While most parents cite “making lunches” as one of the top reasons they're not looking forward to to the new school year, Lindsay Pruss can't wait to bust out her bento boxes. We asked the teacher, mom of two and bento box Instagrammer (@lunches_by_lindsay) to share four of her favourite meal ideas (in four of her favourite lunchboxes) to help you shake up your lunchtime game. Here's hoping your crew never comes home with containers full of food waste again.
Bento box 1:
OmbieBox hot & cold insulated bento box in yellow sunshine, $55, cutekidstuff.com
Finally—an easy way to send a hot lunch! Easy for kids to open by themselves and super easy for parents to clean. This one comes in a variety of colours and even has a handy removable divider.
What's in the box:
Tomato soup (in insulated compartment)
Waffled pizza (crescent-roll dough filled with pizza sauce and shredded cheese, then pressed in a waffle maker)
Broccoli
Bell peppers
Blueberries
Strawberries
Bento box 2:
The box: PlanetBox Rover with two dippers, $70, cutekidstuff.com
Made of high-quality stainless steel (making it an eco-friendly, safe alternative to plastic) this one is easy to wash and keeps food fresh for ages. It comes in three sizes and every box comes with two dippers, which create a leakproof compartment for yogurts, thick soups and chili. There's also a small spot for a treat.
What's in the box:
Mini chicken taco bowls with lettuce, corn, red peppers and green onions
Grape tomatoes
Orange slices
Plain Greek yogurt topped with hemp hearts and a strawberry
Roasted pepitas
Bento box 3:
Yumbox (six compartments), $42, coolkidstuff.com
This one is leakproof, lightweight and comes in a slew of colours. It has an outer shell and a tray insert that fits into most standard lunch bags. It's easy for little hands to open, it's dishwasher safe and can hold almost six cups of food! The six-section box is great for grazers, and the four-section box works well for sandwich eaters.
What's in the box:
Hardboiled eggs
Half an avocado willed with sunflower seeds
Cucumbers
Grape tomatoes
Peach sections
Cheese slices or cubes
Black beans
Olives
Bento box 4:
Little Lunch Box Co bento three, $40, cutekidstuff.com
First, choose from three options—boxes with two, three or five compartments. Each is easy for kids to open and close and they're all dishwasher safe. The three-compartment box holds about one litre of food, but it's still small enough to fit into lunch bags and smaller backpacks.
What's in the box?
Deconstructed sandwich skewers with olive bread, turkey, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cheese cubes
Cucumbers
Raspberries
Originally published in the ParentsCanada Fall 2018 issue. Photos by Lindsay Pruss.
