It might be heartening to know that the challenge to pack easy, portable and exciting lunches is not a new concept. In Japanese cuisine bento boxes, a single portioned either take-out or home prepared meal in a multi-compartment container, have been a solution for centuries. A traditional bento box holds noodles or rice with fish or meat, along with pickled and cooked vegetables. The traditional bento boxes can be adapted to a Western palate. In Japan there are character boxes, where each container of the bento box takes on the theme of an anime character, cartoon, or video game. Children enjoy variety and certainly engage better when the food resonates with them. Theming a meal can help the kiddos engage with their food, especially for the vegetables and proteins, that can be difficult to make kid friendly. Even if you are kiddo free the same rules can be applied to the adult bento box.

Top 8 Healthy Bento Box Tips:

1) Select a variety of containers. Purchasing multiple different containers can helps with batch preparing meals and diversity. One example that several local moms have recommended, is PlanetBox, an eco-friendly and dishwasher safe bento box, however, there are multiple other options that are well reviewed on https://mindfulmomma.com/reusable-lunch-containers/. There are options that include insulated containers to keep food cold or hot.

2) Mix and match. Make a list of your child’s protein, vegetable, and carbohydrate preferences and then use this to take time to do a weekly or monthly meal plan with your child.

3) Schedule for success. Choose a day(s) with your child to batch prepare several bento boxes

4) Include your child. Even the pickiest of eaters will be more likely to consume their food if they were involved in the process of planning and preparation.

5) Focus on veggies, protein, healthy carbs and healthy fats. Use the largest containers of the box for the vegetables, protein, and healthy carbs and a smallest container for nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter, or hummus for those healthy fats.

6) Disguise, hide and excite. If your child is picky with their proteins and vegetables, consider ways to disguise these or make them more exciting, a few of my favorite recommendations include:

• Quinoa and edamame noodles provide both carbs and protein compared to standard wheat noodles
• Hide blended veggies in a traditional or vegan meatloaf
• Blend veggies such as spinach, carrots, beans into a tomato sauce or make homemade veggie muffins with zucchini or carrots
• Make “extra special” dipping sauces with yogurt, nut or seed butters, salsa, or hummus. Framing even the most mundane dipping sauce to your child as “special” can make it more enticing to eat their chopped veggies or salads.

7) Avoid added sugar. It’s easy to avoid added sugar if you opt for wholefoods, such as fruits, vegetable, nuts and seeds and sometimes dairy for the snacks/ sides as much as possible. If going for a processed convenience snack, choose the most minimal processed, and nutritious options, and alternate them as a side to the whole food stars. Some minimal processed snack options:

• Simple Mills or RW Garcia brand gluten free crackers
• Organic corn chips + salsa or hummus
• Organic apple sauce or fruit/ veggie/ chia seed pouches
• Aussie bites
• Figgy pops

8) Aim for organic. To minimize pesticide exposure, aim for organic foods and/ or follow the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen guidelines.

Top 5 Nutritious Bento Box Ideas:

1) The Quick and Easy Deli Meat Roll-Up: No nitrate lunch meat with romaine lettuce and Sir Kennsington’s brand mayo roll-ups + veggies + fruit + crackers

2) Taco Tuesdays: a few taco shells + seasoned sautéed meat or beans + shredded cabbage, lettuce + salsa + cheese/ plain Greek yogurt + fruit

3) Holiday or Seasonal Theme: roasted turkey + sweet potato fries + fresh apple or apple sauce or cranberry dipping sauce + green beans OR roasted turkey sandwich on bread + cranberry sauce + apple sauce or sliced apples with cinnamon + edamame.

4) Leftovers: main dish + extra veggies + fruit + cheese, nuts and/ or seeds

5) Nut or Seed Butter and Jelly Sushi: wrap with nut/ seed butter and favorite jam, then roll up and cut into equal sized pinwheel slices + chopped veggies + fruit + crackers

Dr. Sarah is the principle naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist at Collective Health Center in Leesburg, Virginia. She aims to meet patients where they are at, including kiddos. She is never without creative solutions to assist patients in optimizing their health. Learn more about her practice by filling out the form below.