HoneyKids Weekly Meal Planner: Bento Boxes
Say goodbye to boring old sandwiches, we’ve got five easy peasy bento box recipes which will have you impressing your littlies (and feeling like a proud domestic goddess) in no time.
Butterfly Garden Bento
For all the butterfly-loving princesses, this bento will be a sure winner. The only tricky part is cutting the slice of bread into a butterfly shape (we suggest investing in a cookie cutter set), but the rest – like cutting cheese and red peppers into circles and flowers – should be no biggie. You can even use a deviled egg as a tulip, and fruits and veggies like strawberries, baby carrots, and olives as the lunch box’s flora and fauna.
Toy Story Alien Bento
Who doesn’t like the adorable aliens from Toy Story! Now, you can dish them out using cucumbers, boiled eggs, and cream cheese/hummus (as the glue!). Don’t get frustrated if it comes out wonky at first, practice makes perfect. Just think about how you’ll be getting your littlies to happily chow down on cucumbers when it’s finished!
Ladybug Garden Bento
Here’s more garden goodness for the lil’ gals. This recipe teaches you how to craft a gorgeous flower by simply cutting a slice of bread into a circle, making six cuts along the edge (for the petals), and using sliced green peppers for the stalk and leaf. The ladybugs are made from cherry tomatoes, dotted with black edible marker, and black olives can be used as its head.
Monsters University Bento
Surprise your littlie with a Monster University bento – complete with a green apple Mike Wazowski and Sulley made from blue-coloured rice. Use sliced cheese or egg white to create the adorable ears and teeth. Want to amp up the fear factor? Strips of red pepper and carrot (with accompanying hummus or ranch dip) will make nifty ‘monster claws’.
A Bear-y Special Bento
This cute teddy bear bento will definitely bring a smile to your child’s face when they whip open their lunch box! With macaroni salad as the face (use store-bought macaroni salads to save time), cut off the end of an olive as the nose, sliced olives for the eyes, and a half-slice for its sunshine smile. Round slices of cherry tomato make perfect red, blushing cheeks. Feel free to include side dishes like gummi bears, and bear-shaped biscuits for the complete bear-y special package!