Have You Heard Of Bento Lunches And Bento Boxes?
Well, it’s a fun, fairly new trend in packed lunches that traces its origins to Japan. Bento is a traditional way for the Japanese to pack single-serve meals they can take with them to work or school. There they often consist of rice, fish or meat, and cooked or pickled vegetables. The container is usually rectangular, with compartments for each dish.
Traditionally, Bento boxes are made of stainless steel, but you can also find plastic and even glass versions. These food containers with an international flair are usually square and have internal compartments that allow you to keep your food separate.
This gives you a great canvas to get creative with food.
Yes, with Bento boxes it’s ok to play with the food and come up with some fun and creative lunches for the kids (or yourself). Cut the sandwiches into cute little shapes, make some fun roll-ups, and get creative with fresh fruit, raw veggies, cheese, and the likes as sides.
If you are ready to get even more creative, do a quick search online for bento lunch ideas. You’ll find ideas from gourmet food to fun and quirky kid-friendly lunch ideas. Who knew that you could shape rice and make it look like an adorable panda? You’ll find entire Pinterest boards and Instagram accounts dedicated to creative bento boxes.
Of course, there’s no need to go all out. You can make delicious and eye-pleasing bento lunches by taking just a little care with how you place the food in the boxes and taking advantage of simple little tricks like pouring goldfish crackers or raisins into paper or silicon cupcake liners.
What I like best about bento lunches is that it gives you the opportunity to pack several small, snack-like items into one lunch. Your kids will have so much fun picking and choosing, and you know they will still get a healthy meal. Plus, who doesn’t love a bunch of colourful finger food? Heck, you may even convince your picky eaters to try new fruits, veggies, cheeses and the likes if you cut them into cute little shapes. You never know…it’s worth a try!
Of course, these fun and delicious lunches aren’t just for the kids. Order a couple of bento boxes and start packing your own lunch too. You can go as simple or gourmet as you’d like. Or grab a few of your own favourite healthy snacks and call it lunch. Have fun and be creative with it! The possibilities are almost endless with bento box lunches.
Pin to Pinterest:
Pin to Pinterest so that other mums and dads can grab ideas and get creative with Bento Boxes.