In preparation for packing bento lunches (kidlet starts Kindergarten on the 10th!), I’ve been doing some practice runs.  I’m learning to use the tools, how to really pack them tight. how MUCH to pack in there to suit his appetite, if certain traditional things will get eaten (like nori decorations), and so on. 

The first one isn’t worth looking at, I promise you.  This one is number 2.  If I’d had lettuce to line the outside to make it look a little more packed, I would have and I think it would have looked better.  But I had a flat tire this weekend and we missed the farmers market and I haven’t had the energy to drag both kids to the store (kidlet isn’t doing any more preschool now).

Ham and cheese dino sandwiches (ugly eye done with a food safe marker meant for coloring sugar cookies), little cheese suns, pluot, broccoli, cherry tomtoes that the kidlet grew on the porch this summer and ranch dressing in the apple container.

What I learned: 1. those little mayo cups don’t hold enough dip for that much broccoli.  While I don’t think dip is especially great — if that is what it takes to get veggies in him, so be it.  2. Most small containers (ie gladware and such) are too tall for a bento box and all my bento specific condiment containers are as small or smaller than the apple  3. The food coloring eyes freaked him out and he ate all the dinos except for the heads which he left in the box (creepy!) 4. He prefers lightly to well cooked broccoli over raw.  I’d have to have to spend time blanching vegetables every morning though, yipes.


Posted by in Bento