Solution to Finicky Eaters: Bento!

 This all started when my nosy little Sophie peered over my shoulder as I perused the myriad of images in Pinterest and honed in on this picture:

"I want sandwiches like that! MOM! Would you please make me home lunches like that?"

Confession: I am lazy when it comes to Sophie's school lunches.  She is bipolar when it comes to her eating habits...will try anything seafood (her fave dish in Olive Garden is the steamed mussels!) but hates regular everyday lunch food like lunch meat, CHEESE, jelly...She would come home from school with a half-eaten lunch. And so, I hated even bothering to try and pack one.  Cafeteria lunch it is.

But this newfound enthusiasm has since inspired me to try readying healthy, balanced lunches for my little sweetheart again. Maybe, just maybe, if it looks fun, perhaps my Miss Finicky will actually eat it.

And the research began...What do I need? Where do I get that darned bear stencil? 

Thank goodness for the internet and the infinite amount of information! I located two online retailers of cute bento products (Alaska is a barren wasteland when it comes to shopping options) and I clicked and clicked until the contents of the online shopping cart made me smile.

Sophie is currently obsessed with pandas.  Two-tier, bento box with elastic band.

Stencils and food picks galore!

So here is the first bento lunch I packed for her:

 First tier:

Mini turkey meatballs 

(they are the perfect opportunity to sneak in carrots, broccoli, or whatever veggies you prefer)

White rice

Drizzle of sweet and sour sauce

**Next purchase, mini containers that will hold sauce/condiments**

Second tier:

Blueberries

Mandarin oranges (drained)

Carrots (cut into star shapes)

"I LUV U" made out of green grapes

Because I promised Sophie we'd eat lunch with her at school, I also had to pack one for little Liv.

Here's hers, using the Pottery Barn Kids lunchbox:

 Mini turkey meatballs, green grapes, cheddar cheese shapes, jello, chips, thin mint cookies.

Note: I packed this, knowing that I would be holding this lunchbox flat the whole time.  If packing for your little one to take to school, having the right lunchbox with appropriate depth is important (or else everything will tumble around and look like an unappetizing mess).

I was so so delighted to watch my girl devour her lunch! She ate ALL of it!!! There were no chips (Sophie's), nothing that hints at junk food at all. She ate the main course, to include all the rice, the fruit, and carrots.  Jeez, if I knew sticking little panda picks in her food would guarantee healthy eating, I would have done this years ago!