Top 10 Bento Box Lunch Ideas for Kids

Make breakfast and packing lunches much easier with these Bento box ideas. Assemble some nutritious food and introduce new flavors to provide delicious meal options for your family.

What Is a Bento Box and What Are Its Benefits?

Children’s Bento box lunch ideas are a perfect way to start the day for your kids with a healthy breakfast menu. Bento lunch box can be the perfect solution for convenient, safe, and fun ways of packing your kid’s lunch boxes that they will enjoy. It comes with multiple compartments to pack different food items saving your valuable time and space. It presents artfully arranged food items based on attractive children themes and many other surprises for your kid.

There are so many benefits to using a Bento lunch box over a normal lunch box. It makes it a much better option for your kid’s lunchtime fun. Here are some of the top benefits of using a Bento lunch box and why a parent would choose a healthy bento box for kids.

1. It keeps the food fresh as it is designed in such a way to separate the different food items. You can put some fruit slices, noodles, sauce, and other yoghurt items in separate compartments and chicken nuggets or sandwiches on the other. This doesn’t allow the food items from touching each other, and it stays fresh for a longer duration.
2. It is a good choice in opting for Bento box lunches for picky eaters. You can easily pack your kid’s favorite foods by filling each compartment with an array of colorfully appealing foods. The temptation will make your kid more likely to eat a wholesome meal with this idea.
3. Washing Bento boxes is easy and doesn’t require much help from others. They are economical and make up for a convenient and fun eating session. Moreover, it will help you save more as your family will control how much you eat by not eating in restaurants every day.
4. As the compartments are sealed, you don’t need wrappers and aluminium foils to keep the food items warm. Each compartment can hold a single food item and limits the amount of food to be packed, ensuring that your kids eat sensibly by sticking to a diet plan.
5. Bento boxes offer a great way of packing a variety of snacks for your hikes and picnic parties. You can serve yourself with some cool treats and take a refreshing break on hot summer days.
6. Bento lunch boxes are stylish as you decorate the food items with animal themes or some popular fictional characters that suit your kid’s sense of style.
7. It is good for the environment as it reduces the usage of one-time-use plastic wraps or aluminium foils. The compartments allow different food items to be placed without touching each other and leave the food warm for a long time. This reduces plastic waste from going into landfills and helps the environment.
8. It also encourages kids to try different food items and get the desired nutrients from multiple food sources. For adults, Bento lunch boxes are an ideal solution for weight loss programs. The different compartments make you avoid filling them with extra food. It thus helps to reduce the intake of extra calories and helps maintain a healthy diet plan.

Easy Kid-Friendly Bento Box Lunch Ideas

Here are the Top 10 Bento box lunch ideas for kids to bring in a little more fun while eating in day-care or pre-school.

1. Garden Bento Box

Get your creative ideas flowing with the ham roll-ups and a side of strawberries. Add a few cucumber slices and pair them with some dark grapes, making a great combination for an appealing preschool Bento box lunch idea. This is one of the easiest Bento box lunch ideas, which takes only a few minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items:

• Strawberries – 4 pieces
• Ham roll-ups – 4 slices
• Silicon leaves for decoration – 2 different leave patterns along with 3-4 smaller leaves
• Black grapes – 25-30 pieces
• Cucumber – 8-10 slices

Instructions

• Use 3-4 strawberries and place them on one side of the Bento lunch box.
• Use 4-5 Ham Roll-Ups and place them next to the strawberries to look like rosebuds in the centre of the Bento box.
• Place the silicon leaves to separate the strawberries and the Ham Roll-Ups.
• Make thin lines along the length of the cucumber while peeling it to make a stripe pattern when it is sliced.
• You can now place the cucumbers with stripes on the other side of the Bento box next to the Roll Up hams and the leaves.
• Place a silicon divider in the form of a star and place the black grapes.

2. Star War Bento Box

Use the stamp cookie cutter to make this fancy-looking lunch idea. Not all kids would be fond of eating whole wheat bread, but your kids will love this appealing Star Wars lunch idea. Throw in some sides with the sweet mini peppers and grape tomatoes that will go well together with this Bento box platter.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items:

• Green grapes – 14-15 pieces
• Carved star wars in the wax shell of Babybel cheese – 1 piece
• Yodas made from slices of honeydew melon – 3 pieces
• Lettuce – 2-3 leaves (cut into small pieces)
• Sweet mini peppers – 2 pieces
• Darth Vader and stormtrooper carved sandwiches – 2 pieces each
• Grape tomatoes pierced by lightsaber cupcake picks – 8-9 pieces

Instructions

• Prepare the Darth Vader and Stormtrooper slices from wheat and white loaves of bread using star wars press and stamp cookie cutters.
• Also, carve out Yodas from 2-3 slices of honeydew melons using the press and stamp cookie cutters.
• Use a few leaves of lettuce and flank it alongside the sweet mini peppers.
• Pierce the grape tomatoes with lightsaber cupcake picks.
• Pack it with some green grapes and a carved Star Wars wax shell made from Babybel cheese.

3. Shark Bento Box

Kids will love this shark-themed lunch idea and jump to the occasion as they won’t be able to hold their breath for long. Serve the sandwich shark design along with sprout peanuts and blueberry gelatin to make the idea come back to life.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items:

• Strawberries – 2 pieces (cut into halves)
• Carrots – 3-4 peeled carrots
• Blueberry gelatin – 100 ml (depending on the container size)
• Blue tinted Greek yoghurt – 100 grams (depending on the container size)
• Shark sprinkles -15-17 pieces
• Sprout peanuts -4-5 pieces
• Whole bread – 1 slice

Instructions

• Place the sandwich shark with sprout peanuts in a jumbo silicone cup.
• Fill the next compartment with strawberries and carrots.
• Place two small containers one with blueberry gelatin with a gummy shark.
• Use another container to hold the Greek yoghurt tinted blue with shark sprinkles.

4. Cheese & Cracker Bento Box

Make your own cheese and crackers with some affordable and readily available ingredients at home. Sliced hams will add some nutritional value along with fresh fruits. Make a wholesome meal for your kids by placing some cheese slices along with the crackers and whole-wheat pretzels.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items: 

• Sliced ham -7 medium slices
• Whole wheat pretzels – 7 pieces
• Cheese slices – 5 slices
• Strawberries – 5 pieces
• Orange – 10-12 pieces (use one peeled whole orange)
• Crackers – 5 pieces

Instructions

• Wrap the strips of deliciously sliced ham around the whole wheat pretzels.
• Cut the cheese slices into star shapes and placed them along with 5-6 crackers alternatively.
• Use the strawberries and oranges for an appealing presentation and to increase the nutritional value of the meal.

5. Pancakes Bento Box

Whether it is lunchtime or breakfast, spread some peanut butter on the pancakes for a protein-rich meal for your kids. Make it more attractive by serving along with strawberries and grapes and a little bit of cheese.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items: 

• Pancakes -5-6 pieces
• Peanut butter – 1 small serving
• Strawberries – 4 pieces
• Babybel cheese – 1 piece
• Grapes – 14-15 pieces

Instructions

• Pair a few pancakes with peanut butter for a healthy protein-rich meal.
• Complete the meal with some fruits like strawberries and grapes along with some cheese.

6. Tortoise Bento Box

This meal idea for your kids is simple to make and requires very few ingredients. Also, this healthy lunch idea will make your kids get excited about lunchtimes with their friends as they cherish and share the information about turtles/ tortoises and their habitats.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items:

• Toasted wholemeal pitta pocket – 1 piece
• Mayo – 1 tablespoon
• Lettuce – 1 leaf cut into smaller pieces
• Roast beef slices – 2-3 slices
• Carrot – 1 peeled carrot (sliced into four parts)
• Cucumber – 3 slices
• Kiwi – 3-4 slices
• Strawberries – 2 pieces

Instructions

• Cut the pitta into two halves and fill it with the roasted beef slices.
• Highlight the turtle shell with an edible marker pen.
• Add a few pieces of carrot for the turtle legs.
• Use a mini hand-shaped cutter to mark the bite mark and prepare the cucumber slices.
• Make some kiwi slices and finish it with some strawberries.

7. Waffle Mouse Bento Box

Look out for this Waffle Mouse Bento box lunch idea for your kids as you let your creative ideas flow. This amazing lunch idea will make sure to put a smile back on your kid’s face.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items: 

• Carrots – 2 long slices
• Waffles – 2 big pieces and 2 smaller ones
• Pretzel sticks – 6 pieces
• Jelly – 1 tablespoon
• Peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
• Marshmallow – 1 or 2 pieces
• Cantaloupe – 2 small slices
• Cheese sticks – 6 pieces
• Raisin -1 or 2 pieces

Instructions

• Toast the waffles and spread peanut butter along with the jelly, and place it between the waffles.
• Spread the peanut butter on the small waffles to prepare the ears.
• Then you need to cut and press the raisin to make the nose, mouth, and pupils using kitchen scissors. Use the peanut butter to stick them on the waffles.
• Also, use the cheese sticks to look like the mouse’s moustache.
• Then, serve by making baby carrots and crackers in a triangle shape to look like cheese and to make waffle mouse feed.

8. Wheels on the Bus Bento Box

Keeps the bus rolling as your kids get back into the groove and get excited for the school trip or a field tour with this bus-themed bento lunch idea. Learn more about these fun Bento box ideas for your kids to get the excitement going as you open up this creative meal preparation to lift up their mood.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items:

• Mini wheels pasta – 10-12 pieces
• Cherry tomatoes – 4-5 pieces cut in halves
• Bell-pepper strips – 6-7 slices
• Boiled-egg – 1 (cut in half)
• Chocolate crackers – 2 pieces (break it into small parts)
• Mango chunks – 10-12 small chunks
• Boiled beans -2 pieces (cut them into equal halves)

Instructions

• Spread the Mini wheel pasta along with some mango chunks, cherry tomatoes, and boiled beans.
• Add 2 slices of hard-boiled eggs for a protein-rich diet.
• Add the chocolate crackers and bell-shaped peppers to complete the meal.

9. School Rocks Bento Box

Kids have a bittersweet moment when it comes to school hours. To make schooling and study hours more fun and attractive, try this School Rocks Bento recipe for a positive school experience. Use this theme for your kid’s Bento lunch box whenever you need to lift up your kid’s mood and kick-start the day.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items: 

• Peanut Butter – 1 tablespoon
• Bread Sandwich – 1 big slice
• Strawberries – 3-4 pieces (cut them into smaller chunks)
• Grapes 8-10 pieces
• String cheese – 2-3 pieces
• Gluten-free Cookies – 2 pieces
• Cucumber – 2 -3 slices
• Silicon divider – 1 piece

Instructions

• Cut the strawberries and place them along with the grapes in one compartment.
• Make a star shape cucumber and place it inside the silicone divider.
• Place the gluten-free cookies and arrange them with grapes and string cheese.
• Use the press and stamp cutter and create cheese alphabets to read “School Rocks!”
• Finally, spread the peanut butter across the bread sandwich and add the cut out alphabets.

10. Pac-Man Bento Box

Prepare this adorable meal for your kids with simple ingredients and fruits to make this fun and creative lunch box in a few minutes. Your kids will love this healthy meal as they show them to their friends during lunchtime.

Ingredients

The ingredients consist of the following items: 

• Peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
• Jelly – 1 tablespoon
• Strawberries – 5-6 pieces
• Pretzels -4-5 pieces
• Pistachios 10-15 pieces
• Carrot Sticks – 2 pieces (cut them into equal halves)

Instructions

• Prepare the peanut butter and jelly sandwich by trimming it into a circle shape.
• Color the sandwich using yellow food color and make a V-cut to make Pac-Man’s mouth.
• Create the ghosts by slicing the cheese and coloring it with food colors of your choice.
• Use the color marker to make smiley faces on the pistachios for delightful lunchtime fun.
• Add the rest of the lunch components by placing the strawberries, pretzels, pistachios, and carrot sticks to make this delicious meal ready for your kids.

Bento box lunch ideas are the perfect way to introduce nutrient-rich food to your kids by providing wholesome foods in a creative and appealing way. The nutritional benefits packed in a super smart way will get your kids excited in sharing a fun-filled lunchtime with their friends.

Also Read:

Lunch Box Ideas for Children
Lunch Box Notes for Children