Congratulations! Your little bundle of joy is not that little anymore and starting school for the very first time! From choosing the best school bag and prepping their lunch, to waving them goodbye as they enter the classroom, it’s a mix of emotions.
As much as you want them to have the best school experience, you also need to make sure they have enough energy to last through the day. With so many lunch box options on the market these days, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with different materials, styles and sizes. Naturally, you want to choose a non-toxic lunch box that is food safe and easy to clean. Did you know that bento boxes are a fun and convenient way to pack their lunch?
Whether you are a first time school kid parent, or are just looking for a new lunch box for the new school year, choosing the right bento lunch box can help your kiddo have a nutritious and exciting lunch while giving them the energy they need for a big day of learning! Here are some simple points to consider when choosing a bento lunch box:
What Is A Bento Box?
Bento boxes have been around since ancient Japan, with the word meaning single-portion take-out or home-packed meal. Traditionally, Japanese men used to carry these compact meals, which were often filled with white rice, millets and potatoes, while going fishing and hunting.
For adults, kids, and picky eaters alike, bento boxes are a popular way to keep your lunch organised. A bento lunch box, as opposed to a regular lunchbox, features many compartments for your child’s meals. This allows you to conveniently pack different types of yummy and nutritious food into one compact space!
No need to worry about yoghurt tubs exploding or sandwiches going soggy from fruit! The bento box has leak proof seals, allowing wet and dry food to be packed together without the risk of spillage disasters (hooray!).
Aside from the space, here are some of the great benefits of using bento lunch box for your kids:
Eco Friendly
Bento boxes are a sustainable container option because they are durable and can be used over and over again! You can store a variety of foods in each compartment without using single-use plastic bags or wraps, helping to reduce the amount of rubbish left at school.
Keeps Food Fresh
Bento lunch boxes help keep food fresh and tasty, satisfying hungry bellies all day long. Spencil’s Bento Box also fits perfectly in our Cooler Lunch Bags for better insulation. When kid’s meals look this delicious and fresh, you can count on fewer trips to the tuck shop and more healthy, balanced meals!
Mess-Free
Leak proof seals are a game changer! For any parent who has cleaned a lunch explosion from the bottom of a school bag, they will certainly appreciate a mess-free lunch box. Bento boxes come with tight fit lids, so you don’t need to worry about spills. The compartments that fit inside a bento lunch box also allow you to carry sauces without worrying about leaks.
Nutritionally Balanced
Bento lunch boxes allow you to conveniently pack a nutritious, balanced lunch with a variety of textures and flavours your kids will love. With each differently sized compartment, you can store everything from veggies and hummus to sultanas and pretzels, all perfectly portioned for a healthy lunch. You’ll never have to worry about wraps or sandwiches becoming soggy if they’re accidentally mixed with dressing as everything will have its own, separate place.
How Big A Bento Box Should I Get?
Bento boxes come in many shapes and sizes, so it’s best to choose your kid’s bento lunch box based on what type of food they will eat and how much food they will need for a sufficient meal. With a big day of learning and activities ahead, you’ll want to make sure your kids have enough energy to keep them focussed and engaged during school.
In general, for a tightly packed bento box, the number of milliliters (ml) that a box contains roughly corresponds to the number of calories it holds. You can choose from our Big and Little Bento Boxes for your child’s needs. These bento boxes come with 6 versatile compartments or 4 if you remove the dividing tray. The Big Bento Box weighs approximately 616g whilst the Little Bento Box weighs 455g.
Bento Boxes Are Easy To Clean And Dishwasher Safe
Many of today’s bento boxes and their containers are easy to clean and even dishwasher safe. We’ve made our Bento Boxes dishwasher safe so you can spend more quality time with your family, rather than scrubbing greasy containers!
Spillage disasters have also been taken care of with the leak proof seals, so you don’t need to worry about messy afterschool cleanups. Aside from being easy to clean, the inner tray of our Bento Box is also microwave safe. You can gently reheat food in the inner tray on a low setting for a maximum of 3 minutes.
Perfect Portions For Your Child’s Lunch
A bento box has many containers and each section has just enough space for a single serving of food. Since the goal of a bento box is to fit just the right amount into one container, parents and kids alike are encouraged to opt for healthy nutritious foods, rather than adding junk food to their meals.
Food Safe And BPA-Free Bento Boxes
Finding a safe, easy-to-clean, well-designed bento box is important. With concerns about BPA and its negative effects on humans, it’s critical to ensure that your child’s food container, as well as any containers you use at home, are BPA-free. But what is BPA anyway?
BPA (bisphenol-A) is used to make strong polycarbonate plastics. It’s also used in a wide-variety of products like epoxy resin linings on canned foods to prevent them from rusting and more. Research has shown that BPA can seep into food or beverages from containers that are made with BPA. Overexposure to BPA is a concern because of its possible health effects on the brain and the prostate gland of a fetus, infant or child.
When a container is BPA-free, it simply means that bisphenol-A has not been used in the item’s composition. Without the presence of BPA in your child’s bento box, you are assured they are safe from its harmful effects.
Spencil’s Bento Boxes along with our range of school supplies are 100% BPA and Phthalate free. Each of our bento boxes is made with quality food-grade materials so you won’t have to worry about harmful chemicals leaching into your children’s food.
Pick Your Perfect Bento Box
Ready to pick the perfect bento box for your kid’s school lunch? Check out our great range of Big and Little Kids Bento Boxes that have been specially designed to make every lunchtime A fun time!