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Recipes · August 15, 2018

10 Bento Box Ideas (your picky eaters will actually eat)

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collage of bento boxes with text

As moms, we need all the help we can get with feeding our kids healthy school lunches. Here are some bento box lunches for picky eaters, ones that they’ll actually eat!

collage of bento boxes with text

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Bento Box Ideas (perfect for school lunches!)

I recently got my son a Yumbox for his new adventure into Kindergarten this year, and I totally needed school lunch ideas so I thought you probably did too! I’m definitely adding these to my “kindergarten lunch box ideas list” (would it be helpful if I published that? Let me know by sending me an email). I hope these bento box ideas inspire you to help your picky eaters enjoy their school lunch!

Turkey Cheese Mini Croissant Sandwich

Turkey and Cheese Mini Croissant Sandwiches With Apple Pumpkin Energy Bites

by Life Made Sweeter

Sandwiches on anything other than bread is always a win! And I love these apple pumpkin energy bites – I’m going to make them this weekend and put them into my school lunch planner for next week.

 

Chicken Pesto Zucchini Noodles.jpg

Chicken Pesto Zucchini Noodles

by Snixy Kitchen

Zoodles are so much fun for kids – especially if they get to help make them into the noodles! My son loves making them with our spiralizer (which I LOVE ~ I’ve used quite a few of them but this one is my favorite).

 

Crustless Pizza Cups.jpg

Crustless Pizza Cups

by Following In My Shoes

We recently had a “I want to try pizza with pepperoni” episode by the 4 year old that kinda stunned me (because no one in my house eats pepperoni on their pizza, ha!). He didn’t like the spicy-ness of it, so the next time I went to the store I picked up salami. He needed a good 4 or 5 “do you want to try this?” before he said yes but then he loved it! So I would get some thin sliced genoa salami and do this, for sure!


sandwich free lunch ideas.jpg

Sandwich-Free Lunch Box Ideas

by Baked Bree

My little guy would love all the kindergarten lunch box ideas in this article – he’s not really a traditional sandwich kind of kid! And I love the use of the silicone muffin holders when you want to corral something, whoever came up with that one is just brilliant.

 

More bento box lunch ideas for school:


Ham-Hummus Flatbread.jpg

Ham and Hummus Flatbread Rollups, Veggie Sticks, Cheese And Trail Mix

by Running To The Kitchen

Do your kids like hummus? Mine doesn’t love it (YET! we keep trying!) but I included this one to remind myself to try it in a different way – on a wrap! I’ve only given it to him to dip veggies in so I’ll definitely try this one.

 

Little Italy bento.jpg

“Little Italy” Lunch Ideas Pre-K-Friendly

by The Organic Kitchen

I feel like pasta is a really good lunchbox idea for picky eaters, plus I love the idea of sending a cold pasta that’s not loaded with mayo. My son would probably pick out the basil pieces but who knows! I’m all about not assuming, and just giving it to him to see what he does with it. It’s the same reason I give him vegetables over and over, even if he doesn’t eat them the first 273 times. Because one day, he WILL pick it up and eat it. And maybe even like it…ha!

Free School Lunch Planner
puzzle piece sandwich bento.jpg

Puzzle Piece Sandwich

by Smashed Peas And Carrots

I love to eat all things made with cookie cutters, so it’s no wonder kids love them! This puzzle piece cookie cutter is especially adorable and a fun way to present “just a sandwich”.

A really fun Bento box lunch ideas for kids:

spooky halloween lunch bento box.jpg

Spooky Halloween Bento Lunch

by Three Little Ferns

This is just the cutest – my son would love all of this but I’d be afraid he’d just play with the toys and not eat the food, ha! Those picks that the black olives are on though – gotta find them! Update: I haven’t been able to find those exact food picks but I did find these adorable ones that could be used for halloween or any time!

 

Taco Salad Bento Lunch Box.jpg

No Cook Taco Salad Bento Box

by Sweet Peas And Saffron

This particular bento box lunch idea is what I gave my kindergartner on the first day of school! We did soft tacos in the Yumbox instead of the crispy tortillas but we’ll try that next time!

 

Gluten-Free Meatballs.jpg

Gluten-Free Meatballs

by Following In My Shoes

I literally never thought about giving meatballs for lunch, especially without sauce (or “gravy” in my house!). I’m definitely trying this one, maybe with a little “gravy” as a dipping sauce – just so that my Grandma isn’t rolling over in her grave!

I hope you loved these creative kids bento box lunch ideas!

So what did you think of these bento box lunch ideas for picky eaters? Would your picky eater try these?

More back to school idea for kids:

How to plan school lunches quickly with this simple trick

13 Healthy Homemade Snacks (perfect for kids lunch boxes)

How to organize absolutely everything for Back to School

 

I also love this list of non-sandwich lunch ideas from Happiness is Homemade!

Don’t forget to grab your free school lunch planner printable below:

Free School Lunch Planner

In: Recipes · Tagged: Back to School

You’ll Also Love

10 Easy & Healthy Freezer Meals (that your kids will devour!)
Kindergarten lunch ideas for picky eaters (real-life ideas!)
13 Healthy Homemade Snacks (perfect for kids lunch boxes)

Comments

  1. Micheline Pumpkin says

    November 9, 2020 at 6:46 am

    This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me.
    Thank you!

    Reply

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Join both of us this Thursday (LIVE!) for “How to Take MASSIVE ACTION on your Goals (without burnout or overwhelm)”.
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Who else hates throwing away lots of un-eaten prod Who else hates throwing away lots of un-eaten produce at the end of the week as much as I do? 
Focus on an ingredient-based meal plan instead of the other way around. That's what the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar does. Here's this week's meal plan...
🍕🌮 🍔 
‣‣‣Monday: Dinner Blueprint # 51 (A4+B1+C3)
Homemade Pizza Dough & Pizza Sauce (two recipes)
‣‣‣Tuesday: Dinner Blueprint # 33 (A3+B1+C1)
Blackened Tilapia Tacos
‣‣‣Wednesday: Dinner Blueprint # 10 (A1+B3+C2)
Crispy Lemon Chicken & Veggies
‣‣‣Thursday: Dinner Blueprint # 5 (A1+B2+C1)
Santa Fe Double Chicken
‣‣‣Friday: Dinner Blueprint # 40 (A3+B2+C4)
Baked Fish Sticks (+ leftover veggies or salad)
‣‣‣Saturday: Dinner Blueprint # 13 (A1+B4+C1)
Santa Fe Double Chicken Soup (just add a carton of chicken broth to leftovers to make soup)
‣‣‣Sunday: Dinner Blueprint # 3 (A1+B1+C3)
Chicken Parmesan w/Pasta
🍕 
If you're following along on the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, these are the same Dinner Blueprint #’s for each day. You can use the blueprint to come up with your own dinner idea, or use the linked example recipe.
🌮 
If you don’t own the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, you can purchase it by clicking my link in bio or if you're seeing this on Facebook, click here:
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🍉🥬Tell me... what fruit or veggie do you always end up throwing away? (watermelon and fresh spinach here!)
I don't know about you, but I can waste time like I don't know about you, but I can waste time like a CHAMP. Like re-drying the same load of laundry 3 times or scrolling IG like a zombie in bed.
Anyone else?
But I don't like it. 
And I definitely try to be more intentional on the things that give me more time back than what I spent on it. 
Meal planning is one of those things. Spend ONE hour a month meal planning, and you'll gain so many more hours each day (and *bonus* - it's during that dreaded pre-dinner time when the kids are maniacs!)

P.S. Please stop weekly meal planning. That doesn't actually save you time. (you can watch the ✨free training✨ in my link in bio if you want to know how often I suggest!)
Tell me...what would you do with an extra 30 mins each day?
New Month...new meal plan! Take an hour and make a New Month...new meal plan!
Take an hour and make an easy, monthly meal plan that focuses on the ingredients you eat and love - not one that tells you what to make (and then you have to go grocery shopping to get everything!) 
That's a backwards-based meal plan, friend.
Here's a sneak peek at my method:
Make a quick grid of 3 rows and 4 columns.
3 rows: A, B, C
A - main ingredient
B - side dish
C - flavor profile
4 columns: 1, 2, 3,4
Assign each space an ingredient and then mix and match... 
Here is each "formula of the day" for the rest of the week (since Jan 1st lands mid-week). Straight outta the January meal plan from the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar... 
🍕🌮 🍔 
‣‣‣Friday: Dinner Blueprint # 36 (A3+B1+C4)
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia w/butter pasta
‣‣‣Saturday: Dinner Blueprint # 14 (A1+B4+C2)
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
‣‣‣Sunday: Dinner Blueprint # 23 (A2+B2+C4)
Italian Stuffed Peppers
🍕 
If you're following along on the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, these are the same Dinner Blueprint #’s for each day. You can use the blueprint to come up with your own dinner idea, or use the linked example recipe.
🌮 
If you don’t own the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, you can purchase it by clicking my link in bio or if you're seeing this on Facebook, click here:
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🍔 Tell me... what's on your meal plan this week?
The 9-gazillion chicken recipes on Pinterest overw The 9-gazillion chicken recipes on Pinterest overwhelms me.
You too?
One of the many reasons I love chicken is because it's just so versatile. I mean, it cooks quick and there's sooooo many options out there. Just search "chicken recipes" and you'll come up with tens of thousands. 
(I'm looking at you again, Pinterest...). 
These are way too many options for me, so I created a simple mix and match method to come up with new dinner ideas.
✔️ limited ingredients means I'm not overwhelmed 
✔️ starts with flavors my family already loves to eat
✔️ less options means I can get dinner on the table quicker instead of staring into the fridge hoping dinner will just jump out at me!
Here's a few of these ideas on my meal plan (right outta my Annual Meal Planning calendar...).
What's your family's favorite chicken recipe?
My cup is so full! I just finished working on rele My cup is so full! I just finished working on releasing my new podcast and I’m sooooo excited to share it with you. What I’m even more ecstatic about is for you to learn how to focus on the most important things (for YOUR family!).
The latest episode is jam-packed with the exact steps you can use right away to meal plan only 4 times per year. Click the link in my profile @mealplanningblueprints and click the Podcast button to listen on iTunes. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Hey beautiful new faces! If you were here in pers Hey beautiful new faces!  If you were here in person I'd sit and chat with you at the kitchen counter and offer you a cup of coffee (peppermint mocha or caramel vanilla cream?). 
☕️
But since we can't do that, I thought I'd introduce myself...
I'm a NYer that just moved to NC. I say "ya know" a lot and sometimes get teased for my accent - especially for "dawg" and "cawfee". 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 
3 things I love: 
💛 I love being a mama. Swipe to see my two cuties - one big, one little. I've always done this parenting thing solo, and I believe single parenting can be a blessing and have so many perks! 
💚 I love being minimal-ish but I can't have enough fun colored pens and pretty notebooks. Oh, and books. Wayyyy too many books.
💙 I love finding simple and efficient ways to do things. I need all the time I can possibly get so I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier! (truth: sometimes I spend more time looking for new ways to do something than doing it in the first place 😂).
And that's my approach to meal planning too. 
I sign off my emails with "keepin' meal planning simple" - I believe less is more because I don't have time for complicated meal plans or even sitting down every Sunday to do it (and I know you don't either!).⁣
✨
You might find some unconventional ideas here.⁣
You might find some refreshing honesty or tough love.⁣
But it's all to help you create a simple, minimal, intentional life you love 💚⁣
✨⁣
So, welcome! If we were sharing some coffee in my kitchen, what are 3 things you'd tell me about you?
Throw back to the time I forgot an ingredient for Throw back to the time I forgot an ingredient for dinner and needed to go the store AGAIN and I didn’t realize just how sick he was until that moment he fell asleep in a Walmart shopping cart.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And this picture totally gives me #momguilt for taking my sick baby to the store, and it reminds me of how my weeks used to be...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
​⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Day 1 - grocery shop. But boy was that tiring, so I gave the kiddo a sandwich for dinner (or ordered pizza 😉).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Day 2 - go to make Dinner 1 on the meal plan, but I forgot an ingredient. Shoot. Served mac & cheese and an applesauce packet, I snacked on crackers and a cheese stick. Plan on going to the grocery store tomorrow to get missing ingredient so I can make Dinner 1.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Day 3 - forgot to go to the grocery store, but I defrosted spaghetti sauce and made spaghetti. “It’s okay, I’ll pull it together tomorrow”. *Wrote “stop at the store” on a post-it note.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Day 4 - Remembered to go to the grocery store (yay!). Made the Dinner 1. Everyone hated it and didn’t eat it so I just about threw a yogurt and a banana across the table and called it “dinner”.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Day 5 - Done with trying to meal plan. Exhausted.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And just like that, I’m frustrated and blame meal planning as the problem. And gave up.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Can you relate?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’d bet my PSL that you identify with some part of that - and whatever “IT” is, it just keeps repeating itself over and over.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Maybe it’s not forgetting an ingredient…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Maybe it’s a crazy busy schedule that changes...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Maybe it’s just being exhausted at the end of the day…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Maybe it’s looking a full fridge and pantry and just having NO idea what to make…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I’ve been there too and I know you’re expecting me to say that a solid meal plan is the answer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But a meal plan is NOT the answer... (cont’d in comments)
Simplicity is the name of the game. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I don't extreme coupon.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I don't buy every ingredient on the planet.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I don't meal plan every week.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I do use coupons intentionally.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I do make sure we try new foods and have variety.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I do utilize a Capsule Pantry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And most importantly...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I do give myself grace if the plan doesn't work out.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Keep it simple. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#mealplanningmadeeasy #mealplans #mealplanner #menuplanning #menuboard #monthlymealplanning #mealprepsunday #dinnerideas #healthydinnerideas #newmomlife #workingmomlife #dinnerathome #dinnertonight #mealplanningtips #mealplanningblueprints #organizedpantry #capsulepantry #minimalistkitchen #livewithless #konmari #zerowastefood #simpleliving #simpledinner #minimalistlifestyle #slowliving #habitandhome #ohheymama #livesimple #seeksimplicity #honestmotherhood
These two. Who made me a mother. So grateful! Happ These two. Who made me a mother. So grateful!
Happy Mother’s Day!
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