It's challenging work trying to come up with fresh ideas to keep children interested and excited about their lunches, and keep them trying new foods. It can be too easy to get stuck in that sandwich rut, putting the same old options in their lunch box each day.
Which is why we have created a simple twist on the classic wrap, to give another eye-catching option for you to pop in the lunchbox.
Here's how we do it:
We generally use wholemeal wraps, but for added colour you could try spinach or roasted capsicum wraps.
1. Cover the base of the wrap with avocado, leaving the top 1/4 free of filling (as you roll the wrap later the filling will move).
2. Layer your fillings in the middle of the wrap. Here we have used ham, carrot, cheese & mushroom. See below for more filling ideas.
3. Carefully and firmly roll the wrap, starting with the bottom and rolling upwards. Be sure to roll quite tightly to prevent the filling from falling out. Position it seam down on the chopping board to prevent it from unravelling when you cut it.
4. Cut into sushi sized pieces. I usually cut thinner pieces on the ends and discard as they don't hold together well.
5. Before placing in the lunch box, secure with a food pick to keep them together incase the school bag gets thrown about on the way to school.
Filling Ideas for Sushi Style Wraps:
Don't forget to add a few condiments to jazz them up a little - salt, pepper, mayo, mustard, sauce, pickle, relish.
The list above is by all means not complete, so if you have any other ideas for fillings please comment and I will add it to the post.
If you feel like these Sushi Style Wraps are not quite grown up enough, why not try yummy wraps cut in half and secured with a silicone wrap band....
Thanks for reading :-) I hope you love them like my boys do xx
We are absolutely loving this Healthy Banana Choc loaf and I hope you will too. Perfect for using up all those over ripe banana's in your fruit bowl. Try omitting the cacao for a delicious banana bread, or pop the mixture into mini muffin tins for a fun twist on the loaf.
Packed full of nutritional goodness whilst being nut-free, this scrummy loaf makes a perfect addition to the kids lunch box!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place dates & coconut flour in a food processor and whizz until dates are finely chopped.
3. Add cacao, baking soda & salt. Whizz again until all combined.
4. Mash banana's in a large bowl, add eggs & whisk together.
5. Combine the coconut oil & water then add to the other wet ingredients.
6. Lastly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine trying not to over mix.
7. Pour into the lined loaf tin and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
** This Banana Choc Loaf freezes beautifully. I slice mine before freezing which makes it simple to pull out slices and pop them straight in the lunch box.
Take a look at our Litter-free Lunch Boxes Here
Warning - very moreish, so be sure to get it straight into the freezer or there will be nothing left for lunches :-D
Every child loves the idea of getting a sweet in their lunchbox, and every parent loves the idea of their children eating healthy, nutritious food. Which is why we absolutely love these Homemade Gummies - healthy, tasteful and easy to make!
They're free of refined sugar and preservatives, with the added goodness of gelatine. Some of the wonderful benefits of gelatine are listed below:
For a full list of benefits in more detail have a look here:
Makes: about 30
Prep time: about 15 minutes
Cook time: about 2 minutes
Ingredients
Method
* If you want to use whole fruits instead of juice from the fruit, pureed berries of all sorts and mangoes provide the best results. If using frozen fruit, ensure the puree is close to room temperature before mixing with warm gelatine. You can strain the puree to get rid of the seeds or leave them in if you want a little texture. Because the puree is thicker than juice, use 1/2 cup puree and 1/4 cup liquid (this can be water, coconut water).
** Because these Gummies contain no preservatives they are best kept in the fridge and eaten within a few days. Otherwise pop them free-flow in an airtight container in the freezer and pull them out as you need them.
*** The silicone moulds I have used are from KMart for $2 each. If you don't have fancy-shaped moulds, pour the liquid into a baking tin lined with baking paper. Allow to set then cut into squares with a knife.
I'm always looking for creative & healthy ways to put some phunk in the lunchbox for my treat-loving boys.
These Weet-bix Balls are super fast and easy to make, look great, taste delicious and you can pop them in the freezer free-flow and take them out as you need.
Makes 15 - 20 balls and around 77 calories each
We hope you enjoy them like we do xx
These delightful ChocyNana Mini Muffins are an absolute favourite in our house. The kids think they're winning having chocolate muffins, and I AM winning getting some goodness into them - double win!! So simple and fast to make, they'll become your new favourite go-to recipe.
Serves: makes approx 36
Time to make: 25 mins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Low Fat
Low KJ
Getting my family started with Bento has definitely turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. When I talk to other people though, there’s plenty of desire to give it a try, but still some hesitation and that is completely understandable. After all, you’re making a big lifestyle change and it’s going to take a little bit of work to begin with, but what for? What are the benefits of Bento?
The entire concept of Bento is founded upon the 4...3...2...1 principle. Four portions of Carbs, 3 portions of protein, 2 portions of vegetables and 1 portion of fruit. Now this principle really applies to cooked meals, so for my family for instance, I tend to try to stick to 4...3...2...2, as my boys love their fruit!
Before I switched to Bento, there was a lot of packaged foods. Just like any other parent, I found it easy to buy the box and put together a lunch that we’ve all become used to. A pair of sandwiches, packet of crisps, a snack bar and maybe a yogurt or some other dessert. Now? Well I think these pictures speak for themselves! :)
What I didn’t expect from changing to Bento was how much money it would save me. I thought I was buying cost effective foods by buying the biggest boxes, the foods on special and jumping on other deals. As it turns out, I can save even more by sticking to these healthy lunches for my family.
Before, I was buying lunch foods in bulk to use at lunch and maybe if they’re lucky, for a snack in the afternoon. When I changed to Bento, I was buying normal food like veggies, fruits and more for lunch as well as dinner and breakfast. Not only is my pantry less cluttered, it’s now got more of the good stuff in it!
Another surprising way I’ve found myself saving money, is with the impulse lunch buying. Instead of giving my eldest some money to buy lunch from the canteen at school, he’s happily taking a lunch he knows he’s going to enjoy. The same goes for my husband and myself! Instead of buying lunches on the go, we’re able to take leftovers or normal foods, saving both money and our health!
I did know about this before I started, but whenever I get a comment from my boys, it makes the entire thing worth while. Knowing that the little things I do, whether making faces out of sliders, creating delicious fruit kebabs or just changing it up with rolling up sandwich bread, makes them happy, full and focused in class? That makes it worthwhile.
Creating lunches that stand out from the crowd will make your kids feel incredible. Knowing that mum or dad has taken the time to create such a fun, delicious, healthy lunch for them will make them feel more than special.
Thank you so much for reading! Check out the rest of the blog and the store for great Bento Products!
Until next time,
Nic XX
At the core of nearly every lunch box is the trusty sandwich. It's easy, it's tasty and it's simple. It can also get pretty repetitive day after day and you might notice more and more seems to be coming back, or being thrown away at school!
- All you need are your chosen fillings and some small wraps from your local supermarket.
- Fill up your wrap in layers going from one edge, to the other so the flavors are spread out.
- It's a good idea to practice the wrap to make sure everything is where it's supposed to be.
- Finally once you've wrapped it, you have a choice to make! Either cut it to fit inside the Bento Box, like the lunch above, OR, cut into mini sushi rolls like the one below!
Welcome to Bento 101 everyone! I'm so glad you're here to learn about making delicious Bento lunches! This post will be a bit longer, but the goal is to cover the basics of creating delicious bento lunches.
It goes without saying that you don't have to follow all the rules, but it's recommended to follow one or two.
Now without further adieu, let's cover 3 basic rules that everyone should know!
Traditionally, Bento follows the 4-3-2-1 rule of portion control. This translates to:
Remember that this rule tends to apply to cooked lunches more than modern western lunches! Instead, many people adjust this rule to the 4:2:1:1 rule;
This is better suited to lunches for kids, and adds a level of consistency that get's them eating more! As you can see, I've opted for more of a 2:2:4 portion above which works well as my boys love fruit!
When creating your lunches, try to add bold colours to make the meal more appetizing and exciting for kids.
As you can see from my example above, I've got all sorts of colours! I've even used silicone wrap bands to contrast with the carrots and sugar snap peas!
I chose this example just to show you how simple it can be. At no point did I have to stress or worry about what to add, instead I used some accessories I already had to change things up and pack them nicely!
The key thing is to keep it simple. Don't overload your lunches with too much going on! Use your space wisely and work with your lunch box portions.
In this lunch, I included a lot of fruit, whole grain sandwiches and home made popcorn! It's simple, it's healthy and it's delicious!
That's one thing that I was really surprised with. Bento makes it so easy to eat healthily. My boys come back with empty lunchboxes nearly everyday and are always full of energy!
Finally, the best advice of all: Just try! We win some and lose some, but if we keep on trying, we'll get there in the end!
Anyway, I hope I've helped make the jump just that little bit easier! Remember to keep checking back for new content every week!
See you next time,
Nic XX
As a mum to two growing boys, I know just how hard it can be to convince them to try a new food. When they’re at home, it’s easier as I can watch what they’re eating and give extra encouragement when needed. I try to eat with them when I can to set a good example but when they’re at school, they tend to eat as quickly as possible to get outside and play with their friends. Which means new and healthy foods can get left behind! Before I started following a bento lunch style, I was opening up their lunch boxes to find a disappointing amount of leftovers! While some days were worse than others, no one likes to think about their child at school going hungry!
When I first heard about bento, I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect so I decided to do just a little bit of research. Bento originates from Japan and typically involves a meal of rice, meat and vegetables for lunch or dinner. The effort individuals and families put into their bento is really quite impressive, with many spending time creating mini-masterpieces inside their lunch boxes. Today, many countries around the world are adopting this style of lunch, whether it be with take out or in this case, school lunches!
Today though, you can incorporate bento into all sorts of foods. Whether it be cutting shapes, creating little creatures out of sandwiches, or just adding a little bit extra to make sure they finish their lunch, it’s easy to get involved. One of the best ways to make a new food enticing for your kids, is to make it fun for them. If you’re trying a new sandwich filling, cut it into shapes and engage with them in the morning about the special lunch they have. If you’re trying a new fruit then combining them with other favourites works extremely well from my own experience!
With more and more people enjoying the bento lifestyle, a whole range of different meals have made their way into the world. Here are 20 different ideas showing just how much you can do with bento for lunch. Now you may be thinking that these meals will take quite some time to prepare and you’d be right, some of these can take upwards of 30 minutes in the extreme cases. I must admit, I thought the same when I first started, but it’s quickly become clear that it doesn’t have to be like that (For inspiration, check out the Facebook page!). Whether I’m cutting sandwich shapes or using wraps for a change, adding sprinkles to yoghurt or making fruit faces, it takes the same time that it did it before for typical lunches. Not bad right?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post! It’s my first try at this style so leave a comment here or on facebook.
See you next time!
Nic XX
In our house I have Master H who loves sushi, and Master C who loves to just pick out the rice.
These Japanese Rice Moulds are perfect for those picky little eaters who just can't form a relationship with that "Green Stuff".
Perfect for the Bento Box, Lunch Box or Snack Box, or even just as a nutritious snack at home. Fill them with whatever you like (this one is tuna, mayo & vege) and they're guaranteed to be a hit!
Sushi - We've all seen it, tasted it, loved it or admired the craft of it. Some of us have even tried to make it. Carefully spreading the rice, layering the fillings and delicately rolling the Nori (seaweed) paper in the hope that it doesn't tear. Ahhh, Success!! That is until you pick up that first piece and have all your carefully constructed goodies fall out, and your left with a empty piece of Nori. It's certainly happened to me, and not just in my own presence!
Well not any more!! I've searched endlessly to find the perfect Sushi Maker, making it easy for us to craft our own sushi day after day with ease. Our Simple Sushi Maker really is just that, saving you loads in your lunch budget.
Perfect in your Bento Box for school and work lunches, or wow guests when entertaining. The Simple Sushi Maker gives you perfect sushi every time.
You'll have everyone admiring your Sushi talents!!
www.phunkybento.co.nz/collections/rice-moulds
#simplesushimaker #bento #sushi #schoollunches #lunch #phunkyB
We specialise in Bento Lunch boxes and Accessories to support and inspire healthy ways for the whole family.
We look forward to helping inspire healthy days with phunky ways, striving to bring you the largest authentic range of Bento products in New Zealand. Please keep checking back in with us - as we grow we will be constantly updating and expanding our range to meet your needs.
Nic xx