Easy Bento Box Lunch Ideas

Last year I was in a major lunch-packing rut and turned to Pinterest for some ideas. BAD IDEA. I don’t know who has time for elaborate lunches during the week but I sure don’t. I just want something relatively healthy that is quick and easy to throw together that Piper will actually EAT!

So I finally figured out a good mix of ‘snacks’ that Piper would eat for lunch. I continue to try new things and sneak leftovers in when I can but for the most part her lunches look like this every day!

Here are some ideas and how I plan it out!

I try to include a protein, veggie, fruit, carb and sweet so I’ve listed some ideas in each category for you below (granted Piper won’t eat all of these).

Kids love DIPS and I find it an easy way to get both of my girls to eat their veggies and make it fun. Some dips that we like are hummus, ranch ( I get vegan ranch from Whole Foods), pesto, sunbutter and yogurt with cinnamon.

We use bento boxes every day (we have this one and this set) and these thin ice packs. I make lunches the night before, always.

Here are 4 lunch ideas:

Protein

Turkey roll ups (turkey & cheese wrapped together)
Sliced deli meat (we get Applegate brand)
Cheese sticks
Yogurt
Sliced chicken (pre-cooked from Trader Joe’s)

Mains

Mini bagel sandwiches
Sunbutter & banana with honey
Quesadillas (always sneak in chopped spinach)
Frozen waffle with sunbutter
Classic Sunbutter & jelly
Tortilla roll up with ham & cheese or hummus and cheese or avocado and cheese!

Snacks

Pea crisps
Veggie straws
Goldfish
Freeze dried fruit
Banana chips
Energy balls

Fruit

Anything goes in our house! Favorites include mango (if I’m out of mango I just put it in frozen and it will thaw by lunch), apple slices with cinnamon, blueberries, grapes and strawberries.

Veggies

We almost always have baby carrots or shredded carrots, cucumber, peas (put in frozen in AM) or sweet peas.