Making Lunch Fun, One Box at a Time

ben·tol·o·gy (ben t äləjē) Noun : The study of making nutritious and fun lunches for my daughters.

I get a lot of inspiration from other blogs. So, in hopes someone might get some inspiration from me, I've decided to post some pictures here.

This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.Proverbs 3:7-9

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Friday's Lunch

It's the last meal of the week and I'm feelin' it. I feel like we are out of food, which limits my creativity. Avery wanted to buy tomorrow (pizza day!) so I only needed to do one lunch.
But, here is her lunch for tomorrow...Turkey and cheese roll-ups on whole wheat, carrots with ranch and a fruit salad with a strawberry flower.


Haley's Snack: Banana chips with a pick of dried cranberries and 2 pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Avery's Snack: Trail mix and cheese teddy bears packed in the large compartment from the new Sassy box.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Thursday's Lunch

I was feeling rather uncreative tonight when I went to make lunches. But I am pretty happy with how it ended up. The smiley face (maybe it's a sun?) started out as a lion but when it didn't work out, I bailed.
Both girls got the exact same lunch (I think that's a first): PB&J bagel with a cheesy smile (ha-ha, just came up with that!), strawberries, peas, blueberry yogurt and 2 hershey kisses.
I don't have a picture of snack yet because they are having apple flowers with peanut butter (Avery) and caramel dip (Haley) and I can't cut that apples up until the morning.

Lindi asked for a picture of what the bento boxes look like all closed up. Only the hot pink one is full of food, but here is what they look like!




Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Wednesday's Lunch

My new Sassy box was delivered today and you know, I had to dig right in! I think I'm really going to like it -- all the compartment with lids will provide for so many options! (Thanks to Vicki for pointing out they were on clearance on Amazon!)

Lunch: Turkey and cheese on whole wheat with a cheese flower, kiwi flowers with blueberries, carrots with ranch and blueberry yogurt.

Snack: Strawberry slices with heart centers and honey wheat twists with honey mustard for dipping.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Tuesday

The girls are buying their lunches tomorrow (grilled cheese and tomato soup is on the menu) so all I needed to make were their snacks. I packed Haley's in my new triangle box. It's double tiered and a bit of a puzzle to put together. I think we'll need to do a tutorial before she leaves for school!

Turkey and cheese roll-ups, wheat thins and strawberries with a blueberry garnish.


Avery's Snack: Clementine flower with a strawberry center, wheat thins and cheese flowers.





Monday's Lunch

Snack: Plum slices and kettle corn that we bought at the apple orchard this weekend.

Lunch: Salami and cheese butterfly sandwich, butterfly cucumbers, babybel cheese (with a butterfly cut-out), and strawberries and blueberries.

I learned from last Friday that I can't put the sugar eyes on the night before. They apparently were sort of melted by lunch time. For the butterfly, I added the eyes in the morning as I packed it in her lunch box and she said they were perfect at lunch.


How many posts?

I'm trying to decide whether I should post daily or whether I should save all the pictures and post weekly. Any preference?

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Week of September 20

Tuesday
H's Lunch: Salami and Cheese "I Love You" sandwich, Babybel cheese, cucumber slices, a cherry tomato balloon, and pineapple and blueberries.


A's Lunch: PB&J "I Love You" sandwich, cheese flowers, cucumber flower rings, cherry tomoato balloon, and clemetine and blueberries.
Wednesday
Flower Power Lunch: 2 Turkey and Cheese flower sandwiches (stacked on top of each other), carrots with ranch, Babybel cheese, and kiwi flowers with a few blueberries.

Thursday

A's Lunch: Sheep PB&J sandwich, carrots with ranch, fruit kabobs and a few olives.

H's Lunch: Sheep ham and cheese sandwich, carrots with ranch, and fruit kabobs.

Snack: Grapes and a Z-bar

Friday

H's Lunch: Elephant turkey and cheese sandwiches, cucumber slices with elephant cut-outs and elephant cheese, a few peanuts (because its an elephant lunch), fruit salad and a Dove chocolate.

A's Lunch: Teddy Bear PB&J, string cheese, cucumber slices with teddy bear cut-outs and a teddy bear cheese, and a fruit salad.

Week of September 13

Monday
H's Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich, frozen peas, 2 strawberry hearts, and some mango on a pick.
Snack: Grapes, wheat thins and cheese hearts.
Tuesday

They had the same lunch today. Personalized PB&J sandwiches, grape kabobs, string cheese (under the grapes) and frozen peas.

Snack: Yogurt covered pretzels and strawberry slices

Wednesday
H's Lunch: Salami and Cheese (I love you) sandwich, carrots with ranch, sliced strawberries and a Dove chocolate.

Snack: Pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, cheese flowers, and grapes.
Thursday

A's Lunch: She really liked her sister's sandwich yesterday so today she got her own...PB&J, of course. She also had green beans, a clementine and some fruit leather.

H's Lunch: Turkey and cheese pinwheels, frozen peas, strawberry slices, cheese stars and a piece of homemade fruit leather

Week of September 6

Monday
It's Labor Day so no lunches needed. But, I used the time to get organized!
The new meaning of "Bento Box"!
Tuesday


Teddy Bear Picnic lunch: PB&J Teddy Bear sandwich, with a mini M&M face, carrots with ranch, strawberries and blueberries, and teddy bear cheese.


Snack: Organic vanilla animal cookies with strawberry yogurt for dipping.
Wednesday

Turkey and cheese star sandwiches, string cheese, plum slices, broccoli with watermelon flowers, goldfish crackers and a few mini oreos.

H's Snack: honey wheat pretzel twists with honey mustard for dipping, a strawberry and a few blueberries.


Thursday

They have almost the same lunch today. The only difference is the type of sandwich. 2 butterfly sandwiches (stacked on top of each other)...H's is salami and cheese, A's is PB&J, tomato cucumber kabobs, grapes and a Babybel cheese.

A's Snack (Top): stawberries, banana chocolate chip muffin and a couple granola bar bites.
H's Snack: banana chocolate chip muffins and strawberries.


Friday

Pizza day again so H just needed a snack. She had yogurt covered pretzel and some cheese flowers.



Week of August 30

Monday
H just needed a snack today. Grapes, pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, and giraffe cheese.
Tuesday

H's Lunch: Ham (leftover from dinner, cheese hearts, carrots with ranch (the ranch is under the cheese, blueberries and a strawberry heart.

A's Lunch: PB&J flower towers, carrots with ranch, and strawberries with blueberries.


A's Snack: Banana chocolate chip muffins, giraffe cheese and grapes.

H's Snack: Salami and cheese stars, wheat thins, and grape kabobs.

Wednesday


H bought her lunch today so all she needed was a snack. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, pineapple skewers, blueberries on picks, plum slices, and a strawberry.



A and I went to a restaurant for lunch today. I always take them healthy options so they don't just eat fries. I asked her if she wanted carrots or peas. She said "Carrots...bento style!" ;) So, she ended up with a clementine flower, carrots with ranch and some cucumber flowers.

Thursday

H's Lunch (top): Turkey and cheese pinwheels, carrots with ranch, grapes and mini oreos.
A's Lunch (bottom): PB&J Pinwheels, carrots with ranch, grapes and mini oreos.

A's Snack: Trail mix, 2 fruit kabobs and teddy bear cheese.

H's Snack: honey wheat pretzel sticks with honey mustard for dipping and a strawberry flower with blueberry center

Friday

It was pizza day so H just needed a snack. Goldfish crackers and 3 fruit kabobs.

Week of August 23

First Day of School!

Snack: Blueberries with pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.


Turkey and cheese roll-ups, carrots with ranch, strawberries and a pick of blueberries

Thursday

PB&J pinwheels, clementine flower with strawberry center, cucumber flowers and teddy bear cheese.


Friday


Salami, cheese and wheat crackers, grape kabobs, cucumber flowers, and a few mini oreos (which she was totally excited about!)
One week down, 30 to go!