Is your child a fussy eater? Looking for some lunchbox inspiration? Bento meals are a fun, colourful way to make everyday food more appealing to kids. Aura from Bento Stories shares 13 brilliant bento box ideas that your kids will love.
My kids were — and still are — very picky eaters. We also have asthma to manage in our house, so I try hard to make sure they’re getting the right balance of food types in their regular meals: veggies, fruit, and lean meat.
I quickly realised I had to put some thought into making food look more exciting and appealing if I wanted them to actually eat it, so I started creating bento meals for them.
What’s a Bento Meal?
A bento meal is a compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed into a box. Historically, it’s a Japanese box lunch, similar in concept to the Indian tiffin, the Korean dosirak, or the Filipino baon lunch.
A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually arranged in a box-shaped container.
Giving my kids character-inspired bento meals has helped me make sure they’re getting complete, healthy meals. It’s the same food I want them to eat, just presented differently. You can never go wrong with bento!
You may also like: Top Tips for Fussy Eaters
How Do I Do It?
With a bit of imagination, I make something special for my kids — character and cartoon-inspired bento meals. That’s how @BentoStories came about, because I try to think up stories to tell my kids about their bento box characters. It makes them more excited and attentive when it’s time to actually eat.
Take a look at some of my ideas and stories below for inspiration, and remember, you can be as creative as you like.
Do involve your kids in the process though, and ask them what snacks they’d like included — even get them helping with the preparation. The more involved they are, the more inclined they’ll be to eat the meal.
It also helps to plan your bento boxes ahead of time, using a lunchbox planner to keep yourself organised through the week.
Just One Cookbook has a helpful section on how to make bento, covering useful basics like chopping techniques.
You will need:
- Bento box (lunchbox with dividers)
- Food picks
- Food cutters and/or any shapers
- Silicone cupcake cups
- Food dividers
- Mayonnaise (optional)
- Mini condiment containers
- Nori (seaweed)
- Small scissors
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1. Tinker Bell
The idea for this box came to me after watching Peter Pan with my daughter. She asked if I could make her a Tinker Bell bento for school. I used cheese slices for Tink’s hair and cabbage for her dress.
You may also like: 100 Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
2. Pokémon
What kid doesn’t love Pokémon?
Instead of using artificial food colours, I use whatever spices I have in the kitchen. For this one, I added a little turmeric to produce a lovely yellow rice — and a nice boost of antioxidants too.
3. Home-Inspired
Boov from the movie Home was the inspiration for this box. When I showed it to my daughter, she said, “It’s perfect! I love you, Mom!”
I try to avoid artificial food colour as much as possible, but this one was an exception.
4. Monsters, Inc.
Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. was the inspiration here. I grated green veggies and mixed them into the rice — they’d never know what’s hiding in there!
You may also like: Tips to Ensure Your Picky Eater Gets Their 5-a-Day
5. WALL-E
How about WALL-E? A perfect movie for the whole family. Besides teaching us to eat healthy food and take care of our bodies, it also reminds us to look after our environment and surroundings, because it’s our only home.
Dried fruits and veggie sticks pair perfectly with a yummy WALL-E sandwich.
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6. Three Little Pigs
“Oink, oink, oink.” The Three Little Pigs is one of my kids’ favourite stories, and this piggy is the smartest of the three because he built his house out of bricks!
I mixed a little tomato ketchup into the rice to get that nice pink pig colour — and the ketchup works perfectly with the hot dog and chicken too.
7. The Big Fish
The big fish from my daughter’s favourite Bible story, Jonah and the Big Fish, comes with all her favourite foods. Every now and then I include one of my special recipes, like my own honey chicken, which my kids love.
You may also like: 14 Sneaky Ways to Get Vegetables into Kids’ Meals
8. Super Mario
When they’re feeling a bit under the weather, I try to add extra fruit (vitamin C) to their meals to help boost their immune systems. In this box I also added some fried chicken alongside the little Super Mario mushrooms.
You may also like: 12 Quick Ideas for After School Snacks
9. Kero Keroppi Pasta
Most kids like pasta, but fussy eaters tend to prefer it without sauce. My kids are just like that, so I add a little colour to their spaghetti to make it look extra appetising.
You may also like: 9 Simple Pasta Recipes for Kids
10. Cinnamoroll
How cute is this Cinnamoroll bento! I find it useful to keep canned goods on hand that are quick to prepare, like corn, carrots and green peas — used here with some chopped ham.
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11. Baby Owls
When my youngest was born, I used to tell my eldest a story — mommy and daddy owl prayed and prayed for a baby, but instead of one, they got two! Even though these babies are different in so many ways, mommy and daddy love them both just the same, and they should always love each other too.
For this box, I used string beans as “tree branches” with some crispy bacon pieces.
12. Totoro-Inspired
I usually get my inspiration from other bento makers, but I’m quite particular about what I like to include in my own boxes. Whenever I can’t find anything I think will appeal to my kids, I make my own version.
For this one, I seasoned some grated seaweed and included hash browns too.
13. Mirumiru-Chan
Innocent, gullible and carefree — just the right words to describe Mirumiru-chan, and honestly, most children too. This one’s a little bit of everything for my little darlings.
I like to get inventive when carving fruit as well, like this apple, carved using a small sharp knife.
Content provided by Aura San Diego, mother of two girls. For more of her bento inspiration, follow her on Instagram.
Over to You
Have you tried bento boxes with your kids? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bento box meal?
A bento meal is a compact, balanced lunch packed into a divided box, with small portions of different foods arranged so they look as appealing as they taste. It’s a Japanese tradition, similar in concept to the Indian tiffin, Korean dosirak, or Filipino baon lunch.
Do I need special equipment to make bento box lunches?
It helps to have a divided bento box, food picks, small cutters or shapers, silicone cupcake cups, mini condiment containers, and a small pair of scissors for cutting nori (seaweed). None of it needs to be expensive — most of these items are inexpensive and reusable.
How can bento boxes help with fussy eating?
Presenting familiar, healthy foods in a fun, character-inspired way can make mealtimes feel more exciting for picky eaters. Involving your child in planning and preparing their bento — choosing shapes, characters or snacks — often makes them more willing to actually eat what’s in the box.
Do I need artificial food colouring to make bento designs?
No — many bento makers, including Aura, prefer to use natural ingredients like turmeric for yellow, tomato ketchup for pink, or grated vegetables mixed into rice for colour and nutrition, keeping things as natural as possible.
You Might Also Like
- Top Tips for Fussy Eaters
- 100 Healthy Lunch Box Ideas Your Kids Will Love
- 9 Simple Pasta Recipes for Kids to Prepare in No Time
- 12 Quick Ideas for After School Snacks
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