So You Want to Pack Lunches: A Back-to-School Blog Hop & Giveaway

Though we are still in the full swing of summer, school is creeping up faster than we might like to think about.  With back-to-school shopping comes pondering about lunches.  I assume that you are at least thinking about packing lunches if you are visiting my blog... but who knows?  Maybe you found me by googling royal icing bees...

In honor of the Back-to-School season, I am taking part in a Bento Blogger & Friends Back to School Bento Basics Blog Hop and Giveaway, where we are taking the opportunity to give you some of our best tips for getting started in packing bento-style lunches.

For the most part, my lunches style tends to be on the less-decorative side.  My main tip is to get yourself some good bento boxes.  My absolute favorite is the EasyLunchbox.  They are my go-to box, and I love that they are dishwasher safe and amazingly sturdy.

I also like the Yumbox, especially for younger folks, and I really want to try their new Panino (with larger compartments).

For the larger appetite, the GoGreenLunchbox is one that I like.

Now that you have a box, what do you pack in it?

I love packing fruit.  The kids love eating it, and there is always a variety available.  I always look for something interesting in the produce aisle, and if it is small and adorable, that's even better.

I recently found some champagne grapes at Trader Joe's, and the kids and I are gobbling them up.  I pack vegetables, too, but I know that the kids will eat whatever fruit I put in their lunchboxes, but I will have more luck with different kinds of vegetables at other meals.  Therefore, some of my lunches might look a little fruit-heavy.  Rest assured, my kids are getting vegetables, but maybe just more under my watchful eye.

Packing leftovers - and lots of fruit!

Often, I will pack a sandwich or a wrap, but not every day.  There are times when I pack leftovers, or quessadillas made for lunches, or a hard boiled egg and some cheese... there are a lot of options.

One thing that I like to do is to make a list of available options and post it on the fridge.  I list what we have on hand in different categories - vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein, grain, and other.  The kids like to pick from different categories and let me know what they would prefer in their lunches.

Though I don't normally do a lot of decoration, it is nice to have options for doing fun lunches.  There are some very easy decorative options from Bento USA.  I have a large variety of picks on hand, and they make it simple to jazz up a lunch.

A tiger quesadilla

Another way to make a lunch more fun in an easy way is to use a sandwich cutter.  I just love the CuteZCute cutters - they are versatile and absolutely adorable.

Fun fruit - cucumelon!  And, a silicone cup. :)

A useful thing to keep on hand is some silicone baking cups.  They make good separators, and can add a pop of color.

When I have time, I like to make some homemade treats for the kids.  My most popular recipe is my rainbow pain de mie.  The kids absolutely love when I make this, and it makes even a plain sandwich more fun.

Occasional fun with food art - A Roald Dahl Fantastic Mr. Fox piece of cheese, colored with food markers 

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment!  Have fun, and your kids will be able to tell.  If you want to add more decorative elements, go for it.  Kids can tell when you pack their lunches with love, and that's what counts.

Want to see what other Bento Bloggers think about Bento Basics? Hop on over to Bebento. Before you go, don't forget your piece of the puzzle for the Bento Bloggers & Friends Back to School Giveaway. You need them all to enter and it's open worldwide! Did you know the grand prize voucher can be used towards shipping too?

And if you've collected all the pieces, you can enter right here using the Rafflecopter below! Good Luck!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's my code!

Lunches: 11.21.13

I made the lunches for today, with consent from The Boy, who was busy playing with our friends who were over for dinner.

Croissant: 12g, apple slices: 4g, oranges: 15g, dinosaur cheese puffs: 4g, Dick & Jane snacks: 18g, yogurt raisins: 6g

The Boy has a mini croissant with hummus, apple slices, mandarin oranges, Dick & Jane Educational Snacks, a few dinosaur cheese puffs, and yogurt covered raisins, in his Yumbox.  His snack is a yogurt (not pictured, 12g)

The Girl has apple slices, yogurt covered raisins, Dick & Jane Educational Snacks, mandarin oranges, dinosaur cheese puffs, and a couple mini croissants with hummus, in her Easylunchbox.  Her snack is a yogurt (not pictured)

Lunches: 11.11.13 - Kid Made!

The kids decided to make their own lunches last night, and they both did a really great job!

Ham & cheese: 1g, strawberries: 4g, carrot & dip: 1g, bagel: 14g, Dick & Jane Snacks: 18g, yogurt raisins: 10g

The Boy wanted to use his Yumbox (and it actually makes packing a balanced lunch really easy for the younger set, as it outlines what to put in each compartment).  He has strawberries, slices of yellow carrot with dressing for dipping, Cabot cheddar cheese, a slices of honey ham, Dick & Jane Educational snacks, and a quarter of a gingerbread bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, as well as a couple strawberry yogurt raisins for a treat.  He has a yogurt for snack (not pictured, 12g).

The Girl has a little Caesar salad (she put the dressing on before I could stop her), pear slices, gingerbread bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, and some ham and cheese, in an Easylunchbox.  She also has a yogurt for snack (not pictured).  Do you think the kids are ready for snow, with the picks that they chose?

Family Lunches: 10.4.13

Happy Friday!

Pretzel dogs: 24g, grapes: 5g, watermelon: 5g, carrot: 1g, raisins: 8g

The Boy has some pretzel dogs, carrots, grapes, watermelon, and raisins in his Yumbox.  His snack is a banana (not pictured. 28g).

The Girl has some lemon pepper rotisserie chicken drumsticks, a couple black bean & rice waffles, raspberries, carrots, grapes, in an Easylunchbox.  She has a banana for snack (not pictured).

I have leftover Persian Adwiya Lemon Cream Spaghetti Squash with chicken, grapes, and carrots, in an Easylunchbox.

Lunches: 9.16.13

Some of my friends came over on Sunday night and made Thai fusion sushi (without nuts and vegetarian... due to allergy restrictions.  A bit tougher with Thai food than with others that we've done, but we managed...)

The kids particularly loved the coconut rice with mango, and even liked the Thai cucumber salad that we used as a filling.  So, they have some of the leftovers in their lunches.

Sushi rolls: 40g, melon: 5g, radish: 1g, quail egg: 1g, graham crackers: 15g

The Boy has some of the coconut rice mango sushi, along with some of the sushi with veggies and cucumber, a hard boiled quail egg, a new kind of melon that I got (Galia melon - a lot like honeydew), radish slices, and some fish shaped graham crackers, all packed in a Yumbox.  For snack, he has a granola bar (not pictured, 19g)

The Girl has a couple mango coconut rolls, grapes, cider gelatin, a Sierra fig, a couple mango cucumber rolls, a Chobani Champions yogurt, and a hard boiled quail egg (which she wanted to peel for herself), all packed in an Easylunchbox.

Lunches: 9.13.13 - Roald Dahl Day Blog Hop

Roald Dahl is one of our favorite authors.  In honor of his birthday, my Bento Blogger & Friends are hosting a Roald Dahl Day Blog Hop.

The lunches for the kids are based on Fantastic Mr. Fox.  The Girl had read it before, but I hand't gotten to it yet, so we sat down as a family and read it last week.  What a fun book!

For those who have not yet read it (and you should... it's short), it is based  on three horrible and mean farmers who are out to get a savvy fox who routinely snags food from their farms.  He, true to his name, outfoxes them, and he and his friends have a fantastic feast at the farmers' expense.

Drumstick: 5g, croissant: 9g, carrot: 2g, melon: 5g, granola "Wonka" bar: 18g, cider gelatin: 5g

For The Boy (who has a non-Dahl-ish cereal bar for snack, not pictured, 27g), I packed a honey bbq drumstick (for the chicken that Mr. Fox stole from the farmers), along with carrots (that Mr. Fox took for the rabbits to eat), watermelon (with an onlooking pig), homemade cider gelatin (made with our homemade cider and unflavored gelatin) - because Mr. Fox took jugs of cider from one of the farmers, a mini croissant with bacon and cheese and a picture of Mr. Fox on Cabot cheddar cheese, drawn with food makers.  

That Fantastic Mr. Fox with his bag of goodies

I also included a granola "Wonka" bar, because how can you have a Dahl lunch without a reference to Willy Wonka?  His lunch is packed in a Yumbox.

Quite a feast

That Fantastic Mr. Fox (in Cabot Cheddar)

The Girl has Mr. Fox on a mini croissant with bacon and Cabot Cheddar (her Mr. Fox is also drawn on the Cabot Cheddar with food marker), along with a honey bbq drumstick, cider gelatin, carrots, a peach (for James and the Giant Peach), and some watermelon, packed in an Easylunchbox.  Her snack is a granola bar and a yogurt.

Want to see more Roald Dahl inspired lunches?  Hop on over to Bento Monsters to see what Ming has in store for you, and continue on the loop until you end up back here.  Enjoy, and read some Dahl today!

Family Lunches: 9.6.13

Happy Friday!  Don't miss my MOMables giveaway!

Sandwich: 35g, carrots & ranch: 2g, cookies: 3g, melon: 5g, cheese: 1g

The Boy has kaleidoscope bread with pesto and ham, a string cheese, carrots with ranch, melon, and a couple cinnamon cookies, in his Yumbox.  For snack, he will have Scrabble Cheez-its (not pictured, 20g)

The Girl has a ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwich with lettuce on kaleidoscope bread, carrots in the small heart container, grapes, and Scrabble Cheez-its, in her Easylunchbox.

I have leftover Garden Couscous Stuffed Pattypan Squash, grapes, grape tomatoes, and apple slices, in an Easylunchbox.

Family Lunches: 8.30.13 (With Hotdog Tacos!)

It's the first Friday of the school year!

Bagel sandwich: 28g, melon: 5g, cucumber: 2g, feta: 1g, bbq corn kernels, cinnamon cookies: 2g

The Boy has a banana for snack (not pictured, 28g).  His lunch is in a Yumbox, and he has melon, cucumber, feta cheese, Naturebox BBQ Kettle Kernels, a mini whole wheat bagel with pesto, lettuce from my CSA, liverwurst, and Monterey Jack cheese, and some cinnamon crackers.

Hotdog Taco filling

For dinner on Thursday night, I made up something I called Hotdog Tacos - the filling was sliced hot dogs, corn, and white beans, with some taco seasoning.  We all loved them!

The Girl asked for leftovers in her lunch, so she has a couple Hotdog Tacos, a pluot, strawberries, a string cheese, and some cinnamon crackers, packed in an Easylunchbox.  Do you like her Mexican dog?  For snack, she has a Chobani Champions yogurt and a banana (not pictured).

I have a salad with feta cheese, some salsa in an Easylunchboxes Mini Dipper, crumbled up taco shells so I can make my salad a taco salad, and a pluot, in my Easylunchbox.

Lunches: 8.28.13 - First Day of School!

It's Back-to-School Day!  Just in time for the season, I have been featured in a local Kids monthly newspaper, Kids VT!  I'm pretty excited.  It was really fun being interviewed and having the photographer here... So, to any new readers, welcome!  Stay tuned for more Back-to-School Giveaways in the weeks to come.

Bus crackers: 20g, Liverwurst: 1g, carrot & ranch: 1g, fruit salad: 5g, feta cheese: 1g, cinnamon crackers: 3g

The Boy is going into 2nd grade.  His schedule is a bit different this year at school, and he will have a light (low carb, and thus insulin-free) morning snack, and a larger afternoon snack.  His morning snack is a cheese stick, and his afternoon snack is a banana (28 g) He asked that his first day lunch be in his Yumbox.  He has some school bus shaped "crackers" I made with thinly rolled pizza dough, liverwurst (also pressed with the school bus press), carrots ribbons with ranch dressing, a fruit salad with melon, strawberries, and apple, with some more apple in the compartment with the feta cheese, and some star cinnamon crackers.

The Girl is going into 5th grade.  Her snack is a banana.  Her lunch is in an EasyLunchbox.  She has some of my school bus shaped "crackers" along with ham and cheddar rolls, carrot ribbons, some fruit salad with strawberries and apple, and a pluot.

Kid Lunches: 5.31.13

Happy Friday!!

Daddy and me are getting lunches at our work today.

Wrap: 40g, strawberries: 5g, pineapple: 5g, yogurt: 9g, cookie: 4g

The Boy has an applesauce for snack (not pictured, 15g).  His lunch is a wrap with ranch, spinach, and ham, Chobani Champions yogurt, pineapple, and strawberries, with a Dulce de Leche Girl Scout cookie as a treat in his Yumbox.

The Girl has an applesauce for snack (not pictured).  Her lunch is a wrap with ranch, spinach, and ham, along with a Chobani Champions yogurt, orange slices, pineapple, and strawberries in her Easylunchbox.

Kid Lunches: 5.24.13

Happy Friday!

I'm having a lunch date with Daddy, so no lunches for us.

Melon: 5g, strawberries: 5g. raisins: 8g, bread: 15g, salami: 1g, pretzels: 15g

The Boy has applesauce for snack (not pictured, 15g).  His lunch is cheesy garlic bread, turkey salami, strawberries, melon, raisins, and some raspberry yogurt pretzels, in his Yumbox.

The Girl has applesauce for snack (not pictured).  Her lunch is cheesy garlic bread, spinach, strawberries, orange slices, and raspberry yogurt pretzels, in an Easylunchbox.

Kid Lunches: 5.23.13

Daddy and I are getting lunch at work today.

Wrap: 22g, strawberries: 5g, melon: 5g, feta: 1g. wafer: 1g

The Boy has applesauce for snack (not pictured, 15g).  His lunch is a wrap with hummus and turkey, along with strawberries, melon, feta, and lemon meringue wafer, in his Yumbox.

The Girl has applesauce for snack (not pictured).  Her lunch is a wrap with hummus and turkey, strawberries, melon, raisins, and lemon meringue wafers.

Family Lunches: 5.22.13

Happy Wednesday!

For Daddy

For me

We acrll have the same lunches today - Daddy and I have crackers, ham, cheese, strawberries, melon, and Naturebox Lemon Meringue Wafers.

Crackers: 12g, cheese & ham: 1g, melon: 5g, strawberries: 5g, wafer:1g

The Boy has an applesauce for snack (not pictured, 15g), and the same lunch as Daddy and me, packed in a Yumbox.

The Girl has an applesauce for snack (not pictured), and the same lunch as the rest of us.

It's that kind of day - an assembly line lunch kind of day.  :)

Family Lunches: 5.21.13

Daddy has the day off, so no lunch for him.

I have a wrap with hummus, turkey, cheese, and spinach, along with strawberries, melon, and wasabi peas.

Wrap: 22g, raisins: 6g, strawberries: 3g, melon: 5g, cheese: 1g

The Boy has an applesauce for snack (not pictured, 15g).   For lunch, he has a cheese stick, a wrap with hummus, spinach, cheese, and turkey, along with strawberries, melon, cheese, and raisins, packed in his Yumbox.

The Girl has an applesauce for snack (not pictured).  For lunch, she has watermelon, strawberries, raisins, and a wrap with hummus, spinach, and cheese.