Bento Box Lunch Box for Kids

Why is the bento box lunch box for kids becoming such a hit with school children? What's so cool about it that kids all over the country are raving about having a bento for lunch? A quick tour at any school cafeteria will show you how famous these bentos are - almost all of the kids are having them for lunch! Gone are the days of boring brown paper lunches. Welcome to the age of the bento!

Simply put, bento is the Japanese way of preparing nutritionally balanced and visually appealing packed meals. While a traditional Japanese bento consists of rice, meat or fish, and cooked or pickled vegetables, you can put in almost anything you want. The possibilities are virtually endless! Now, let us learn some basic facts about bento so that you may better appreciate it.

1. There is a general rule in preparing bentos. A good bento lunch should have 3 parts carbohydrates, 1 part protein (from meat or fish) and 2 parts fruits and vegetables. No sweets or oily foods, please! By following this rule, you can be sure that your kids will have a healthier, more balanced meal every day.
2. A bento lunch is all about variety and balance. And we're not just considering the nutritional value - we're also talking about the visual appeal of the foods you are preparing! So, add a variety of colors and texture in every bento lunch. Doing so will make it more appetizing, too. Good for your little picky eaters!
3. A good bento lunch should be compactly packed. Remember - preparing a bento lunch is an art form. It's not all about nutrition - it is also about visual appeal. There is nothing worse than taking the time to prepare a superb bento lunch that looks good in the morning only to see that it turned into a complete mess by lunch time! So, the best thing to do is to put in some "gap fillers" such as grapes and cherry tomatoes to stabilize your masterpiece while on transport.
4. Consider how you will arrange the foods. In preparing bento lunches, you should consider what foods will be placed next to each other. Avoid putting together foods that will ruin the flavors or texture of those next to it. To avoid this, you can use edible separators such as cucumber slices or lettuce. You can also use reusable lidded condiment cups or baking cups to do the trick.
5. Bento lunches are packed in reusable bento lunch containers so you can help reduce waste.

Easy Bento Recipes for Your Kids!

Now that you know what a bento is and where to buy your first bento container, it's time to consider learning how to prepare a bento lunch. Here's my top recommendation - the Just Bento Cookbook.

The Just Bento Cookbook contains 25 attractive bento menus and more than 150 recipes which are divided into two main sections - Japanese and Not-so-Japanese. The Japanese section includes classic bento menus while the Not-so-Japanese section shows how Western food can be adapted to the bento concept. It also comes along with useful tips on how to pack an appealing bento, speedy bento-making and bento safety. You and your kids will surely love this!

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