The Boredom of Brown Bag Lunches

There are 8 months of school lunches left.  My kids and husband take lunch practically every day, so I try to add a lot of variety and interest.  I know that little bits of different things are more likely to get eaten, and that’s why I’m so intrigued by bento boxes.

This was my first attempt at a bento-type lunch.  It’s a lunch box and it’s way too big.  I have a collection of plastic containers that are smaller and would look better.  Our local Asian market has silicon cups to nestle the smaller things, but a cupcake paper did the trick for now!

This filling lunch is made solely of leftovers:  fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers, and Spicy Italian Wedding Soup (5 ingredients and I don’t even make meatballs – it’s great!), and some chocolate chip cookies.  The apple has been rubbed with a chunk of pineapple and did not brown. 

I get a lot of inspiration at JustBento, she has a lot of gorgeous pictures that I can usually transport into something  leftover in the ‘fridge.  Last night I packed up Restaurant Chicken Stir Fry specifically to go into a lunch by putting rice in a wreath and then the stir fry in the middle – a few snips of green onion will add some color.  The beauty of bento is how it is filled with fruits and vegetables for a gorgeous nutritional boost.

I’m looking at my meal plan in a new way these days by specifically using the leftover feature to ensure that food isn’t wasted, and also to be a little more diligent on my diet – the season of indulgence is going to be here before we know it!