These Bento Box School Lunch Ideas are for those of us who have kids who don’t like sandwiches. Or panini. Or subs. Or wraps. Basically, any school lunch which has bread + something inside + more bread. If your child is a non-sandwich-child…this bento box school lunch ideas list might make life easier…
Bento Box School Lunch Ideas
In my house we call a bento box a “buffet” (I honestly don’t know where we came up with this). But basically it’s food with firm divisions in the presentation. Perhaps that’s half the fun…the fact that in a bento box school lunch foods don’t touch. Textures are also separated as well.
Aside: my son does like some foods that touch…pizza, spaghetti, hamburgers. So it’s not a clear and defined “foods should never touch” thing here. It’s just, apparently, he has a thing against sandwich-foods.
The elements of a bento box
I strive to include the 4 main food groups in a bento box. Think: fruit, dairy, grain, protein. So here is a little pick-and-choose school lunch list of foods you can fit into your bento box.
I know – you are thinking – why are potatoes on this list? Think: potato salad.
It takes a minute to think outside the sandwich…because for a while I was scratching my head thinking “what else is there?“. But if you think school lunch in terms of food groups rather than what fits inside a bun…you discover there are many options available.
Today’s bento box menu chez moi: apple, chocolate milk, salami, ritz crackers + fish crackers*. Keep in mind our school has kids eating a 1, 2, 3 food plan. #1 in mid-morning (granola bar today), #2 (which is the bento box) then mid-afternoon #3 (cookies today). So, really, the child is not going hungry.
*I was pressed for time this morning so he got 2 kinds of crackers. I can live with this 😉
DIY Bento Boxes using silicone muffin liners
You can certainly buy Bento Boxes (for grown ups and kids) but you can also DIY a bento box. As pictured below, I use silicone muffin liners (I bought mine on Amazon Canada – and not crazy expensive –Â Â you can also buy them at most kitchen gear stores ). I have a rectangle set and a circle set which I use to separate foods in a bento box. They are washable, reusable, and fit within a square lunch container with no problems.
Related: ALMOST LITTERLESS SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS
And if you ever need bento box inspiration: follow @lifeonmanitoulin because her daughter makes the best bento lunches for herself! Seriously good. I wish she made school lunch for my kids.
These are great ideas. I love that check list, too. That’s a huge help. Lunches are NOT as easy as they appear!
I find it’s always the same thing – which is why I wrote the post – I figured we could use some switch up inspiration
Now that we are at the end of school I’m dragging on ideas for lunch. This post is perfect!
I hope it helps!
I love bento boxes! You’ve got some really good ideas here too. They’re so perfect for school.
This is a very nice way to be ready for the week. Anything to make school an easier task is okay with me!
School lunch needs to be easier 😉
I have never actually made a bento box before, but I love the idea. I’ll definitely have to try some of these ideas.
I love the idea of not having plastic waste with kids lunches! My daughter frequently has hot lunch but on the days she does bring a lunch we always send it in reusable containers to avoid throwing away plastics.
Reusable containers make so much sense
My two girls love when I did this throughout the school year. I had had fun coming up with ideas too, thank for the extra ideas too. I would draw a blank at times so this helpful guide will be nice to pull out for tips and more ideas.
I should have done this when my kids were in school. I will have to share this with my friend with kids.
I don’t make bento boxes, but my SIL does. And she always likes adding berries because my niece loves berries.
berries are a great addition
What great suggestions! I’m always looking for help coming up with lunch ideas! 🙂
These are great ideas