05 Oct Hot tips for school Bento Box lunches

What if you could entice your children to eat balanced lunches every day?

Originating in Japan, Bento is a home-packed meal in a box-shaped container that holds rice and meats with pickled or cooked vegetables in sectioned compartments.

They always look amazing, and if you can get organised, then kids love to see what’s in them every day! You don’t have to have a box, as any lunch box can be turned into a ‘bento’ by using paper cupcake patties or small silicone dividers.

When composing your bento box lunch, the basic rule is to have an overall ratio of rice to side dish as 1:1. As for the side dish, the basic rule is to have one main side dish (usually meat or fish), and two to three smaller side dishes (vegetables, eggs, etc.)

We take inspiration from Japan’s bento box craze by sharing some of our favourite fun bento box lunchbox ideas.

• Make lunchtime more fun with creative notes in their lunch boxes. Make your own from these ideas or print them off (great for all ages )!
• Due to its ‘cute’ (Kawaii) factor, parents around the world are taking on this traditional  Japanese method of packing lunches in a Bento box.
• Make lunchtime more fun with creative notes in their lunch boxes.  Make your own from these ideas, or print these off—great for all ages!
• Get the low down from Poh Ling Yeow on how to create the ultimate bento box creations Pohs hot tips
• Become a school lunch ninja with our go-to bento guide.  70 things to put in super cute lunch box notes

Lunchtimes need never be boring again!

Six items to avoid when preparing lunch for your children include:

• All sweet drinks such as fruit juices, fruit drinks, cordials, sports drinks, energy drinks, flavoured waters, flavoured mineral waters, iced teas and soft drinks. These are high in energy (kilojoules) and sugar and can lead to weight gain and oral health problems in children.
• Dried fruit bars and ‘straps’. These are low in fibre and are also high in sugar, and can stick to children’s teeth, causing tooth decay.
• Dairy desserts, chocolate bars and muesli bars. These are generally high in fat and sugar.
• Chocolate spreads, jams and honey in sandwiches. These add extra, unnecessary sugar to the lunchbox
• Fatty, salty processed meats such as salami and Strasburg.
• ‘Oven-baked’ savoury biscuits. These may sound like healthier options, but some are just as high in salt and fat as crisps.

Info provided by Better Health Victoria