We’re very excited to welcome Wendy from Wendolonia to Hellobee! She’ll be bringing you the best in bento tips and inspiration each week! 

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When I began packing bento box lunches for my preschooler four years ago, I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. I was instantly hooked by the nifty equipment, the nutritious foods and the fun it brought to something that easily could have been a boring chore.  When my younger son started day care a few years later, I was thrilled to continue this fun way of preparing food for my 18-month-old boy too.

Toddler Bento Box - turkey meatballs, tomato, peas, rice, and pineapple

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The simplest definition of “bento” is that it’s the Japanese word for a boxed lunch. To expand on that a bit, this style of lunch is generally packed with a several types of food that have different colors, textures and flavors. Bentos are also designed to be visually appealing and attractive. Though bento boxes are traditionally packed with Japanese foods, you can choose to put any sort of foods your child likes in them.

Here are four great reasons you should consider packing bento lunches for your toddler:

Strawberries, chicken salad, pasta peas

1. They encourage children to try new foods

Bentos are a great choice if you want to encourage your child to eat a variety of foods. Earlier this year a study was released that showed that children find plates with many foods in a variety of colors more appealing than those with just a few foods and colors. While the children in this study were older, it’s probably safe to apply this same thinking to little ones. My casual observation with my own children shows this to be true as well — when I give my boys more choices, they tend to be more willing to try new foods and they eat more at meals as a result.

2. Bento lunches are healthy

Most parents are already feeding their toddlers healthy fruits, vegetables, grains and lean proteins, but when a lunch is packed with several different foods in a variety of colors and textures, it helps ensure that children are getting a balanced meal.

3. Bentos are fun!

Feeding a baby is already a favorite part of a child’s first few years for many parents, but packing bentos is really fun. Cutting foods into cute shapes, adding smiley faces to rice or eggs, or arranging fruits and vegetables into a rainbow pattern are all great ways to unleash creative impulses. I don’t always find time to indulge my creative side, but I do need to pack lunches every morning and I find it enjoyable to steal a few minutes to make something pretty.

4. They’re good for the environment

Finally, bento boxes are usually waste-free, which is better for the environment. Traditionally packed lunches (using plastic sandwich bags and pre-packaged single serve items) can generate as much as 67 pounds of trash per year per child. But because almost everything used to pack bento lunches is reusable, they hardly generate any paper or plastic waste. I like doing my part to create a cleaner world for our little ones to grow up in.

Have you tried packing bento lunches for your child? What made you start?