1 slice nitrate free turkey
- 1 slice nitrate free ham
- 1 slice nitrate free bacon(cooked)
- 1 slice Colby Jack cheese(or cheese of your choice)
- 1 tsp cream cheese
- 1 large Romaine lettuce leaf
- sliced tomato
- pinch of fresh ground black pepper(optional)
Instructions
- Spread cream cheese making sure to cover wrap piece completely(this is important to help the wrap stick together).
- Layer ingredients in the center of your wrap piece. Roll wrap and slice (if you so choose).
- Served with English cucumber slices and dried apple rings. I would share the onion ring recipe with you but my husband made them using an awesome brine and he has yet to share it with me.
Thursday
The 7yr. old requested salad for lunch tomorrow and since I had made chicken for dinner this was a no brainer.
Romaine lettuce, leftover chicken, English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, with dressing on the side and blueberries for dessert.
Quick, easy colorful meals to keep energy up and junk intake down!
WEEK 2
In South Texas, almost every school age child has Mexican food on Wednesday. It may even be statewide but definitely in South TX. Our girls love Mexican food but I don’t love the nutritionally lacking cafeteria food so to make all of us happy this Wednesday’s bento boxes fill the bill for nutrition and tradition.
Wednesday
The picture truly doesn’t do these justice! Beef, bean, quinoa, lettuce, and cheese burritos with fresh pineapples and strawberries (the berries were frozen when I packed these which is why they look “frosty”). Super simple, super quick. Choose the flavored Bountiful Baskets wrap of your choice and fill with whatever ingredients you know they’ll like. Fold and slice if necessary, BAM… lunch is made!
Thursday
I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a kid alive that doesn’t like those little prepackaged food like products that are chock full o’preservatives and ingredients that most people have to read twice to try to pronounce. I’m also sure that most parents, such as myself, DON’T like them. Yes, they are convenient but sometimes convenience is not always a good thing. Little food snob #2 asked me if I would pick up one of those packages of yuck and I promptly told her “no way”. She then replied that she knew the answer was no but thought she’d try anyway. Instead, I created a little homemade version for her that I have no doubt will bring a smile to her face.
Nitrate free lunchmeat (ham and turkey), crackers, organic cheese, sliced boiled egg, carrots, pineapple chunks, and homemade chunky applesauce.
Love the comment about “food snobs”! My 6 year old was going on the other day about how delicious and juicy his chicken was, and how the lemon sauce was perfect with it. Lol. My 3 year old has not found a vegetable he doesn’t like. Its great when kids will eat!
My kids have TONS of food allergies. We do LOTS of Bento style lunches and have for many years. They are in HS now, so they don’t like the cutsie Bento stuff (It’s embarrassing, MOM) It makes it so much easier to give them a healthy lunch. Some ideas that are favorites of my kids.
Tuna or chicken salad on Tamari Rice Crackers
Fruit or veggie kabobs
Chicken salad with grapes and walnuts in a lettuce wrap
Mini Tacos on tortilla chips or mini taco shells
Mini burritos (slice the burrito like a wrap)
Make your own pizza on pita chips or sliced pita with pepperoni and canadian bacon.
Mini-nachos with refried beans and tortilla chips
Tuna sushi
Black bean and tomato salad
Soy cheese, Nitrite free sandwich meat and crackers
Apples and dip or peanut/soy/almond butter
Celery and carrots and ranch dip
Homemade Kale chips
Leftover rice with Snow peas and Bragg’s aminos
You can get little plastic swords at Dollar Tree for using for mini-kabobs. They also have some small containers there that are the perfect size for dressings and sauces. You can use those little foamy sheets for making dividers and sometimes you can find silicon baking containers and cup cake liners there too.
My husband was burned out on sandwiches in his lunch box. I saw a few articles about bento box lunches ideas, ordered a bento lunch kit and then tried to come up with ideas that were not sandwiches.
The first thing I discover is that my husband and I have different takes on what makes for a cool looking lunch. I like the separate colorful containers while he likes one divided container – who would have guessed. I sent the pricey bento box lunch kit off to son for his office lunches and then ordered Ziplock divided containers along with silicone cupcake liners for hubby.
The Bountiful Basket goodies help me in a huge way with keeping his lunch interesting. Since I also purchased an electric pressure cooker this summer, he has been getting various bean dishes in his lunch now too. Between Bountiful Baskets and using the pressure cooker, I have completely changed the lunches dear hubby is getting.
All I have to do now is keep some protein options stocked and then let Bountiful Basket guide the way to interesting and healthy lunches. I think BB helps up the creative influence and keeps me from getting into a rut with cooking. For that, I am thankful.
Although my children are grown and gone, I need these suggestions for my own Bento Box (which I need to purchase this weekend!). Way more nutritious and cost effective for a dieter.
Wendy, you are so welcome and I will try hard to include at least a couple every week.
Kristin that is so funny. Gotta give her credit though, the girl has great taste!
It’s funny that you call your kids food snobs. Our daughter also eats what we eat, and although she is now 13, she became a “salmon snob” at age 7. We went fishing in Alaska with a friend, and she quickly caught on that King Salmon are the best to eat. She will also not order fish and chips in a restaurant if it is not made of halibut (again, the Alaska thing). But she is a kid who eats and likes fish! Amazing!
Thank you for sharing this! I love the Bento Box idea but never know what to put in them. I love the idea of a healthy little lunch all package up to go, so I will welcome more of these posts 🙂