Why My Kids Love Bento Lunch Boxes for Back-to-School
Guest blogger Inna Platner is an avid runner and a full-time working mom of two. She is passionate about fitness, nutrition, and keeping her family healthy with easy, clean recipes that can be found on her Instagram account (@eat_yourgreens). Inna enjoys getting creative with her kids’ lunch boxes and sharing her tips with other busy moms.
My seven-year-old son Nikolai has always been an adventurous eater. He is known for ordering Eggs Benedict for breakfast, asking for Minestrone soup and requesting extra steamed broccoli and sweet potatoes.
My daughter Sasha, on the other hand, can be a bit pickier. She loves fruit, raw veggies, hummus, and yogurt, but is not fond of sandwiches and other lunch go-to staples.
Both kids like to “sample” lots of different foods and prefer snacks over large meals. I have been packing my son’s school lunches for the last three years but my daughter only recently started preschool where she has to bring her lunch and snacks. Enter, Bentgo Kids lunch boxes!
The Bentgo Kids lunch box allows me to pack a variety of healthy snacks in convenient separate compartments with one lid that includes a rubber seal to keep all the foods separate and leak-free. My daughter's small fingers have no trouble opening the latch which is a huge plus!
I give the kids some options for what goes into their Bentgo box each day but make sure to always include a healthy source of protein and a variety of fruits and or vegetables.
If you are planning to use bento-style lunch boxes for back to school, here are six tips that make packing these unique lunches fun, easy, and nutrient dense.
- Go Green
Chop extra veggies such as broccoli, cucumbers, and bell peppers at dinner time for the next day’s lunches. Add hummus (the round middle compartment in the Bentgo box works great) and you have a complete nutritious snack.
- Pack the Rainbow
Make your kids' lunches colorful by including a variety of fruits and vegetables. I try to include two types of fruit and or berries and at least one vegetable.
- Make It Fun
Cut the fruit and veggies into fun shapes using a cookie cutter or make fruit "kabobs" with grapes, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries using wooden skewers or toothpicks. Kids love food on a "stick".
- Building Blocks
Growing bodies need protein to build new muscles, skin and blood. Include at least one source of lean protein: rolled up low sodium lunch meat, string cheese, Baby Bel, dry roasted nuts (if the school is not nut free), beans, peas and grilled chicken are all great choices.
- Keep It Healthy
Avoid any processed junk foods that do not add any nutritional value. You will be amazed what your kids will eat when they are only given healthy choices. You can add a small "sweet treat," but make it healthy: dried apricots are my daughter's favorite.
- Team Work
Ask your kids to help choose and pack their lunch. They are more likely to eat it if they helped prepare the food and pack it.
If you incorporate some of these ideas, you’ll be able to create easy, healthy, and colorful meals in your kids’ Bentgo boxes in a matter of minutes. Be sure to get your kids involved in the process to keep it fun!
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What are some of your tricks for packing healthy school lunches for your kids? Let us know in the comments below.
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