Out-of-the-Box Lunches

Your kids will love these healthy bento box ideas!

Compiled by Liz Winchester; all recipes and photographs courtesy Catherine McCord, Weelicious

It’s easy to get in a rut when packing lunchboxes day in and day out. Start the year off creatively with these fun bento box lunch ideas from Catherine McCord, the founder of Weelicious.com. The popular cooking site gives parents ideas about how to encourage kids to enjoy a variety of healthy foods and dishes.

A bento box holds a meal for one person. The box has several compartments that store different foods. Bento boxes are available on Amazon.com (what isn’t?), in the Weelicious store.

“Bento boxes are an excellent option for kids to bring to school for lunch because they give them the option to make their own choices,” McCord says. “I always let my kids help with packing their lunch, and we make sure to fi ll each section completely to keep things from moving around during the trip to school. My family and I love that bento boxes are environmentally friendly and easy to clean too!”

You may have many of these recipe ingredients in your box of tricks (ie. your fridge!) already. Here are a few ways to use them:

APPLE CHEESE WRAPS

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 granny smith apple • 1 slice lemon • 2 slices cheddar cheese, cut in half • 2 slices deli turkey or ham, cut in half

Preparation

1. Slice the apple into ½-inch-thick slices. Rub the apple with the lemon wedge to prevent it from going brown. 2. Slice the cheese into ½-inch-wide slices and the ham/turkey in half or in quarters (it needs to be large enough to wrap around the apple). 3. Place an apple slice and a cheese slice on top of the deli meat and fold over deli meat to wrap.

BANANA DOG BITES

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, peeled • ¼ cup peanut butter, divided (you could also use almond or sunfl ower butter) • 2 tortillas

Preparation

1. Place one tortilla on a fl at surface and spread 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter on the tortilla to evenly coat. 2. Place one banana near the edge of the tortilla and roll it up. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the second tortilla and banana. 4. Slice into ½-inch rounds and serve.

Tip: If your tortilla is stiff, you can put it in the microwave in between two pieces of moist paper towel and heat for 15-20 seconds or until softened.

SUSHI SANDWICHES

Ingredients

• favorite sandwich bread • peanut butter + jelly • whipped cream cheese + pesto • shredded carrots + hummus • whipped cream cheese + tapenade • whipped cream cheese + ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Using a rolling pin, roll out the sandwich bread to get it as thin as you can. 2. Spread the piece of bread with your chosen fi llings (our favorite combos are listed above). Use the thicker or stickier fi lling fi rst and then top with the thinner fi lling. 3. Roll the bread up tightly and press on the seam to seal. 4. Cut into sushi pieces.

APPLE APPLE PIE PANINI

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

• ½ cup mascarpone or cream cheese • 2 tsp. honey • 4 Tbsp. butter, room temperature • 8 slices cinnamon raisin bread, sliced from a dense bakery loaf • 1 granny smith or other fi rm apple, cored and thinly sliced • 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar • A panini press

Preparation

1. In a small bowl with a whisk, or in a mini food processor, whip the mascarpone and honey together until well combined and fluffy. 2. Heat the panini press to medium-high heat. 3. For each sandwich: Spread butter on two slices of bread, fl ip over, and spread 1 Tbsp. of the mascarpone mixture on each slice, top one slice of bread with apple slices, and close the sandwich with the other piece of bread, buttered side up. 4. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. 5. Grill two panini at a time, with the lid closed, until the fi lling is warm and the bread is toasted, with a sweet crust, about 3-5 minutes.