I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy making the kids packed lunches. I know. I’m such a weirdo. But, honestly, it doesn’t take very much extra time to get a little creative. I promise. And the kids excitement about lunch makes the extra few minutes so worth it. I figure that they’re only little for such a short period of time, why not cut some sandwiches into shapes? I just love it. YOLO, man!
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t do it EVERY day. But, I do make their lunches fun, more often than not.
Since I lived in Japan teaching English (before I was married or had kids), I bought tons of cute bento box supplies for my future children’s lunches. I’m such a nerd. That’s some foresight! I just knew it was something I would love. I also taught Japanese kids here in the U.S. for the last 7 years and many of them gifted me with even more bento goodness. I am prepared for lunch time! (But you can get simple sandwich cutters at the Dollar Store and tons more on Amazon.)
Here are a few ideas to get your own creative lunch box juices flowing.
1. First up is a simple idea. Just using inexpensive sandwich cutters, I cut their classic PB&J into cute shapes. I added Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Crackers for some cheese crunch. There are also fresh cherry tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden and peaches. I bought my containers at Kroger, but I’ve seen similar ones on Amazon.
2. Here is another simple one. Ham and cheese “sushi”. It’s simply a tortilla with a smear of cream cream cheese (to keep it all together), ham and cheese all rolled up and sliced. The kids LOVE this. I included Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Crackers, a clementine, cherries and snap peas. Fun and simple.
3. The last idea I want to share is a little more ambitious, only because you need a few things from Amazon. But, it was really just as easy to make as the first two. My kids LOVE hard boiled eggs and making them into a shape is just plain fun. I bought these egg molds and you just pop a peeled (but still warm) hard boiled egg into them and then refrigerate. Just take them out of the mold right before you pack the lunch.
Super easy. I put them on a bit of spinach in the container. I supplemented with more protein in the form of salami and cheese skewered on pretzel sticks. I included baby carrots, an apple, a few cherries, Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Crackers, and a little shaped rice ball. The rice ball is a classic addition to Japanese bento boxes and I like to serve them from time to time. I topped them with sesame seeds. So delicious. I made an extra for myself!
So, there you have it. Three ways to make packing a lunch more fun. Even having cute containers and lunch bags help. I always include Wet Ones® Singles to kill the germs on little hands so they can enjoy lunch. It’s a necessity! Who knows when was the last time they really washed their hands. Wet Ones® kills 99.9% of germs. I often include Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Crackers in my lunch boxes because they have so many flavors, so things don’t get boring. And they are my kids favorite snack. And I often find myself reaching for them too. So cheesy and crunchy and good. What is your favorite flavor?
Want more lunchbox inspiration, make sure to visit the Wish I Had Wet Ones in My Lunchbox website between July 6, 2015 and September 7, 2015 for other ideas and a chance to win a year’s supply of Wet Ones® for your home and your child’s classroom*, plus $1,000 cash!!!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Wet Ones® + Pepperidge Farm® . The opinions and text are all mine.
