Every mom knows that bentos are the hottest trend in packing school lunches for your kids, but it can be a bit discouraging to think you need to spend an hour making lunch for your child every morning. Never fear! Here’s a selection of cute and easy bento box ideas that can be made in 15 minutes or less. (As an added bonus, they make fruit and veggies look yummy enough that even the pickiest eaters are sure to gobble them up.)
1. Bento Kabobs
Meat and cheese kabobs paired with an assortment of bite sized fruits and veggies make for a pleasing lunch for a slightly older child who isn’t into sandwiches with cute faces or artfully shaped eggs. Following in My Shoes has the details for this project, as well as a few other easy make ahead bento lunches.
2. Rainbow Bento
This bento relies on an orderly arrangement of colors instead of complicated prep techniques. Learn more by visiting Foodista.
3. Cake Bento
What kid wouldn’t be thrilled by the idea of eating cake for lunch? This easy bento features a sandwich decorated to look like cake slices. It doesn’t even require any special cutters or prep tools, which makes it perfect for the bento newbie. Parenting.com has the full tutorial.
4. School Supply Bento
Sandwiches decorated to look like pencils are the star of this A+ bento lunch that requires no special equipment to prepare. Head over to Lunchbox Dad to learn more.
5. Bug Bento
Turn a simple sandwich into a cute little ladybug with the addition of a cut slice of cheese and some candy eyes. Pair with fruit and veggies for a lunch that’s sure to please. Love From the Oven has the details.
6. Fairy Bread Bento
Fairy bread is made by using tiny cookie cutters to remove small portions of a basic sandwich, then filling in the cut out shapes with sprinkles. When you’re pressed for time, this bento is sure to become your go-to meal option. Learn more at Family Fresh Meals.
7. Pizza Bento
A build your own pizza bento encourages kids to be actively involved in their lunch while offering an assortment of healthy things to eat. Pepper Scraps shows you how to make this clever school lunch idea.
8. Flower Bento
A bento built around a simple flower theme is easy to make with cookie cutters and fresh fruit. An inspirational note card adds the perfect finishing touch. Get the details at Bent on Better Lunches.
9. Star Bento
This star bento features shaped sandwiches, fruit, and Trader Joe’s yogurt stars with a “You Shine” note. Bent on Better Lunches has the details.
10. Angry Birds
This Angry Birds bento looks complicated, but is actually a snap to pull off. The sandwich is cut into tiny strips, while grapes are decorated with Wilton candy eyes to look like green pigs. The red bird is made from Babybel cheese. Get the details at Fabulously Frugal.
