We had a blast putting together our “Inside the Box” story about bento box lunches in the March 2009 issue. Although slapping a sandwich together is a no-brainer, bentos allow for a little more creativity. We love that you can make healthier food look fun, and what kid doesn’t enjoy the element of surprise when they open their lunch?

So, the challenge is to embrace the bento. In this one we used some left-over baked chicken, sliced kiwi, left-over rice wrapped in nori, broccoli, grapes and an orange.

Want to give bento a try? Here are 3 quick and easy ideas to get you started:

1. Cut sandwiches out with a cookie cutter.
2. Mix some frozen peas and corn together with left-over pasta and a little salad dressing.
3. The occasional mini hot dog wraps are always popular.

Are your kids a little bored with their lunches? Give bentos a try and let us know how excited your kids were to open their lunches!