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

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Dr. Seuss Bento

There are so many adorable Dr. Seuss lunches being posted out there so I thought I'd join the bandwagon. I got a lot of inspiration for this lunch from Jennifer at A Flexible Life.




  • Green eggs (ok, I know in this picture that hard boiled egg looks blue. But, trust me, it's green) and ham

  • Carrots with ranch

  • Blackberries

  • Babybel cheese with a "Thing 2" cut-out

  • White chocolate and M&M "green eggs"

  • Salt and Pepper shaker (for the egg)

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Name Game

I'm so mad at myself! I had a super cute idea for a Leap Day lunch and COMPLETELY forgot about it when I was making this lunch for tomorrow!! Oh well...I guess it will have to wait 4 more years ;)




  • Sandwich on a whole wheat bagel thin (cut and half and stacked). I cut her name out of colby jack cheese.

  • Broccoli with ranch

  • Blackberries and raspberries

  • 2 Hershey Kisses

Mickey Mouse!

I just got home from my second Disney Cruise of the year (I know, I'm blessed...and a little spoiled!) and was still in the Disney mood when I made yesterday's lunch.




  • Mickey Mouse-shaped sandwich

  • Mickey shaped cheese crackers (that I got on the cruise)

  • Carrots with ranch

  • Red grapes

  • 2 Hershey Kisses


    Bento Lunch

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Kissing Hand

I'm going out of town for a few days and leaving Daddy in charge. I made one last lunch before I go. This lunch was made with the story "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn in mind. If you aren't familiar with the story, it's about a little raccoon that is nervous about going to school for the first time because he's going to miss his mommy. So, his mom gives him a kiss on his palm (a kissing hand) that he can put up to his cheek and think "Mommy loves me. Mommy loves me." whenever he feels lonely or misses her. We exchanged "kissing hands "before they left for school this morning and hopefully this lunch will remind them that mommy loves them.








  • Hand-shaped sandwich with a strawberry fruit leather heart


  • Blackberries with a love pick


  • Carrots with ranch


  • Hershey's Nugget

Bento Lunch

Monday, February 20, 2012

Under the Sea




  • Circle sandwich (made with the Pampered Chef sandwich cutter) and a dyed provolone dolphin.


  • Broccoli with ranch and a sea star pick


  • Red grapes with a lobster pick


  • Pretzel snaps


  • Hershey's Nugget

Star Power

I didn't realize until I went to post this lunch, how much it looks like the one I made last Thursday! Oooops. Oh well, I don't think the girls will mind.

They are out of school today but are participating in a gymnastics clinic and needed a packed lunch.



  • 3 star-shaped sandwiches with a cheddar star

  • Carrots and cucumber slices with ranch

  • Babybel with star cut-outs

  • Raspberries with a star pick

  • Pretzel snaps

  • Hershey kisses

Thursday, February 16, 2012

All Smiles!



  • 2 smiley face sandwiches (stacked) with cucumber peel features

  • Carrots with ranch (ranch cup is under the cookie)

  • Babybel with a face cut-out

  • Strawberry slices with blackberries

  • Lemon iced sugar cookie

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Spring Has Sprung!

Ok, I know that is wishful thinking but we can dream!! Maybe it's the beautiful Valentine's Day flowers that are sitting on my table and counter but something put me in a spring-time mood today so the girls' lunch reflects that:




  • "Daisy" sandwich with a cheddar center

  • Red grapes with a flower pick

  • Carrots and cucumber slices with ranch

  • Wheat Thin Toasted Chips

  • Nestles chocolate heart

    Bento Lunch

Monday, February 13, 2012

Conversation Hearts

Last Valentine's bento of the season!!



  • 3 heart-shaped sandwiches with Conversation Heart picks

  • Carrots with ranch

  • Blackberries and raspberries (if you really use your imagination, and close one eye, you can sort of see a heart of raspberries in the middle of the blackberries)

  • Babybel cheese with heart cut-outs

  • Nestles Crunch chocolate heart

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

2 of Hearts




  • Turkey and cheddar sandwich on a whole wheat bagel thin (halved and stacked) with cheddar and strawberry fruit leather hearts


  • Peas


  • 2 strawberry hearts and blackberries


  • 2 Dove chocolate hearts

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Another V-Day Bento



  • Peanut butter and wheat cracker sandwiches

  • Apple slices and peanut butter (I dipped the apples in lemon juice/water to prevent browning)

  • Broccoli

  • Cheddar hearts

  • Dove chocolate hearts

Monday, February 6, 2012

Hugs and Kisses




  • 2 heart-shaped sandwiches with cheddar "X" and "O"s


  • Kiwi and blueberries with kiwi "X" and "O"s


  • Carrots, cucumber slices and a cherry tomato heart with ranch


  • Hershey Kisses



Bento Lunch

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Love Bug



  • 2 heart-shaped sandwiches (stacked) with "Love" and a bug picks

  • Tomato and cucumber slices with ranch

  • Heart-shaped cantaloupe and raspberries

  • Dove chocolate hearts

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Love Letter

I saw this idea on a couple other bento blogs and thought they were so cute.





  • Letter shaped sandwich with a fruit leather heart seal.

  • Carrots with ranch

  • Red grapes with a "love" pick

  • 2 Dove Chocolate hearts

Hearts




  • 3 heart shaped sandwiches, stacked. For a little "something", I put a small heart of darker brown bread in the center of the top sandwich.

  • Peas with a cherry tomato heart

  • Pineapple and blueberries

  • Toasted Wheat Thin Crackers

  • Hershey Kisses

    Bento Lunch