Bento!

I had looked at Bento lunches before but the overwhelming amount of information just blew me away and I dismissed it as entirely too time consuming. All the lunches I saw seemed to be food my kids would not touch and while cute, I didn't want to spend 90 minutes to make Pikachu out of cheese and cherry tomatoes..no matter how cute it is.

A message on Ravelry got me to look at Bento once again and then a friend posted a link to another lunch, a great Bento site. After looking through that site and also at Lunch in a Box, I thought maybe this would be something I could do. I don't have to use all the Bento specific gear, I can use what I like. (And how silly is it that I feel like I have to give myself permission to use what I have and like??)

I want the kids to eat their lunch and like what is in their lunch bu it seems like that is not the case. Maybe by packing it all in one spot rather than multiple bags, I can break away from packaged foods and get them eating better (and I admit it, it looks pretty!)

Rhys is on board and he wants his box here now! In the meantime, a snap and lock box will do for him. Since Greg has been bringing his lunch to work, he is another test subject.

First up is Greg's lunch...this box was meant for Rhys but since Greg left his snap and lock box at work, Rhys gets to be downsized to a smaller box. As it is, I think that this box would be too big for Rhys. I grabbed it at Wal-Mart for under $4. I don't have any silicone cups so paper cupcake holders work for now.


Peanut butter and honey sandwich, pistachios, blueberries, grapes, baby carrots and on the bottom, where you can't see it, two chocolate chip cookies.

This is for my Rhysie. He is generally a good eater but is not a big eater.

Strawberry jam sandwich. I used a crust remover/shape cutter thing and made it into 4 pieces. When I laid them in there, there was a nice diamond pattern in the middle so I filled it with chunks of cheese. He also has some blueberries and pretzel snaps. After I took the pic, I added a test cookie on the top. This little snap and lock container is the perfect size for him and fits in his current lunch bag.

Kierynn had a birthday party over the weekend where the guests decorated sugar cookies. I made a batch of cookies prior to the party, my test cookies, to be sure they would work well. I told the kids they could eat the test cookies but not the other cookies so now Rhys is calling all sugar cookies test cookies.

I am working on Kierynn and Iain. I think once I get some cute picks, Kierynn will be on board. Iain...he will be more difficult but I think I will get him turned. The trick with him is to get him more involved in what can go in his lunch other than a load of sweet junk.