Bento Box (No-Waste Lunches)

Olivia likes to take her lunch most of the time, and I am glad not only from a health standpoint, but also from a financial one. School lunch is $2, a fair price, but I can pack for a little less. Also, considering that one day we'll have three in school, it's a good habit to take lunch now. That said, her school district, Leander ISD, does offer a wide variety of entrees, and fresh fruits and vegetables often. I see great salads, brown rice, yogurt and fresh fruit plates on the menu. When she does buy, she often picks the hamburger or pizza, great for a treat but not everyday.

I have never had the time or patience to be the mom that cuts sandwiches into flowers, but this year, Olivia's fourth year in public school, I vowed to be a little more creative. First, I wanted to find a way to make lunch more appealing, and I never thought opening a series of Ziploc bags was very appetizing (what do you put your food on once it's unpacked?). Secondly, I really wanted to stop using so many plastic bags from an environmental standpoint and because (curses!) they are the first thing that a busy mom runs out of in the middle of the week! Third, I wanted to provide lots of variety.


So . . . I have learned a lot from blogs such as this:
http://www.bentolunch.blogspot.com/

Here was Olivia's lunch today--cantaloupe and a strawberry, a stack of cucumber slices, Fritos, a ham and cheese sandwich cut into quarters, and a mini candy bar for a treat since it's Friday. We compromise on whole grain white bread sometimes.

Everything fits into a Gladware container so there is nothing for her to unpack. She has a little package of salt for her cucumbers--I find that the kids like to have a condiment or something to "do" to their lunch to get it ready! Save little packages of soy sauce, ketchup, and barbecue sauce for dipping. Salad dressing packets, too!

Then, the Gladware sits flat in her lunch bag. (Watch for lead-free lunch bags . . .) I finished this by adding a 100% juice box, a napkin, a cold pack, and a fork.

Little cups like these (found at Dollar Tree) can sit inside the Gladware and hold little bits of things like Goldfish crackers or peanuts, or they can hold a sauce . . . I stacked Olivia's cucumbers in one today.

This Thermos holds about 10 oz and comes in pink/purple or blue/orange. They are about $15, and can be found with baby bottles at our HEB. They keep food hot or cold for up to 5 hours, so this year Olivia has enjoyed having some dinner leftovers like penne pasta with meat sauce or Asian noodles and chicken. This is the only thermos we have found that works.

One day, Oliva came home and said that two of her long-term buddies thought her lunch was gross. By the way, they are great boys who like to get a rise out of her--we'll call it flirting. Anyway, I asked her what they ate each day. One of them eats "cheese on bread" every day. Hmmm, I told her. That sounds really, "good". She agreed that her lunches were probably OK after all.