Easy Bento Box Lunch Ideas for Kids
Make school lunches easier with these colorful bento box ideas using everyday ingredients. Choose one combination below, add your child’s favorite sides, and adjust portions to their appetite. Each option makes one lunch box.
Ingredients
Sandwich + Sides
- Nut butter & Jam Sandwiches cut into shapes with cookie cutters
- Edamame shelled
- Veggie straws
- Apple slices
- Nut butter for dipping
Leftovers + Sides
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Cucumber sliced
- Clementine peeled and segmented
- Raspberries
- Pretzels
- Alphabet cookies
Charcuterie Lunchable
- Salami sliced
- Peppered Salami sliced
- Dill havarti cubed
- Raspberries
- Green grapes halved if necessary or desired
- Assorted olives
- Roasted almonds
- Crackers
- Mini chocolate chip cookies
Mediterranean Bento Box
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Hummus
- Cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- Bell peppers halved
- Pita bread cut into triangles
- Yogurt-covered pretzels
Italian Bento Box
- Cooked cheese tortellini
- Cubed mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni slices
- Cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- Grissini breadsticks
- Biscotti
Southern-Style Bento Box
- Chicken salad
- Pimento cheese dip
- Butter crackers
- Peaches diced or sliced
- Grapes, halved (if desired)
- Pound cake slices
Breakfast-Inspired Bento Box
- Egg bites
- Breakfast sausage links
- Mini muffins chocolate chip or blueberry
- Banana
- Orange slices
- Fresh mixed berries strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries
Instructions
Sandwich + Sides
- In a 4 to 5-compartment bento box, add the sandwiches, edamame, veggies straws, and apple slices to separate compartments. Add the nut butter to its own compartment or to the compartment with the apple slices.
Leftovers + Sides
- In a 5-compartment bento box, add the pasta salad to the largest compartment. Divide the cucumber, clementine, raspberries, and pretzels between the remaining compartments.
- Add letter cookies on top of the pretzels. (I spelled out “Hi” for a cute note.)
Charcuterie Lunchable
- In a 5 to 6-compartment bento box, add the sliced salami, dill havarti, and folded salami in the largest compartment. Combine the raspberries and grapes in another compartment. Add the olives and almonds to another compartment (if there is an extra compartment, add them to separate compartments). Add the crackers and cookies to separate compartments.
Mediterranean Bento Box
- In a 5- to 6-compartment bento box, add the shredded rotisserie chicken. In one container, add the hummus. Combine the tomatoes and bell peppers in another compartment (if there is an extra compartment, add them to separate compartments). Divide the pita bread and yogurt-covered pretzels between the remaining two compartments.
Italian Bento Box
- In a 6-compartment bento box, divide the cooked cheese tortellini, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes, breadsticks, and biscotti.
Southern-Style Bento Box
- In a 6-compartment bento box, divide the chicken salad, pimento cheese dip, butter crackers, peaches, grapes, and pound cake slices.
Breakfast-Inspired Bento Box
- In a 6-compartment bento box, divide the egg bites, breakfast sausage, mini muffins, bananas, orange slices, and berries.