With a delayed and unpredictable return to the classrooms this year, many of us have had our little ones at home with us a little longer than expected.
Restless and a little disappointed, our kids have been chomping at the bit to get back to school and their extracurricular activities. Of course most of all, to get reacquainted with their pals.
Anxious, our MaD’s have been bracing for impact on what we’re hoping is the last pothole, on the unsealed back road that has been this pandemic.
Here we go again
The good news (that might not feel so good): we’ve done this all before. Acting on your feedback and our pandemic experience (yes, we have also conquered a few rounds of distance ed), we’ve developed the ultimate lunch product for MaD’s struggling with the home, work, kids balancing act.
Our secret weapon
It feels silly to say that our Bento Boxes have become our best friends in the fight against hangry kids and admittedly unproductive bouts of working from home.
We’ve mastered the quick morning packing of Bento’s with yummy and healthy snacks for our kids. Our ultimate hack and biggest secret: we actually pack one for ourselves too.
With our new secret weapon, our kids are nourished and focused with energy for a whole day of learning, when at school OR at home. Our work is no longer interrupted by the incessant “I’m hungry” whine. We don’t spend our lunch break rushing to prepare food for the kids. We ourselves actually manage to find the time to eat, even if it’s while working.
Imagine that!
Easy peasy lemon squeezy
Don’t be swayed by the 30 step, fun-free recipes of parent bloggers who would lead you to believe packing a bento will cost you a slog in the kitchen each night.
With this list of pain free lunch ideas and hacks, you’ll be packed in 10 minutes flat.
Pain free Bento hacks & snacks
- When preparing dinner, cut up a little extra of any veggies you might be cooking with and throw them in your bento.
- Leftovers are your friends – make some extra chicken drumsticks or tenders, meatballs, sausages and pop them in the bento for a fuss-free lunch.
- To save time in the morning, make and freeze your sandwiches for the week. Sliced meat or tinned fish and cheese freeze well. As do spreads.
- Grab a premade dip from the fridge, chuck a scoop in the bento for dipping veggies and crackers in.
- Throw in a small handful of whole grain crackers from the pantry.
- Pop a scoop of yogurt from the fridge into your bento.
- Add some fruit that doesn’t require chopping (grapes, berries, stone fruit).
- Larger fruit (apples, bananas, oranges) can be stored in your large cooler bag next to your bento.
- Pop a teaspoon in your cooler bag for the yogurt.
Voila!
We get it. No-one has the time or inclination right now to spend hours or even several minutes making an insta-perfect lunch. With these tips and hacks you’ll have a bento packed before your kids can say “I’m hungry”.