bento box lunches
hi friends! i hope you have had a wonderful week. i have been traveling over the past week {we went up to the philadelphia area and had a great time – excited to share more photos soon- you may have seen a few on my insta feed} but in the midst of spending time with loved ones/visiting the area, i took a small blog break. although i missed you all dearly, it felt good at the same time. hoping to be back for good now! yay! also, a friendly reminder that this friday, june 26, is another stop on our #simplygreycoffeetour. feel free to join ember grey and i as we explore another cafe! 
one of my goals for the summer is to research and discover more healthy living tips. today, i am looking into lunch ideas that are both fun, creative, and healthy. i am hoping to integrate bento boxes into my life as soon as possible. i think the idea is perfect for maintaining a balance regarding each food group and incorporating healthy/convenient food into a meal. in japanese, ‘bento’ refers to a compact, nutritiously-balanced, visually appealing meal served in a box.
here are some tips and ideas for you:
advice for starting:
1. find a box you love {more on this soon- i am currently researching options!}
2. pick a food from each food group: fruit, veggie, grain, and protein
3. mentally split up the box for each food group
4. fill each section of your box (if you’re looking for inspiration for different foods to pack, check out Lunch Box Idea List)
i love the idea of an asian inspired box! yum…
other ideas i plan to incorporate are: mini pitas, lots of hummus, salsa, shrimp, edamame, hard boiled eggs, dried fruit, granola… hoping to share my boxes/photos soon!
some benefits
healthy: if you follow the bento box concept truly, you will have a balanced and good portion of each food group in your box- hopefully full of naturally healthy food. it’s also great for portion control because everything should fit in the box.
save money: bringing food from home {or leftovers} is always more economical than spending money at a restaurant.
eco- friendly: bento boxes are reusable!
there are so many incredible sites that provide ideas for kids – both healthy and fun!
i love this site for starting {it’s full of ideas/info}: bento 101 tips
this european inspired bento box is perfect!
the more colorful- the healthier {usually} which makes these an amazing option!
ps: this site provides great snack ideas to put into a bento box
…
have you tried or do you pack bento boxes regularly?
…any advice…
Comments (34)
Unknown
June 24, 2015 at 3:25 pm
My daughter started school last year and I bought her one of these boxes just on a whim and we loved it !!! Ibused it everyday and felt so good I could send fruit with her way in this 🙂
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm
so excited to start and so glad you all loved it! 🙂
Natalie
June 24, 2015 at 3:27 pm
Bento boxes are so fun! These ideas look delicious 🙂 MMM. My mom just bought a few bento lunch boxes and I can't wait to come up with fun combinations like these!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm
so fun! can't wait to see yours and thanks for the love
the daily dayne
June 24, 2015 at 3:35 pm
Wow! Can you be my mom!?! Haha just kidding, but these look absolutely stunning and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm
haha- so funny and you are welcome
Crystal
June 24, 2015 at 3:44 pm
I've used a bento box before (for myself) but I still haven't figured out the best way to pack it. I would love to though!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm
wish me luck… haha
Astleigh H.
June 24, 2015 at 3:49 pm
I love a good bento box! And I know I could definitely use some inspiration for packing one! I feel like this is the perfect way to lunch!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:33 pm
i agree! so excited to get started 🙂
Miss Angie
June 24, 2015 at 3:59 pm
Those are great, I really need to make more bento lunches.
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:33 pm
thanks so much, angie! and wish me luck as i begin my bento journey 🙂
Unknown
June 24, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Super cute! I love bento box lunches because the variety is always so much fun and so pretty to look at!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:33 pm
thanks so much, cole! excited to get started
Kelsey @ The Peacock Roost
June 24, 2015 at 4:44 pm
I think bento boxes are a great idea! Love that they help with portion sizes of each food group. Looking forward to hearing which type of box you find to use!
Kelsey
thepeacockroost.com
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm
i totally agree! thanks so much, kelsey!
Hall Around Texas
June 24, 2015 at 4:47 pm
I’m on the lookout for some bento boxes and always appreciate recommendations for what to put in them! I have such a picky eater and he starts Kindergarten this August. I have a feeling he will not like the school lunches so I need to get creative! Definitely saving your post. Great tips! If you find a good place to order bento boxes please let me know!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm
i will let you know what i find 🙂 thanks for the love
Mattie @ Northwest Native
June 24, 2015 at 4:57 pm
This is such a good idea!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm
thank you, mattie!
Cynthia
June 24, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Pinning this!!
Cynthia @ craftoflaughter.com
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm
thank you so much!
M
June 24, 2015 at 6:31 pm
I've never tried Bento boxes before but they seem like a great way to put together a nice meal for lunch. Lunches are hard to plan for if you work outside of the home. These seems like they'd be much better than yet another sandwich.
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm
thanks… so excited to being my bento journey!!
Julia
June 24, 2015 at 6:37 pm
These are so pretty and I love how healthy they are! Such a great idea!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:37 pm
me, too! thanks so much, julia!!
Emily @ Ember Grey
June 24, 2015 at 11:07 pm
Nelle this is AWESOME. I sure wish I'd known about these when I was working in the corporate world! Now that I'm home it's easier to take time to make lunch, although I still think that sometimes these boxes would come in pretty handy!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:37 pm
so excited to begin my bento journey! i just love the idea behind it and thanks so much!
The Life You Love
June 25, 2015 at 1:14 am
Totally going to look for one of these boxes now! Thanks for the inspiration!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:37 pm
you are so welcome!
Heather @ The Deans List Blog
June 25, 2015 at 4:50 pm
I have really been wanting a Bento Lunch box but some are so expensive!
nelle monaco
June 26, 2015 at 2:38 pm
i will be searching for some reasonable options and will let you know what i find!
Mobile App Developers
June 27, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Great article, Thanks for your great information, the content is quiet interesting. I will be waiting for your next post.
Sammy
July 15, 2015 at 10:48 pm
Definitely going to try to incorporate this idea into my lunches for the next year. Thank you for sharing!
Comments are closed