Kindergarten Bento Lunch

 

I am embarassed to admit this, but last year in preschool CJ took the same lunch almost every single day. He only stayed for lunch twice a week, but he almost always took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, applesauce and a cheese stick. I’m not entirely to blame. I did try to give him a turkey and cheese sandwich, or whatever else I could think up, but he always wanted his old favorite. So when I found out that CJ would have to take a peanut-free lunch every day to Kindergarten, I knew our lunch routine had to change. 

I learned about Japanese Bento lunches when I discovered the What’s For Lunch At Our House blog. The blog’s author, Shannon, photographs her kids Bento lunches every day and posts them on her blog. How cool is that? So taking a cue from the lunches she made and a few other sites I visited, I made my way over to Target and Michael’s and picked up the following items:

     

I bought the SnapWare Snap ‘N Stack craft box at Target and the Wilton silicone baking cups, Fun Pix, and mini cookie cutters at Michael’s. I didn’t plan on using a craft box for CJ’s Bento lunch, I was just looking for a box with dividers. This craft box has two levels; one with no dividers and another one divided down the middle. You can snap both layers together or use them individually. I also plan on ordering CJ a Japanese Bento box and some other cute stuff from JBox.

FYI: I contacted SnapWare and they said all of their Snap N Stack boxes and lids are safe for food.

  

CJ took his first Bento lunch in the divided part of the box and left the bottom part at home. He had turkey pepperoni, cheddar cheese animal cut-outs, whole wheat crackers, red grapes, carrots with sunflower nut butter, and Trader Joe’s cat cookies. He loved it so much, he even asked me to make him another one on Saturday.