Bento box ideas for a 2nd grader?

[La_Tigressa_Peligrosa]

My ds is starting 2nd grade soon, and I got him his own "bento box".


Post ideas for lunches here.

[livius drusus]

I love bento boxes. Do you have a big ol' bandanna to wrap it with?

Other than sushi, I really don't know what can fit in a bento box. I would think sliced bread would be way oversized, so even sandwich materials are out unless you trim them.

[LadyShea]

Had to look it up, very cool!

Instead of sandwiches you could do healthy little canapes of all kinds, for side dishes thin sliced apples (or yummy apple slaw!) pears or melon balls, and for desert candied nuts or yogurt dipped pretzels...what does your kid like?

[livius drusus]

Ooh! How about dolmades? You know, the Greek rice-n-meat wrapped in a grape leaf thingy. I'm so trying this vegetarian one.

[La_Tigressa_Peligrosa]

thanks!

My ds doesn't like much. Although he does love sushi ... I'm hoping that by giving him more options at lunch he'll eat a more balanced diet......

[viscousmemories]

Wow, a second grader who loves sushi? That's cool. I didn't try it until I was in my 20's. That was all I could think of that goes in a bento box, but I assumed it was out of the question. Sushi is healthy!

[La_Tigressa_Peligrosa]

Yeah my son is cool like that.


Although he won't eat hardly anything else.




Thanks for the replies. And no, no bandana ~ it's actually not a traditional Bento but the Americanized version, the "Laptop Lunch Box." Although he'll probably take chopsticks instead of the fork and spoon that come with it.

[wildernesse]

I think there is a blog that uses the laptop lunchbox for vegetarian meals. . . Vegan Lunch Box actually. She sends her son to school with their laptop lunchbox full of yumminess.

[La_Tigressa_Peligrosa]

Ooohhh h-core, thanks for the linkagy goodness!

[Ensign Steve]

I'm getting ready to finally commit to a bento box for when school starts in the fall. Yeah that is 5 months away, but I need a lot of time to deliberate on this decision.

I already have a couple of the Fit N Fresh containers, but they have been warped by the dishwasher and the ice packs have broken down, and certain other people in the house have started to treat them like regular old storage boxes, so I'm ready to upgrade.

I am trying to decide between Mr. Bento which I have been wanting ever since Fish got one, and Laptop Lunches which I just found out about today from a tip in the Weight Watchers newsletter.

How ever will I decide?!

ETA: poasted at

[Ensign Steve]

Here is Mr. Bento


And here is Laptop Lunches


My biggest challenge has always been to pack an entire day's worth of food (or at least breakfast, lunch, and several snacks) into a system that I am willing to carry around with me all freaking day, in addition to my purse, laptop, book bag, and possibly gym bag.

[livius drusus]

Mr. Bento seems much more compact for carrying purposes. I also like that each tray uses the full amount of space rather than Laptop Lunches' rectangle divided into wee tiny mini-rectangles.

[Demimonde]

If he like sushi, perhaps he would like Onigiri? This is a basic recipe for the form, and you can fill them with practically anything. Just make some extra rice with dinner and fill them up with what you have on hand. You can even pack them up as you are making dinner the night before.

[Qingdai]

I like Mr. Bento too. Man, that is a fuck load of rice though.
Are you going to eat that much rice?
What do you think you'll be eating? That would really determine which box is best.
If you are going to have a lot of snack-y things, the little compartments may be handier.

[livius drusus]

Have you considered a tiffin, ES? I love that stainless look, and they're really quite roomy.

[Ensign Steve]

No, I don't really eat rice (damn that really is a lot, isn't it?), but sometimes I have bulkier items like salads that could use a big compartment like that. Usually I eat fruit and veg, cheese, yogurt, sandwich, chips or crackers, some kid if dip or hummus, soup, cereal ... lots of stuff. The problem is schleping it all day. Maybe I should switch to trail mix and beef jerky.

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

Have you considered a tiffin, ES? I love that stainless look, and they're really quite roomy.

Ooooh, shiny!

[Qingdai]

Or a piece of straw and wild crafting from campus!
Plus stop eating kids.

Seriously, Tiffins are nigh indestructible and a good bet if you have some place to keep your salad and creamy products cool.

If not, I'm still leaning towards Mr. Bento.

[Ensign Steve]

I wish I could see any of them in person. I am terrible at spacial relationships just based on the numbers alone.

[Qingdai]

If you have a Whole Foods or some sort of health food store in your area, they probably have them in stock that you could see them.

[Ensign Steve]

Haha. I searched for "mr bento" within the whole foods website, and I got this pic of the laptop lunchbox:



The caption is "all star corn"

[livius drusus]

Ooh, them mini meatballs look gooood.

[Qingdai]

Trader Joes always has those meatballs.

I'm mesmerized by the corn.

I take it there is some health food place in your neck of the woods, ES?

[Ensign Steve]

There's Trader Joe's way out in the big city, so I only make it a few times a year. I'm looking up to see if I can find a Whole Foods or World Market or something nearer. I found the Fresh N Fit boxes at Bed Bath and Beyond of all places.

[viscousmemories]

I like this idea. I've considered the tiffin for a long time, but I'm leaning toward the Mr. Bento now.