What's In Your Lunch? Bento & Bistro Lunch Ideas

What’s better than a lunch packed by a mom?  I remember my mom packing me the best lunches as a child.  They were always packed so neat and tidy in whatever character lunchbox I had at the time (Minnie Mouse, New Kids on the Block, and Popples are a few that ring a nostalgic bell).  She even included a little note with a simple little drawing of a smiley face.  The lunches weren’t extravagant by any means – typically a sandwich, juice box, chips, and a snack.  It was the 80s.  Sugar was all the rage.  Something about those lunches though always stuck with me.  To this day, she still makes the best sandwiches (and lunches).  I even tell her she “makes the best” sliced apple. 

Fast forward to adulthood and I still enjoy packing a lunch.  I try to stay away from ordinary sandwich, chip, snack that I once enjoyed as a kid.  I like packing salads, wraps, etc.  In bistros and markets I noticed little “lunch kits” that you could purchase that included a protein, veggie, fruit, cheese, etc.  They looked delicious and I knew they’d be easy to recreate and even pack ahead for the entire week.  So I used my sectioned Gladware containers and put together my own “bistro box” which I later learned through my perusal of pinterest actually had the defined name “bento boxes”.  Whatever you call ‘em, it makes lunch easy to pack for the week and keeps you from getting into the boring lunch slump.  It’s a great way to use up whatever is left in the cupboards and fridge.

Below are just a few pictures of some of the simple Bistro Boxes I’ve packed.  There are sites devoted to bento boxes for adults.  There are even companies that sell containers for them, but you don’t need a fancy container to pack a lunch.

Why I love them: they’re transportable, save money and calories since you’re not eating out, and saves time when you pack them ahead for the week.  

Your turn:  Share your on-the-go lunch or favorite website for lunch ideas!  #tammytastes

Check out my board on Pinterest devoted to lunch/breakfast on the move.  Many of the pictures have the Weight Watchers points value with them.
 Follow Tammy's board Breakfast/Lunches On-the-Move on Pinterest. 

Some of the containers I use: Gladware sectioned containers, mini Dixie cups with lids, silicone cupcake “wrappers”, my favorite thirty-one lunch bags, Tupperware mini sauce containers, Ziploc stackable containers.