Bento Box Lunch Ideas For Kids

As a mother, it can sometimes be difficult to get your kids to eat, even if they are not picky about the foods they like. Giving them the same school lunch each day can get monotonous, and you may soon discover they often opt to buy (the costly) lunch from the school cafeteria instead.

You may not have time for a very artistic lunch for your kid’s bento box, but that you can still jazz it up differently to keep things interesting for your child. With that in mind, here are a few lunch ideas that will fit nicely in your kids bento lunch box.

Taco Salad Lunch

This taco salad lunch recipe is a great alternative from the usual PB&J sandwich your kids have grown accustomed to, and is sure to be a hit.

Divide your box into four sections, if you can. In one section put the taco salad (which is comprised of ground beef, salsa, shredded cheese, and chopped lettuce). In the other three sections put a handful or tortilla chips, and a few other fruits and veggies.

Taco Pop Tarts

Keeping with the taco theme, these taco pop tarts are genius. These pop tarts are stuffed with beef, beans, corn, and cheese, and are a simple solution to the “messy taco” dilemma. They are super easy to make and can be frozen for up to two months, making them a great meal prep idea. Make up a bunch and toss them in the freezer.

Add some cheese, crackers, and fruit in the bento box, and maybe a cookie or two, and you have yourself another winner.

DIY Lunchables

If your kids love those lunch kits that come with crackers and slices of meat and cheese, this may be another great option for you. The store bought kits come in little plastic containers and may not be as healthy as you might like, and they can get expensive.

Save your money and instead buy your own ingredients. Whole wheat crackers, slices of cheese and meat, and maybe some cucumbers, and your child can create as many sandwiches as they want. For more variety add a banana or other veggies, maybe some dip as well.

Sandwich Kabobs

Another fun idea that includes a sandwich but is far from boring is sandwich kabobs. Put on the kabob small bread squares, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, and small pieces of meat. Add a few other veggies, too, if you want.

Then to fill up the box just add an apple and some potato chips, and your kid may actually look forward to eating a sandwich this time.

Pizza Roll-Up Lunch

This pizza roll-up lunch is a great choice for the kid who loves pizza, but this is much healthier, and there is room to add fruits and veggies in the box.

For the roll-ups, just use wheat tortillas with some pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Microwave just until the cheese is melted, then roll it up. Once it has cooled, cut into slices and you now have pizza roll-ups.

Breakfast-for-Lunch

If your kids love breakfast, and often ask for breakfast food at lunch time, this is sure to be a hit with them. You can put whatever you want in here: toasted waffle pieces, sliced apples, hard-boiled eggs (cut in half), mandarin oranges, maybe even a small amount of oatmeal (oatmeal cookies, maybe?).

Yogurt Parfait Lunch

Kids who love yogurt will love this change in their daily lunch. We recommend using Greek yogurt (if your child will eat it) as it is healthy (mmm…probiotics) and provides a great source of protein.

Add to the box any variety of granola, cereal, or fruits your child likes, and maybe toss in a veggie or two to make it a more balanced lunch.

Peanut Butter & Banana Roll-Ups

You may have a picky eater on your hands, but odds are one of their favorite combinations is peanut butter and bananas. Play to this by spreading peanut butter over a whole wheat wrap and wrapping it around a banana. That will be their “sandwich”. Then add some of their favorite fruits and veggies to the box, maybe some potato chips.

Your picky eater will think this is the best, and it frees them up from the usual sandwich they have come to avoid.

Storing Your Food in a Bento Lunch Box

It can be very easy to change up your child’s school lunch every day, and with a bento box you have so many options to choose from. This is not an extensive list of ideas, by any means, but we hope that it sparks your imagination and gives you a good starting point.

For more bento box lunch ideas for kids, or to buy the bento box of your dreams, take a look at Kangovou’s large bento lunch box. While there, browse the shop for other eco-friendly products for you and your family.