Preschool Lunches & Snacks for Kids | Lunch Ideas by MOMables

Today I'm gonna show you how simple it can be to pack a delicious preschool snack box. So we are assembling five different ones and each to help you make nutritious foods more fun to eat. Hi, I'm Laura from Mama Bowls and if this is your first time here, welcome. As a mom to three kids, I've been packing lunches and snacks for a while which is why I'm so excited to share these ideas with you. If you have a little one that leaves his or her sandwich half eaten because they don't like the crusts, this first bento box idea is just for you. You're gonna take a sandwich and turn it into bite-sized pieces. You do this by removing the crust and then taking a rolling pin to flatten the sandwich bread. You're gonna spread a little mayo on the bread, place your thin ham slices on top, and then you roll it up like sushi. Once rolled up, you're going to slice it into small pieces and place it inside your bento box. Now all I have to do is fill the other bento compartments with fresh fruit and veggie. Now bento number two is for the kid that you're always thinking about how to get more protein into their healthy diet. The secret? Serve protein the way they enjoy eating, in small pieces, so they can munch on them while they chat with their friends. I'm simply going to take some rolled up ham, slice it in small pieces, add some cheese cubes to this small compartment right here. I love hard-boiled eggs because they're perfectly portable and also more protein in the snack box. Of course, you're going to pre-cut it for your young kiddos by slicing it in half and then once again into smaller pieces. To this bento, I'm going to add some diced strawberries and whole grain crackers. Now this next bento is for the grazing kid, you know, the one that loves to snack and never quite sits down to finish a meal. I've got that one. For this one, I'm going to make some oatmeal bites by simply combining some oats, shredded coconut, ground flax, and a few mini chocolate chips into a bowl. Now in this separate bowl, I'm going to combine some nut-free butter with a little honey and add that to the dry mixture. With my hands, I'm simply going to form small bite-sized balls. The great thing about these is that they can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and being that they are nut-free, they are safe to send to school. Place a few inside the bento along with sliced hard-boiled egg, sliced apples, and some veggies. This next bento idea will encourage you to use up leftovers and turn them into another meal, like this elbow macaroni leftover from dinner that I'm going to combine with some diced ham, some frozen peas, and a little olive oil in a bowl. It's super easy and fast. Along with the pasta salad, I'm going to send some diced strawberries, some sliced cucumber, and carrot chips. Now this final idea is for the kid that loves to dip, dip, and dip. Do you have one of those? I do. I'm going to pack some hummus, which is filling and also a good source of fiber and protein in this bento compartment. For dipping, I'm going to add cucumber slices, carrot chips, and some red pepper. The key here is to encourage lots of veggie consumption, so just add any veggie that your child might enjoy. Now to this bento, I'm also adding a couple of the oatmeal bites that we've made, and I know this will be devoured. Now it goes without saying that the portions to any of these bento combinations can be adjusted for a bigger appetite, which is something that I do often since I have kids of all ages. Now I'd love to hear from you in the comments below which of these bento boxes is your favorite and how you combine fun and nutrition for your kids.