Have you fallen in love with bento box recipes yet? They are my favorite way to eat and pack lunches. Today I’m sharing a “food on a stick” themed bento box lunch! It’s so basic. But kids find it so fun, and maybe they’re onto something…
What are Bento Box Lunches?
Bento box lunches have been around for ages in Japan and typically have a variety of tastes and textures and are created in a careful and thoughtful way. They are often beautiful and sometimes include ornate details.
These bento box recipes are not that! Scroll down below for the full recipe and details on this “lunch on a stick” bento box lunch ideas for kids.
What do you put Inside a Bento Box?
You can put almost anything inside a bento box and that’s one of the best features about them. I’ve talked endlessly about my love for bento box lunches. The lunch bot containers (affiliate) clean up nicely, they are sturdy and durable, environmentally-friendly, but best of all? They basically tell you what to pack. You have four or five spots/components that need to be filled!
- Main/Protein: sandwiches, quesadillas, tuna salad, meatballs, etc.
- Vegetable: raw, roasted, sautéed – there are so many vegetables that you can easily pack, but don’t be afraid to include leftovers like roasted vegetables. Always keep it tasty and add dips like hummus, ranch, easy greek yogurt dill dip, or guacamole.
- Fruit: keep this component simple with fresh fruits that are ready-to-eat (berries, apples, etc.) and always have a few applesauce pouches and raisins on hand for rushed mornings.
- Fun/Starch: this can be bagel or pita chips, trail mix with chocolate, a small cookie, chips…anything! If you have a main/protein component like meatballs, I like to include a starch on the side, preferably a whole grain one.
How to Make Bento Box Recipes:
You have two choices when it comes to bento box lunches. You can put together your own meals – just make sure to include a range of components so that it’s balanced (see above). OR, you can find bento box “recipes” that are themed and/or already nutritionally balanced.
What is the Best Bento Box for adults?
This is easy! The best bento box for adults is definitely the cinco size Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box by LunchBots. We have a few sizes (more on that below) but for adults, the cinco is a great size. It’s got plenty of room for food, unless you’re a really light eater! These are an initial investment, but hold up really well and will last years. I loooooove ours!
More Bento Box Lunch Ideas:
Once you start packing bento box lunches, you won’t be able to stop! Here are a few more ideas to get those creative juices flowing.
- BBQ Meatball Bento Box Lunch (5 Ingredients)
- Easy Quesadilla Bento Box Recipe
- Easy Tuna Snack Plate
- Starbucks Protein Copycat
Tools for Bento Box Recipes:
There are only a few items that I use for packing healthy lunches. (And just lots of yummy and nutritious food.) *links below are affiliates, which mean I make a small commission with no extra charge to you
- Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box by LunchBots: We have a few of these (trio II and cinco) and I love them SO SO much! I like the smaller size for kids and the trio II has room for main, vegetable, fruit, and then a little spot for the fun/treat component! For larger kids and adults, the cinco is a great size. I use the leak proof condiment containers for dips and sauces.
- Reusable Silicone Muffin Liners: These are great for keeping things separate within the bento box. I’ll put things like trail mix or crackers in the muffin liner, then squeeze it in the biggest bento section. They also work great for baking whole wheat blender muffins and egg cups!
- Water bottles: I serve water at lunch time, but there is never a time that we are without a water bottle! I love Contigo Kids Autospout and Kleen Kanteen Stainless Steel Sippy Cups.
Let’s get to lunch!
Bento Box Recipes: Lunch On A Stick
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Description
Looking for bento box recipes? I’ll show you how to make this cute, fun, and EASY bento lunch that’s food for both kids and adults!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken sausages
- 6 mini Persian cucumbers
- 6 tsp. salad dressing
- 6 slices whole grain bread
- 6 Tbsp. chive cream cheese
- 6 servings fruit like grapes or diced mango
Instructions
- Cook sausages as directed. Slice on the diagonal.
- Large chop cucumber and toss with salad dressing.
- Spread cream cheese on slice of bread and fold over into a sandwich. Cut into small squares.
- Cut fruit into small bite-sized pieces or thread onto toothpick.
- Pack in bento box or lunch container and serve with toothpicks (if kids are old enough!) or food picks.
Notes
- Toothpicks are not suitable for young kids, but we just started using these animal food picks and I think the larger ones work well.
Keywords: bento box recipes, bento box lunch
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