Bento Box Ideas

My eldest started school just a few weeks ago and already I am in a lunch box rut.  To be honest she hasn't complained but the opportunity to feed her more vegetables without being present to hear the usual barrage of excuses is just too tempting to ignore.  

 

I'm not completely heartless however, so I decided to search for some creative, healthy lunch box ideas, and she was pleased!

 

Appealing to her love of art and all things 'pretty' I just couldn't go past these gorgeous healthy kids lunch ideas by Australian online kids Bento specialists Neat 2 Eat (www.neat2eat.com.au).  The Japanese are masters when it comes to beautifully presented food, and Bento boxes (with a whole myriad of accessories) are perfect for making lunches you'll be sad to see leave your kitchen!  

 

Of course you don't need all the fancy accessories (although I'm sure you'll agree some of the examples below are quite fun), the Neat 2 Eat blog includes some instructions for basic Bento techniques requiring only a sharp knife.

 

A fully customisable starter kit containing sandwich cutters, food cups, mini cutters, food picks and egg moulds is available from Neat 2 Eat for $50 AUD - shipping to New Zealand is available.

 

Lunch Punch sandwich cutters, which are used in many of the creations below are also available locally from Bubbalooz (www.bubbalooz.co.nz).
 

 

Submitted by: Anne Sanders