Salami & Cheese Sub Kebabs

Kiddos are so fond of the sub sandwiches lately and I have to keep the lunches interesting so as they not look similar every single day.  It looks like they have an addiction to Subway Lunches lately.  Subway is quite expensive if you get them on a daily basis, keeping in mind the nitrate content of each cold cuts.  So I try to keep things at the minimum if I could.   At the most, driving all they way to whole foods market to get them the nitrate-free ones.

The other day, I posted Turkey and Cheese Subwich.  Today they asked again for another sub, but I have to be creative for my little girl, who's a little picky eater.  This time I presented it the kebab way.  This is not the first time you might have seen this across the web. As a matter of fact, this is a copycat <wink>...not my original creation, but worth the research and the hardwork to skewer them sub per sub into my flexible plastic coffee stirrer.

How did I do it?  It's pretty simple.  All you need is the patience to do them. No creative touch required, but awesome if you could spare some. Cut open the sub lengthwise, stuff it with your choice of coldcuts and cheese, lettuce if you have a stash in your pantry, olives are optional. You can add tomatoes and onions.  Cut them into 4's, and skewer 2 of the cut pieces into one skewer.  At the very end, place a pickle, a marshmallow or a grape to hold the buns tightly in place.

They both got same lunches, but Missy A has a smaller portion of this version.  Pudd'n Pouches for Recess.  Honest Kids' Juice for Missy A's lunch drink, and Organic Valley Milk for Mr. G's lunch companion.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Waffles & Peaches

Missy A has a cinnamon fascination lately.
Cinnamon toast is one of them.
So I tried waffle by adding a dash of cinnamon and brown sugar on my traditional pancake mix.
Everything else follows.

I wasn't able to shop for apples this week, but peaches saved the lunch.
No honey or syrup on pancakes since the brown sugar had made it sweet enough for my Missy A.

I have always seen waffles packed with strawberries and cream, YUM!!  I've eaten them for breakfast, and they're delicious. So wanting to give it a try for my kiddos. But Missy A is not a huge fan of milk and cream.  She would literally scrape it off her waffles, just like she does it with cheese from her quesadillas. I think it's odd too, but I would just have to find ways to send it that she would devour. And this is my end product, which she, by the way, loved.

I am also linking this up to Bento For Kidlet's Meatless Monday

Please stop by and visit Jenn for more Meatless Monday entree ideas.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Turkey & Cheese Subwich

Today's lunch is a DIY - Subway Lunchable.  
Everything what my kiddos would love to put in their sub.  I tried to put them all together, but I'm afraid that they might turn soggy by lunch time.  So we put all things on the side, but the TLC - turkey, lettuce and cheese.  No tomatoes and onions.



Not sure if I already mentioned that Mr G has started with his ortho appliance prior to the actual braces.  He has the palatal bar attached to his upper first permanent molars, with the bar across his palate.  We thought it was easy at first, but foods get caught on the bar, and is a nuisance for him.  Since then, I tried to cut food as bite-sized as possible so he could chew his food and lessen the chance of getting caught in there.

For a time he's been on soup-based meals.  Anything goes.  For one, he's not a very picky eater.  And secondly, he eats healthy by choice.  So his lunch tomato-based soups were mostly veggies and shredded meats to satisfy his proteins, carbs, and enough calorie to get by the day.  I will blog them, so you get the idea what he had on those days.

Now that he's over the transition stage, we're back to be eating normally.
Also, he has asked to eat cafeteria meals with his friends on some days, which I allowed.
So he wouldn't feel that he's missing out so much.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Corn on a Cob: A Whole Grain

Lunch doesn't need to be complicated all the time.  It can be something as simple as corn on the cob, and still make it healthy for the whole family.

Remember that corn is a whole grain, which plays an important role to prevent chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.  So if it's in the line of your family history, it's best that we switch diets into more whole grains, and corn is one of them which is the easiest and most economical way to serve a fulfilling meal.

We love corn because of its endless possibilities.  You can serve it steamed, grilled, stewed.  May be buttered,  salted, sprinkled with cheese, or simply eaten as it is.  We love corn not only because of its nutritional value, but also because of it's natural sweetness.

 I can't find a corn skewer to put them on each end, so my little girl could hold onto it, and eat them better mess-free.  For a bento-maker, I say it's a must-have.  So I'm off on a hunt for one or more.  If anyone knows where I could get it locally or online, please jot me a comment.  I would greatly appreciate it.

 If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.
It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

TWO - Complete Lunch Gear Giveaway

A Back to School Event & 2nd Year Bloggiversary

It's August....and it's Back to School!
I hope everyone had a wonderful summer break.

	/

We did! As a matter of fact, we also had a break bento-ing and packing lunches till the last week of July, when I had to tow the kids with me to work, coz Dad visited my brother in Chicago.  I work early in the day on a daily basis. So I had to pack breakfast for the kids, and we ate out at noon on our way to their summer swim classes. 

School resumes in August, so do Gavin and my birthday. Not only that, but it's the 2nd year of my blog as well.  So there's a lot to celebrate at this time of the year.  I thought of throwing a huge giveaway for everyone to enjoy, with the help of my thoughtful and generous sponsors, who have helped me all throughout my lunch packing years.

I know that we are all very busy preparing & shopping for school uniforms/clothes, shoes, supplies and the likes.  We're not even done yet.  So I'd like to give you a break by taking good care of the lunch gears. I am hosting 2 giveaways in one. All packed with everything you might need for school to pack meals in a stress-free way.

Don't they look so lovely with a little help from our sponsors? Even the pickiest kid will eat whatever food is served.

Are you ready? I am giving away 2 winners of:

• EasyLunchboxes:  your choice of Classic or Brights, and a cooler bag.  The #1 best selling lunchboxes on Amazon.com. The only lunchbox I trust that is dishwasher and microwave safe.  
• Momables: 3 Months Free Subscription that will help you with healthy packed lunches each time. It includes weekly menus of 5 recipes, with shopping lists, packing tips, pictures.  Great for any type of diets especially for family with food allergies.
• Lunchbox Notes: The credit card sized love notes I send to show my love when packing lunches for my family.  The only notes that were written with positive words, filled with encouragement which helps boost self-confidence and self-esteem.
• FunBites Cutters: The cutters I use to cut foods in bite-size pieces in a snap.  Even kids can do it. It's safe, no metal blades attached.  Your choice of Squares, Hearts or Triangles. Just let me know.
• $15 Bento USA giftcards: to buy your choice {not mine} of bento accessories.  It is where I get most of my picks, silicone cups, vegetable cutters etc. Indulge yourself.

Yes! You read that right.  2 random winners for each prizes mentioned. 2 for my 2 year Blog anniversary.
2 for a Back To School Event & A Bloggiversary.
And that's even more reasons to celebrate & get treated well!

I will only be asking you of 2 things:

• Please enter thru my Rafflecopter and do all the mandatory entries as a way of thanking my sponsors.  You miss one, all your entries will forfeit.
• And please help promote. Tweet daily. Each tweet adds up as one entry. Sharing in Facebook on a daily basis helps in your chances of winning.  Promoting is not mandatory, but it will not open till you're done with other mandatory entries.  Come back daily to tweet for another entry.

The following giveaway is open only to US residents.  

No international entry please.  

Giveaways will ship separately. 

They will come directly from the retailers.

Winners will be notified via email.  You are given 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.  If you have any question, feel free to email me and I will get back to you shortly.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If for any reason, my rafflecopter widget wouldn't work, 
please leave a comment so I could fix it right away.
Comments are moderated so they wouldn't show up till approved.

Check out other Back To School Events happening right now at Bento Bloggers and Friends website. You might not want to miss them too. The more entries, the more chances of winning.

Goodluck to Everyone!  May the most entries win :)

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Crab Sushi

I am telling you, blogging is not quite well for me these days.  Lazy as I could be, but I will never stop packing lunches for the kids.  It's been my addiction & passion for as long as they would let me.

I packed Crab sushi for the kids, with some assortment of fruits {blackberries and grapes} and veggie {steamed edamame} on the side.  I have been experimenting on the different ways of packing meals.  This time in our Lunchbots Trio.  It's been my latest favorite.

I love it when I get to pack fruits and veggies on the children's lunchboxes.  Most of the time they're pretty picky with the greens.  So I just have to keep experimenting till I sold a package of lunch to them. Then I keep in mind what worked.  Those that didn't, will have to go around with another meal.  And see if that helps at all.  I do that with sushi fillings too.  But they're pretty good on poking them out before they actually consume the rolls.  That, of course, is the great idea of my Missy A.

My kids love the silicone cup idea inside the box coz it keeps the food contained and not be mixed and mangled with anything inside.  So with the help of the divided boxes, silicone cups were remained in place, which helps the food intact.

Have fun packing foods for your family. It doesn't have to be perfect.  Just keep it simple and yummy.  Have a fabulous day!!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Potstickers Cutlets

What are potstickers?

Potstickers {or gyoza} are pan-fried dumplings with a meat and/or vegetable filling that is wrapped into a piece of rolled dough, sealed by crimping the edges together.  It has a thicker skin, which is usually eaten with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

Lunch is vegetable and meat potsticker cut into halves in our teal-lidded EasyLunchboxes, The Brights Collection, for a more finger-licking meal for the kiddos.  Soy vinegar dip is packed in our mini dipper by EasyLunchboxes. Blackberries for his fruit and Kashi Berry Muffin Bar for a healthier dessert.  Kashi is all-natural, made with real fruit & vegetable in a whole grain bar.

Linked up at I Heart Lunch:

Go and visit the rest of the lunches!
Have a fabulous day.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Spring is here! Bunnies Everywhere!

Technically, it's not yet Spring till the 20th. But with the warmer weather and the change in time last Sunday, I could feel the fresh breeze of Spring coming really soon. I haven't really prepared anything bento for Spring or Easter yet, but I have one post which went to a Thanksgiving post, which is very wrong and disturbing I think...LOL!! So I thought to re-blog it for the right Season.  Here is the link for that previous post, in any event you still want to see.  

Lunch above was Missy A's. They are PBJ bunny-wich pals, with bunny picks hopping all over the sweet green grapes.  Mini mallows and raisins for treats. Everyone in her class loved this. Two of her friends took a bunny for themselves, as she gobbled whatever was left.

Welcome Spring!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

2 Ways to Serve Chicken Taco

I am finally back to blogging school lunches.  Work has gotten way of my blogging life, and I'm so way behind. I have so many lunches to post and share with you.  The good thing is, none of the days left the kids settle for cafeteria meals.  Oh they did, but just once.  That's by special request because their favorite double mini burger is on the menu this month. I believe G and his friends eat that together in school once in 2 months. I especially know that coz I'm friends with his friend's mom, which we both pack lunches for our kiddos to school.

Mr G loves chicken tacos that we have to pack them again.  But this time I made use of ground chicken instead of shredded chicken breast. I noticed that shredded chicken breast holds better and gives lesser mess.  It stays inside the corn tortilla shell. 

Missy A is never a fan of taco shells and tortilla wraps. So I made her corn tortilla chips in lieu of the taco shell.  Same tacos but served differently.

On his EasyLunchboxes are 2 chicken tacos made of corn tortilla shell with ground chicken.  Salsa in condiment cups with spoon to scoop them out, grated cheese on the smaller compartment, and medium-riped green mangoes on the bigger compartment. 

On her Goodbyn Mix and Match Set, Missy A had a similar lunch except that she got corn tortilla chips instead of a shell for her chicken taco. Medium-riped green mangoes and shrimp snacks on the side.  No salsa and cheese for her.

Procedure for Corn Tortilla Chips:

• Preheat skillet under medium high heat, if you prefer to fry.
• Cut the corn tortilla into wedges (cut it into 8's or 12' like cutting a round pizza).
• Pour vegetable or canola oil onto skillet.
• Add the corn tortilla wedges, sprinkle some salt.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp.
• Let it stand on paper towels to blot excess oil.
• Serve.

This is a good example of how you can send lunches of the same entree but packed differently.  No kids are alike, what else on their individual food preferences.  Mine are no exception, and  I have to make both happy or one might come home with a sorrowful tummy.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Happy V-Bento Day! A Valentine Theme

Valentine's Day has been such a special holiday in our household.  This is the day that we celebrate our love for each other.  It's an anniversary for always being together no matter what the season brings. Like Christmas, it's another season of giving.  Nothing big and fancy, but everything sweet and not good for our teeth.  It's tough when you're the dentist in the family. I am very particular and conscious of anything sticky and chewy candies, that my children brought home each time from school.  That's a huge no-no.  They carry along sugar bugs that  cause decay when left unbrushed.

To celebrate ala bento way, I have prepared school lunches with a simple Valentine theme that anyone can easily duplicate for a week long.  You might be seeing familiar lunches from the past, that I decided to re-post to celebrate our love for bento.

Shrimp Fried Rice with orange wedges on Goodbyn Mix and Match Lunchboxes.

Beef Teriyaki Strips and Teriyaki Fried Rice on Easy Lunchboxes.

Whole wheat dinner rolls & heart shaped-hotdogs on Lunchbots Trio.

Quesadilla wedges with Hearty stamp on EasyLunchboxes.

Have you tried packing lunches with notes? Lunchbox Love Notes has a special way to send your love with food.  They are credit card-sized notes with positive thoughts that boosts self-confidence and sense of security when away from home. My children love them. Some were even passed out to their friends, who enjoyed reading them with facts and jokes on the other side.

Her Lunch

His Lunch

Have you seen this simple tutorial yet?
Click here to find out!

Have a fun Valentine Day!

Happy Heart's Day to all..

All bento accessories are purchased through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other tools are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link:

Thank you for your support!

Quick and Easy: Freshly-Made Bento School Lunches

I have featured lunches that are quick and easy to prepare in the morning. I wake up 30 minutes before the kids to prepare for breakfast and lunch.   Each meals featured below are tried and tested to be packed under 20 minutes.

Chicken Nuggets, Corn Kernels & Melon

Finally the kids are back to school after Winter Break. They've been off for 3 weeks and they've been missing their friends and teachers. Honestly, I love to be with my kiddos every single day of my life, but there are times I wish for ME time too.  And that's when I want my sanity back...LOL!! Kids can drive you crazy at times. Don't you agree?

We're always good on first days. No jitters...no tantrums...always on time & early. These were the days when the kids were still excited and hyper.

For their first days, I didn't make anything special, but fulfilled their requests. Missy A had her favorite chicken nuggets meal with BBQ sauce on her green condiment cup, corn kernels and melon cubes with a puppy food fork. Everything packed on her favorite Goodbyn Small Meal Box.

Mr. G got a similar lunch except that I doubled the portion size.  And his lunch was packed on his favorite blue lidded EasyLunchboxes.

The kids also had their Emergen-C Raspberry Drink (pre-mixed to boost up their immune system this flu season) on their individual Goodbyn bottles, and a package of Mini Oreos for their sweet treat.

Breaded Salmon + Brown Rice for Work

Finally got the chance to take a picture of my hub's lunch for today. I usually would prepare my kids' meals first so I could stage them while the kids were still asleep.  And would prepare breakfast next. His lunch would always be last since leftovers never look good on pictures the next day unless I heat them up. Honestly, hub's never picky as long as he has something packed.  One of the several things I'm so grateful for.  

This morning, I had time to cook for him. Finally! I was able to thaw some salmons overnight. I made him breaded salmon over brown rice.  He also had some melon cubes and fresh garden salad that he prepared after I took a shot of this.  I wasn't able to wait any longer.  The kids were up and didn't wanna miss to blog about his lunch too by the time I got back from school.

Here's his lunch!

Seasoned and breaded Alaskan salmon.  One of his favorites so far.

And packed on our favorite EasyLunchboxes.

Have a good lunch, everyone.

Happy back to school!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Aknowledgements:

Back To School: Get Ready...Be Prepared!

I've been meaning to post a back to school event for quite a while now but I just couldn't get myself organized. I am actually holding a series of giveaway for all those getting their stuffs ready for school. So keep watch of it. I have cool giveaways you wouldn't want to miss.

Everything is related to school lunches.  I know that many have criticized the bento world.  Like we have too much time to do cute lunches for our kids. But truth to be told, we don't. We're like any ordinary moms who are advocates of healthy eating presented in a whole new perspective. Welcome to the BENTO World!!

Here's to get you started:

Bento Boxes & Bags:
Purchase all the needed supplies like bento containers & bags, preferably something your child would want to use and eat on.  That's important because it will encourage and motivate them to eat healthier.

We're making use of the Easy Lunchboxes this year.  And I will be holding a giveaway very soon. So stay tuned if you're interested to try out the best and most economical lunchbox system I've found so far.

Menu Plans:  

The key is planning ahead of time.  Here are some pointers:

Make a weekly calendar of main entree and sides (fruits, veggies or treats) ready by Friday to give you ample time to shop for the ingredients. 

Cook all food items at least the night before so it doesn't add up when packing it in the morning.  It's best to pack at night especially if you're not a morning person.

Pre-cut fruits, veggies, and other treats to add appeal to your lunches.

When making big batches of hamburgers, chicken nuggets, eggrolls, meatloaves, and the likes, divide and store them in containers so you thaw per consumption only. 

Refer to your school's cafeteria monthly menus for ideas. Ask your children what they like best. Make a home-made version of it with the use of healthier ingredients.  This is very favorable on families with allergies.

Refer to frozen store-bought pre-packaged meals to get ideas on what to pack. I'm not recommending to purchase them but just to give you an idea that the option is varied and endless.

You can also sign up for MOMables to help you get started with a plan and go from there. I learned to make my own version of pre-packaged lunches through them. So in my honest opinion, it's worth the try. And we're keeping them. I'm holding a giveaway for MOMables at the end of the month to celebrate my blog anniversary. So stay tuned for that too.

Bento Accessories:  

Gather up your supplies to complete the Bento idea.  Remember you don't need to make it beyond your skills. Just keep it simple but appealing so as not to stress you out. Make use of accessories to jazz it up, then you'll learn your way in once the creativity kicks in.  I get most of my supplies through All Things For Sale since they always cost at a fraction of its price, unless you find something similar in the Dollar Store. That works too.  You can shop locally at any Japanese Bento outlet located on Malls or Japan Town if you have any in your area. Daiso and Marukai are 2 other places to frequent for bento supplies.

• Make use of silicone cups, or baran sheets as dividers when using undivided bento boxes.
• Make use of bento picks/forks instead of regular utensils.
• Make use of cookie cutters to add shape on your lunches. You can start with playdough cutters, sandwich crust cutters, or bite-size cutters, such as FunBites, to make the meals kid-friendly. (I have a giveaway for that too as part of my Back-To-School Event.)
• Make use of bottle sauce/dip containers when sending in dressing, salsa, dips, ketchups and sauces.

Pack with Water Bottles: Don't forget to hydrate. Shop for insulated water bottles to keep cold drinks cool for longer hours especially on warmer weathers. Or if you prefer plastic spout reusable bottles, you can fill and freeze them overnight, for another purpose of an ice pack to keep foods fresh.

• You may also freeze yogurts, and juice pouches for the same purpose. They will thaw by lunchtime.
• Choose 100% juice rather than from concentrate when choosing juice pouches.  That's a healthier option.

EXTRAS: Don't forget to label. Label your bento boxes, lunch bags, and water bottles.  It's the best way to keep track of your belongings when you misplace them in school or left them on school bus, after school care, daycare. I'm sure you would want each one of them back.

I guess that's about it.  I hope this helps in some way.  Any questions? Please leave a comment and I will answer them as honestly as I could. If you want to see the lunches I've sent, you may find them under Bento Galore.

Happy bento-hunting!!

~Marie

Disclosure: All images found herein belong to the said company/manufacturer.  They were used for visual purposes only.  I have not received any compensation for my recommendations.  Recommendation is solely based on my personal  positive experiences with the said company.