15 Bento Box Lunch Ideas Your Kids Will Love

Planning the lunch box for your kid’s day at school may seem straightforward, it is anything but. More often than not, moms like you struggle with this problem. And, the kids’ fussy eating habits, only compounds your woes. You may even notice that the lunch box you packed for your little champ has come back home without being finished.

And, if you have tried many different ideas for your kid’s lunch box, but nothing seems to work, maybe it’s time to give the bento box a try. Wondering what we are on about? Well, don’t. Because here, we tell you about how to prepare some delicious lunch recipes for your kids using a bento box.

What Is A Bento Box?

A Bento is a type of home packed meal which serves a single portion of food. It is a commonly eaten Japanese meal. A bento box consists of rice, fish or meat, and cooked or pickled vegetables.

The bento box is a brilliant way to ensure that your kid has healthy food that appeals to him. A filling and delicious meal, you don’t have to restrict the bento box to Asian cuisine, just because the idea is from Japan. Below, we list some bento box recipes for kids that you can try.

15 Bento Box Lunch Ideas For Kids:

Here are 15 ideas for your kid’s bento box lunch meals:

1. Cheese And Toast, Fruits, Nuts, And Veggies Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Bread slice
• Cheese slices
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Nuts
• Carrots
• Asparagus or cucumber.
• Olives
• Green peas
• Tomato

How To:

1. Cut the cheese slice in the shape of a star and place it on the bread slice. Use the olives to make the eyes and the green peas as eyeballs. Cut out a slice from the tomato and make the mouth.
2. Add the strawberries and the blueberries separately in the box along with the nuts.
3. Cut the carrots and asparagus or cucumber into long thin strips and place them along with the lunch.

[ Read: Lunch Box Recipes For Kids ]

2. Delicious Rice Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Cooked steam rice
• Butter
• Salt as per taste
• Cooked or boiled slices of chicken.
• Some green vegetables
• Spinach or spring onion
• A fruit of choice

How To:

1. Sauté the cooked rice in butter and sprinkle some salt as per taste. Set it aside to cool and roll into small balls when ready.
2. Sauté the spinach or spring onions lightly in butter and place it on the balls to make funny faces.
3. Slice up the cooked chicken and place it on the rice balls.
4. Cut up the slices of fruit and place in the box along with sautéed greens.

3. Meat, Vegetable And Fruit Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Chicken breast
• Herbs such as parsley, thyme, and fresh ground black pepper.
• Salt as per taste
• Carrots
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Watermelon
• Baby tomatoes
• Cucumber

How To:

1. Steam or boil the chicken breast and sauté with the herbs of your choice. Add salt as per taste.
2. Boil the corn and add in the box.
3. Cut the carrots into small thin strips and chop up the broccoli florets. Add in the box.
4. Slice up the watermelon and the cucumber and add in the box, along with the baby tomatoes.

4. Leftover Rice Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Leftover cooked rice
• Asparagus and Cucumber
• Green vegetables
• Salt as per taste
• Spices of choice

How To:

1. Use the leftover rice to make two different rice combinations, such as green rice and plain butter, black pepper and garlic rice. Add salt as per taste.
2. Cut the asparagus and cucumber into thin long strips and place in the box, along with the rice combinations.

5. French Toast Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Bread slice
• Egg
• Honey
• Milk
• Salt as per taste
• Butter
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Tomato ketchup or jam

How To:

1. Make a batter using egg, milk, honey and a pinch of salt. Dip the bread slice in it and lightly fry in butter to make a delicious French toast. Decorate it with tomato ketchup or jam to make the eyes and mouth. Place it in the bento box. This is an easy bento box ideas for kids to make with the already available ingredients present around the house.
2. Cut the cucumber and tomato into small slices and place it in the bento box along with the French toast.

[ Read: Gluten Free Lunch Ideas For Kids ]

6. Sunshine Bento Box With Rice, Eggs, And Vegetables:

You Will Need:

• Cooked rice
• Egg
• Carrot
• Salt as per taste
• Butter
• Broccoli
• Spinach

How To:

1. Cook the egg in butter sunny side up and sprinkle some salt as per taste. Cut it in the shape of a sun. Sauté the spinach in butter and make the eyes and mouth. Place it on the cooked rice in the box.
2. Cut the broccoli florets and decorate around the rice.

7. Pita Bread, Meat, And Salad Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Pita bread
• Cooked chicken slices.
• Vegetables of choice.
• Mayonnaise
• Raisins
• Crackers

How To:

1. Chop the vegetables and place them along with the chicken slices in the pita bread to make small rolls. Place in the bento box.
2. Put the mayonnaise in another compartment to accompany the rolls.
3. Place the crackers and the raisins in separate compartments as well.

8. Chicken, Vegetables, And Cottage Cheese Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Cooked chicken
• Green peas
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Cottage cheese
• Butter
• Spices or herbs of choice
• Salt as per taste

How To:

1. Mix the chicken with spices or herbs of choice along with salt and form into meatballs. Place in the bento box.
2. Chop the tomatoes and carrots and sauté along with the green peas in the butter. Place in the box.
3. Cut up the cottage cheese into cubes and add.

9. Fish And Vegetable Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Any steamed fish of choice
• Fresh ground black pepper and salt as per taste.
• Green leafy vegetable of choice
• Radish
• Butter

How To:

1. Flavor the fish with black pepper and salt and place it in the bento box.
2. Lightly sauté the greens in butter and place in the box, along with the chopped radish.

10. Fruit Filled Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Orange
• Apples
• Pomegranate
• Parsley
• Chocolate sauce

How To:

1. Break up the orange and cut the apples into slices. Add it all in the bento box. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds.
2. Garnish with the parsley leaf.
3. Add a dollop of chocolate sauce to finish the sweet fruit treat.

[ Read: Healthy Recipes For Kids Meals ]

11. Beet And Corn Salad Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Beetroot
• Corn
• Cottage cheese
• Parsley leaves
• Butter
• Salt as per taste and fresh ground pepper.

How To:

1. Cut the beetroot into slices and boil the corn. Sauté them together in butter and lightly sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
2. Cut up the cottage cheese and add along with the beetroot and corn in the bento box.
3. Garnish with the parsley leaves.

12. Rice And Chicken Strips With Vegetable Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Cooked rice
• Chicken strips
• Salt to taste
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Spices of choice
• Oil

How To:

1. Cook the chicken strips in oil using spices of your choice. Add salt as needed.
2. Place it on the rice and place together in the bento box.
3. Cut the tomatoes in slices and the broccoli as per the florets. Place it along with the rice in the bento box.

13. Prawn And Rice Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Cooked rice
• Prawns
• Butter
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• Salt to taste
• Cucumber

How To:

1. Add butter in a pan and let it melt. Next, crush the garlic and add it to the butter and sauté till it turns golden brown. Sauté the rice in the garlic butter. Add salt as per taste.
2. Fry the prawns in the butter till it turns golden brown. Sprinkle with salt as per taste. Place it on the rice in the bento box.
3. Add a slice of lemon with the prawn and the rice.
4. Cut up the cucumbers and place along with the rice.

14. Fun Halloween Inspired Monster Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• A gingerbread man cookie
• White cream or cheese spread.
• Small oranges
• Blueberries
• Sugar

How To:

1. Use the white cream or cheese spread to make bones on the gingerbread man cookie so that it looks like a skeleton. Place it in the bento box.
2. Now peel the oranges in such a way that they are intact, and the pieces do not fall out. Once you do so, the oranges will look like small pumpkins. Place them in the bento box along with the gingerbread man cookie.
3. Chop the blueberries and dust them with the sugar. Make them into thin strips so that they look like insect or creepy crawly creatures. Place in the bento box.

15. Chicken And Rice Rolls With Spaghetti Bento Box:

You Will Need:

• Chicken strips cut in wide shape.
• Cooked rice
• Spices and herbs of choice
• Salt as per taste
• Noodles
• Tomatoes
• Butter

How To:

1. Sauté the rice in the spices and herbs of choice and sprinkle with salt as per taste.
2. Steam the chicken strips and then lightly fry or sauté them in butter.
3. Add the cooked rice in the chicken strip and roll it up. Place in the bento box.
4. Boil the noodles and sauté in the butter. Place in the bento box.
5. Chop the tomatoes and add along with the rice chicken roll and the noodles in the bento box.

[ Read: Cute Lunch Boxes For Kids ]

Tips And Tricks To Make The Perfect Bento Box Lunch For Your Kids:

Packing a bento box lunch for your kids is not a difficult or time-consuming affair. Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you to make the perfect bento box lunch for your kid:

1. Make Sure The Ingredients Are Quick To Assemble Instead Of Being Too Time Consuming:

Go for easy ingredients that do not take too long to prepare, especially in the morning when you are short on time.

2. Prepare Some Ingredients The Night Before To Help You Save On Time:

For some ingredients that you wish to use in the bento box, such as chicken or fish, you can steam it the night before and keep it partially ready. It will save you time in the morning, and instead of steaming or cooking it in the morning, you will be able to use them with other ingredients directly.

3. Plan The Bento Box In Advance And Match The Ingredients Accordingly:

The concept of a bento box relies heavily on clean and easy eating. It means that you have to prepare a lunch box which your kid will be able to eat easily, in less time as compared to the time it takes to eat a sit-down meal. Hence, it is extremely important that whatever items you place in the bento lunch box match with each other. For instance, if you are relying heavily on a fruit based bento lunch box, try to avoid too many salty or fried items with it. You can either keep it an entirely fruit based box, or add some other sweet elements with it. You can also pair it with something neutral, such as a rice based dish.

4. Keep It Light And Easy:

When you are putting together a bento lunch box for your kid, try to keep the items as fresh and light as you can. Avoid giving foods that are too oily or fried. Some very good alternatives that are easy to eat and light as well are foods that are steamed, sautéed, boiled or eaten raw.

5. Fit It All In:

A bento box works best when you add different flavors and food items in it, as many as you can fit in. But you may often find it difficult to pack in too many different items at once. Try options such as small rolls, cut out shapes, layered foods and such that will not only add to the look of the food but also make it easier to fit it all in.

A bento box is a great way to give your kid the best of multiple food items. Try to pack different styles every day so that your kid looks forward to eating lunch, without getting fussy or bored.

Moms, do tell us which of the above you will try and share if you have already tried something like this with your kid’s lunch box before.

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