Bento Box School Lunches

Bento Box School Lunches BY mAMA. PApa. BUbba.

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MY GO-TO BEN TO BOX FORMULA is a

whole grain + a protein sour ce + plenty of fruits and veggies + a little sweet ‘tr eat' = a great school lunch.

I also try to incl ude a source of good fat, but at the same time, I re mind myself to look at what my kids are eating over the course of a day or a week and to not stress too much about what they ’re getting in a single meal.

Bento “Mains”

PASTA SALAD Mix up a whole grain pasta with some black beans, corn, and peppers, a little drizzle of olive oil and some garlic, cumin, oregano, and chili powder for a Mexican-inspired pasta, or try a more Greek-inspired version with pasta, chickpeas, cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and some oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.

DIP & DIPPERS

Fill a little container with hummus, pesto, white bean dip, or seed butter and pack it alongside whole grain pita bread, sprouted grain flatbread, pretzels, carrot and cucumber sticks, or apple slices.

ROLL-UPS

Grab your l or flat bread, fil p ra w favourite to in it ice sl en th d it up, roll it, an unks. sushi-style ch butter with Try pairing seed us with carrot chia jam, humm mini cucumbers matchsticks, or ad. eese style spre with a cream ch p m he ith w unks Sprinkle the ch h seeds, or a touc e m sa se , ts hear done. of sea salt once

PIZZA Turn a mini bagel, a sprouted grain english muffin, or a whole grain pita into pizza with the addition some tomato sauce, your favourite shredded cheese, some veggies, and a sprinkling of oregano. Broil in the oven for just a couple of minutes to get the cheese bubbly and golden and you’ve got lunch!

BREAKFAST FOR LUNCH Try chia pudding paired with your favourite granola or pancakes turned into sammies with the addition of pumpkin seed butter, a little pure maple syrup, and some hemp hearts and chia seeds.

Ways to Pack Fruit SKEWERS

Everything is more fun on a stick! Thread berries and grapes onto reusable mini skewers to switch things up.

SAUCE

Simmer seasonal fruit in a covered pot with just a touch of water and blend once soft. Apples and pears make a great fruit sauce base!

FRUIT SALAD Chop up a little assortment of favourite fruits, mix it up, and you’ve got fruit salad.

RAINBOW FRUIT Arrange some freshly chopped fruit in rainbow order, and voila—rainbow fruit!

FRUIT SH

APES A little more finicky, bu t if you’ve got an extra couple of minutes, use a mini cook ie cutter to chop things lik e watermelon, cantaloupe, an d pineapple into fun shapes.

Ways to Pack Veggies CHIPS

Turn kale, carrots, beets, turnips, and other thinly sliced veggies into crispy chips by tossing them in a tiny amount of avocado oil, sprinkling them with a little garlic powder and sea salt, and roasting them in a 400°F oven until crisp.

You’ll want to watch these closely and remove the chips as they become ready.

VEGGIE SHAPES If you’ve got time, take a mini cookie cutter to your peppers, cucumbers, and carrot slices to switch things up.

RAINBOW VEGGIES

A classic combo.

Chop some veggies into sticks and pair them with a little pot of hummus or dip.

Chop up your kiddos’ favourite veggies, drizzle them with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of Herbamare, and top with sesame seeds or hemp hearts.

STICKS & DIP

As simple as arranging freshly chopped veggies in rainbow order in your kiddo’s bento box!

CHUNKY SALAD

JEN KOSSOWA

N is a kindergarten and grade one teacher and m ama of two gorgeous kiddos . She started M ama.

Papa. Bubba. on a whim in 2010 while living in the M iddle East and has been sharing her reci pes and activiti es there ever since.