Bonkers for Bento...

I'm a Bento mom...I just think its fun, with healthy portions and eco friendly because you are using waste free lunch containers plus it's creative. And let's face it, I'm not very "green" even though I try to be when I can...  my vintage upcycled jewelry designs count, right? ;)

 What is Bento? This is Bento:

another lunch

I have a veggie and fruit lovin' kid which makes it even easier for me to throw together snacks of  chopping up and tossing in with quickness. Using  cookie cutters to "shape" a sandwich or pieces of cheese  = FUN! plus then I get to munch on the "scraps" ;)

Instead of buying individually packaged jello, pudding, applesauce and other fruits in those little plastic cups that need to be tossed out, I buy them in the big jars, make my own jello and pudding and whatever else, then just dish it out into a section of the bento box. No spills or running over into other sections of food either in case you're wondering, they're sealed pretty good and tight when you snap the lids on. Also several of the ones I've picked up have totally separate sealed compartments for sandwiches so they don't get soggy in any way.  Nothing to throw away just a quick wash up and it's ready to re-use. 

uhreusable on Etsy

Look at how cute this Bento lunch box is!

here's more great resources for all things Bento:

Just Bento

Another Lunch

Lunch in a Box

Bento lunch

Happy Little Bento

Here's a little slideshow of some super fun, majorly creative bentos on flickr...

Plus be sure to check out book stores, your local library and the Internet for more great ideas and recipes.