Bento Box School Lunch Solutions

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

Throughout my 17+ years of sending kids off to school, packing lunches has never been my favorite thing to do. Truth is, I hate it! Even buying the ingredients for school lunches made me grumpy. My kids were pretty easy to please but keeping it fresh and interesting proved to be impossible. Kids claiming there was nothing to eat while looking into my pantry that was so full it couldn’t shut would send me over the edge. I desperately wanted to send my kids to school with a healthy lunch that they would eat. Invariably, lunch boxes would return home half-eaten and warm. Wasted food! What about the hungry children? I could hear my own mother in my head.

So when Heinen’s asked me to write a post about back-to-school lunches and “thinking outside the sandwich” while including ideas for those who eat meat, those following a gluten-free diet and vegans I said, “Sure, no problem,” while secretly wanting to jump from a ledge. Hats off to the moms who love packing lunches.

I turned to the experts: my kids, who have been packing their own lunches for years. I think these ideas turned out to be good ones. My kids approved! I would also enjoy taking any one of these ideas as my work day lunch. I hope this gives you a bit of inspiration for your lunch prep. Most of it can be found in Heinen’s Deli and Produce Departments; couldn’t be easier!

I created these menus to fit into a Bento box. Smaller portions seem to work great for little ones but I find it’s enough for adults, too. You can find Bento boxes anywhere these days. They are a nice alternative to the prepackaged snacks or plastic bags. This one is actually really good about not letting any of the foods mingle in transport. Look for Bento boxes with tight-fitting lids that connect with the section dividers so liquids don’t run. Don’t worry a bit if you don’t have a Bento box and don’t want to buy yet another school supply! You can easily put any of these items into snack-sized or sandwich-sized bags.

For the Meat Eater:

• Kielbasa, quickly grilled
• Fresh Pineapple
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Fresh Barley Lime Fiesta Salad from the Salad Bar
• Cheese Quesadilla

For the Gluten-Free way of life:

• Fresh Strawberries
• Cheese
• Mary’s Gone Seed Crackers (we love them)
• Turkey + Lettuce Roll-ups
• Sliced Bell Peppers

For the Vegan:

• Assorted Berries
• Tart Cherry Figgy Pops
• Edamame
• Dates with Fresh Ground Peanut Butter
• Asian Wrap filled with Peppers, Cucumber, Carrots, Red Cabbage, Spinach and Hummus

Click Here to Print the Recipe for Bento Box Solutions

By Heinen's Grocery Store

In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a small butcher shop on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. Joe added homemade peanut butter, pickles and donuts and by 1933, business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods. Heinen’s Grocery Store was born.