It used to be that you’d open your lunchbox and find that peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a little baggie of potato chips, plus a Little Debbie inside. If you were lucky, the matching thermos might hold soup, which turned lukewarm while it sat in the cloakroom until lunchtime.
But my, how times have changed! These days, moms are getting pretty creative. Gone are the Barbie and Superman lunchboxes. Usher in the bento box with its clever compartments to keep foods separate, replacing plastic baggies.
Seven-year-old Savannah Bridges rarely eats school-cafeteria lunch, instead taking her bento box filled with healthful foods. A typical menu might feature a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich with sugar-free jam and all-natural peanut butter on whole-grain bread.
“In the other compartments, we’ll put her favorite fruits, like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and kiwi,” says mom Heather Rose Bridges. “Then I add carrots, green peppers or cucumbers with some ranch dressing. And maybe some string cheese, crackers or a granola bar.”
Beth Keene, a yoga instructor, Ayurvedic health counselor and self-described foodie, has two children, Wyatt, 13, and 7-year-old Frankie.