You know what? I just realized yesterday that I haven't taken very many pictures of this year's Halloween lunches. I have been making them, but it's usually been at 7:00 a.m. when the light is too poor for a photo, dang it!
Well, I couldn't let Halloween pass me by without making one more fun lunch. Besides, I still had a few of those tiny little orange bell peppers left, and this is the last day I could make them into itty bitty jack-o-lanterns 🙂
I made this lunch for my husband to take to work today - I used my head and made it yesterday afternoon when the light was still good. I packed it in my LunchBots Trio Stainless Steel Food Container, which is just the right size to go alongside a sandwich for lunch.
Because healthy eating is my top priority, I always try to include both fruits and vegetables in my lunches - and creating bento boxes is the easiest way to do just that.
For example, I decided I wanted to include kiwi and raspberries in my husband's lunch. When I packed it in the large section of my LunchBots Trio I thought it needed ... something, so I added some mandarin orange slices. There - that was just the color I needed to balance out this lunch!
Another example is - I knew I wanted to include that bat-shaped boiled egg , but I knew it wouldn't fill the space completely. So I cubed up some purple potato, steamed it in the microwave for a minute, seasoned it, and tucked it in alongside the little bat. The beautiful purple color added the perfect balance of color that I was looking for! If this wasn't a bento box, I definitely wouldn't think of including purple potato with a sandwich. Imagine if your kids said "Hey mom, what's for lunch today?" and you said, "sandwiches, eggs, and purple potatoes!" What would their reaction be? Mine would say "Eeeeew!" BUT, presented this way, everyone oohs and aahs and Eats. Every. Bite. They really do!
I ALWAYS turn to vegetables as a filler. Why? Because no one ever eats enough vegetables! Come on, do you ever hear anyone say, "gosh, I reeeally need to cut down on the vegetables"? Of course not! And, as you know, my mission is to make healthy food more fun to eat than junk food. I'm telling you, using vegetables in your lunch boxes as a filler is one really great way! So, that is why I added some broccoli in the long, narrow section of this LunchBots Trio, and topped it off with 2 little mini pepper jack-o-lanterns stuffed with goat cheese. I make these every year, and I carve them just like a pumpkin. I use a little set of Fruit and Vegetable Carving Knives , which makes it super easy.
And there you have it- a fun, colorful, healthy Halloween treat for lunch!
Making holiday bentos are my favorite - and you can find my other Fall-themed lunches ( and get a head start on some ideas for winter themed lunches) here on my Bento page.
Happy Halloween everyone!
