A bento box for lunch is a perfect way to reduce food waste, satisfy picky eaters, and make lunchtime colorful.
I joined the bento craze two years ago to encourage my two picky eaters to eat their lunch. I never would’ve thought I would become a bento mom offering cute, colourful, themed lunches for my daughters. But that was before I joined thousands of other bento moms on Facebook for ideas and inspirations. I didn’t realize that this commitment to fun lunches has other benefits as well.
The benefits of Bento Boxes
How can bento boxes do more than just encourage picky eaters to eat their lunches? Simple, it reduces carbon footprint by reducing garbage. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each child can generate 67 lbs of waste throughout the school year if their lunches are packed in non-reusable bags. No wonder schools are encouraging eco-friendly lunches and educating students on the importance of being involved in protecting the environment.
If you’re sold on the idea of making healthy, environmentally friendly lunches more fun, my top pick is Yumbox. Unlike a traditional bento box, they come in a rainbow of colours, are dishwasher safe, durable and lightweight. They’re great bento boxes for adults and kids alike.
Perfect for picky eaters
Bento boxes also make it easy to control portions and ensure picky eaters stand the best chance of finishing their food (nothing touches!). Just make sure you aren’t over-filling compartments, especially for wetter foods like applesauce or canned fruit. Fully wet foods like yogurt drinks, soups, or thin dressings are not suitable for the Yumbox.
Care of your Yumbox
Although Yumbox is dishwasher safe, I recommend hand washing to keep the silicone seal working at its best. I suggest washing with warm soapy water and drying thoroughly after each use (and if your house is humid, storing ajar rather than sealed.
If you pack oily foods regularly, coat with a baking soda paste once a week overnight to avoid build-up.
Since the Yumbox is so well made, it’s easy to snap the bottom half of the exterior box off for cleaning and return to a snug fit for another day of fun, healthy and eco-friendly lunches!
Tips and Tricks for packing a great meal in your Yumbox Bento Box
- Don’t overfill compartments. An overfilled compartment can leak.
- Remove excess liquid from foods such as canned fruit, applesauce, yogurt, etc.
- Keep the contents cool by adding an ice pack to your lunch tote.
- Press down on the lid with the palm of your hand and snap latch to a closed position to create the best seal.
- Do not pack yogurt drinks, soups or runny/watery dressings.
- Do pack foods with the consistency of ranch dressing, ketchup, chunky salsas, hummus, yogurt, and veggie dips.