Simple Bento Box Ideas with Fruits and Veggies
August 20, 2012
Part of the appeal of the Bento Box to me was the ability to offer a well-rounded and nutrient rich meal that my child would want to eat. Part of ensuring our meals our healthy means including lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Your kids will never reach for the potato chips or snack packs again with these simple, healthy, and kid-friendly alternatives.
Food Picks and Forks
Fun food picks (as in toothpicks) can turn a hand full of grapes into something so much more. There are a lot of different types of picks on the market from holiday specific, farm animals, and stars. Using picks to coordinate with coming holidays or just to spruce up your lunch box stylings is a breeze.
Simply take one of the food picks and place your fruits or veggies onto the end. You can add one specific food, or mix it up. Be creative! If you have a pick that is on the longer side you can alternate bright-colored items such as one red grape, a piece of carrot, and a slice of celery. The colors will pop and definitely catch the eye of your picky eater.
A food pick will look like a toothpick but have a design, shape, or character on the top. A food fork will be a design with a few prongs on the bottom.
Here are just a few of the food pick and fork options offered on Amazon.
- Martha Stewart Star Food Picks
- Fred and Friends Food Fighter Picks
- Panda Picks
- Bento Decorations pick and forks set
Make Your Own Food Picks
If you can’t find a particular food pick design that you are dying to use, simply make your own. You can cut small images out on card stock and glue them to the top of standard toothpicks or even glue small beads, buttons, or shells to the top. You will instantly have your own food picks and it will barely cost you a dime.
Use Color
Instead of filling a container with the same type of fruit or veggie, mix it up. Use a variety of colors and textures to make everything pop. You can purchase small reusable muffin cups to hold the items or use the food picks. The key is ensuring that there are lots of colors.
Fruit and Veggie Cutters
If you are good with a knife and can freehand veggie art I am envious. However, if you are like me and need some help, purchase veggie cutters in a variety of patterns. You can buy veggie cutters that look like flowers, hearts, perfect circles, or just about anything under the sun. The cutters are basically very small cookie cutters that are strong enough to cut through tougher veggies such as carrots. You can cut the veggies into the appropriate sizes and then just punch through them with the cutters for instant tiny designs.
Here are two of my favorite veggie cutters from Amazon that I own.
Edible Artwork
Turn your fruits and veggies into edible artwork. If you are making a sandwich you can make a face on the top of the sandwich with sliced carrots, cucumbers, celery, grapes, tomatoes, or any fruit you have handy. Cut everything into the appropriate shapes and add eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
When it comes to Bento Boxes there really is no limit to what you can do. Use your imagination and play around.
What is your favorite Bento Box recipe?
