bento lunch ideas for small eaters

[kathryn4433]

what about fruit in yogurt?

[mmmom]

Originally Posted by corinne76 Are the lids on the laptop boxes leak proof? DD's lunch box would make the container sideways so I would like something that doesn't leak if she does get food that is a little wet eta: So I'm a sucker. I went to amazon to look for those silicone cups and ended up getting that and the laptop box. I think it will work well. I realized that she's been eating like a bird, even at home. So I guess I can't get mad she's not eating at school. At home she asks me how much more she needs to eat, at school there's no one there to tell her. I made her lunch today and cut her PB&J into a heart and she loved it. It's bigger than I wanted, but she's happy. one heart took up almost the whole bread. I also gave her a little bit of banana and mandarin orange to see how she'd like the whole bento concept and she picked at everything.

I put yogurt in the ones with lids and have never had a problem. I have never tried soup or anything too liquid though, we use a thermos for that stuff

[corinne76]

Does anyone do anything warm? Like rice balls and chicken?

[Shimpie]

Here's DD's lunch setup. I posted about this back in June when she first started preschool and I started packing a cold lunch.





Although my photo shows sandwices, it turns out DD doesn't like pb&j. Here's what I usually pack in a lunch:
ham cubes or ham slices cut into shapes like hearts, starts, flowers
spaghetti, marinara sauce, ground beef or gound turkey
rice balls
plain pasta with parmesan cheese
carrot sticks (If I have a really big diameter carrot, I use a flower veggie slicer)
bell peppers
hummus
cheese sticks or cheese slices cut into hearts and star shapes
crackers
grapes
cutie tanegeries
apple slices

I do rice balls with chicken, pork, or ham cubes all the time. However, it's not warm. DD's school does not heat up food. DD still loves her cold rice balls and I tend to send very simple meat dishes that don't have a lot of sauce or butter, which wouldn't taste good cold. Sometimes, if I feel artistic, I decorate her rice balls with little funny faces made of of seaweed. If I send a rice dish that isn't in a ball, it's fried rice. Cold plain rice is just not yummy.

I send try to keep dry foods like crackers or yogurt chips in a separate container from the bento, because humudity from other foods often makes them soggy.

[corinne76]

Originally Posted by Shimpie Here's DD's lunch setup. I posted about this back in June when she first started preschool and I started packing a cold lunch. Although my photo shows sandwices, it turns out DD doesn't like pb&j. Here's what I usually pack in a lunch: ham cubes or ham slices cut into shapes like hearts, starts, flowers spaghetti, marinara sauce, ground beef or gound turkey rice balls plain pasta with parmesan cheese carrot sticks (If I have a really big diameter carrot, I use a flower veggie slicer) bell peppers hummus cheese sticks or cheese slices cut into hearts and star shapes crackers grapes cutie tanegeries apple slices I do rice balls with chicken, pork, or ham cubes all the time. However, it's not warm. DD's school does not heat up food. DD still loves her cold rice balls and I tend to send very simple meat dishes that don't have a lot of sauce or butter, which wouldn't taste good cold. Sometimes, if I feel artistic, I decorate her rice balls with little funny faces made of of seaweed. If I send a rice dish that isn't in a ball, it's fried rice. Cold plain rice is just not yummy. I send try to keep dry foods like crackers or yogurt chips in a separate container from the bento, because humudity from other foods often makes them soggy.

Sooo cute! Do you heat up her meat in the morning, or just give it to her cold, like from the frig?

[Shimpie]

I leave for work at 6:30am, so I make her lunch the night before. The meat is cold. Roasted chicken and ham taste great cold.
Unless I put hot food in a thermos, I don't think it's safe to heat up food in the morning and have it sit in lunch bag for several hours. The food won't stay hot, and tepid food is a breeding ground for bacteria.

I may need to get a kid's thermos one of these days.

[corinne76]

I tried the thermos and it got her to eat for a little while, then that seemed to cease. Hoping this get her to eat lunch at school.

[corinne76]

Anyone with a laptop lunchbox have any ideas what to put it in? Ours came, and we love it. Unfortunately it does not fit in her current lunchbox. I would rather not spend another $25 for the bag if i can find something similar but cheaper. Tnx!