Bento Box: A Way To Get Fruit & Veggies In Your Kids Lunch

By Summer:

Question of the Day: How do you determine the amount of fruits and vegetables to give your children?

My rule is vegetables are a “piece” for each year you are old. Six years old equals six pieces of vegetable, be it baby carrot, celery stick, sugar snap pea, or cucumber slice. For other vegetables such as shelled peas or green beans, I use my bento box as a reference point. I typically store the vegetables in the smallest compartment, and I’ll fill it with small items (shelled peas) to the same height as large vegetables (baby carrots) would fill the compartment.

For fruit, I typically place in the other small spot … since I only have three spots in my box, I’d be the middle sized place. I usually fill it with berries, apple slices, or a clementine orange (for example).

However I just “eyeball it” out of experience when I use the big container or other non-typical vegetables – like chunks of melon, or a whole carrot or celery stalk. I think about what my children would normally eat at any given meal.

I have to admit that my sons eat a lot of food. They’re currently 6 and 9 years old. My sons are also competitive skiers; they eat more during training and their competition season then off seasons.  So pack according to your child. My posts are merely ideas and suggests for your family.

Top left clockwise to bottom left: carrots and sugar snap peas, honeycrisp apple slices (1/2 apple), one piece of a chocolate candy bar (wrapped in foil to keep smells, flavors, and fluids out), cheese, half sandwich.