Time to say goodbye to summer. It’s been a spectacular summer of hot beach days, campfires, and clear skies. The back-to-school time can seem dreadful if you’re a parent. I used to count how many more lunches I have to make before holiday breaks, not how many more sleeps!
A Cornel study found that kids prefer meals with six different colours and seven different food items. That sounds like a lot. But with the Japanese-style bento box, you can be creative, make a theme lunch, and achieve the different colours and food items. Why not let your child help you with making their lunch? That way they are more excited to eat it! Even the pickiest eaters will more likely eat a nutritional diet. No more half-eaten lunches.
Here are some ideas for your boxes. Remeber to mix and match according to tastes.
Rainbow Bento
Ingredients:
2 ounces sliced low-sodium deli ham
1 part-skim mozzarella string cheese (1 ounce)
½ cup fat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon blueberry jam
¼ cup raspberries
¼ cup sliced strawberries
¼ cup blueberries
½ cup rainbow carrot matchsticks
2 tablespoons guacamole
Preparation:
Prep
10 m
Roll ham around cheese. Cut crosswise into 4 to 6 pinwheels. Pack in a medium container. Swirl yogurt and jam in a medium container. Toss berries together in a medium container. Pack carrots in a medium container along with guacamole packed in a dip-size container.
Taco Salad Bento Lunch
Ingredients:
½ cup chopped romaine lettuce
3 ounces cooked lean ground beef
2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons salsa
¼ cup green grapes, sliced lengthwise
¼ cup chopped honeydew melon
¼ cup chopped kiwi
½ cup corn kernels or about ⅓ of a corn cob
6 tortilla chips
2 tablespoons guacamole
Preparation
Prep 20 minutes
Layer lettuce, beef, and cheese in a medium or large container. Top with salsa. Combine grapes, melon, and kiwi in a small bowl. Pack in a medium container. Place corn in a small container. Pack chips in a medium container. Nestle a small dip container of guacamole among the chips.
credit:eatingwell.com