As school is quickly approaching, you’ll need to decide hot or cold lunch for your kiddos. If you happen to choose cold, our Fishy Bento Box Lunch is the way to go. 

Bento is the Japanese art form of making a cold or packaged lunch. Now if you check out Japanese bento lunches they usually consist of fish, rice, and seaweed. The American version is a little different since you don’t really see kids eating sushi during lunch time. Food is often made in themes, different animal shapes, and placed in fun and colorful silicone molds. You can make a bento lunch in a bento lunch container, stainless steel container, or just a regular clear reusable ziplock container.

I always pack cold lunches but often get stuck in a rut of ideas after while so these are perfect for our family. You can make a peanut butter and jelly in a 100 or more different shapes! I bought this fish cookie cutter with bento lunches in mind. I thought the fish theme would be perfect for summer cookies or school lunches. If you’re like me, someone who thinks they can pack lunches in the morning without problem, think again. Packing lunches the night before makes for a much smoother morning.

Once the kids are in bed, get these items ready for this cute fishy bento box lunch:

• Blue Jell-O
• Swedish fish
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Large candy eyeballs
• Baby carrots (or vegetable of choice)
• Goldfish crackers
• Food coloring markers
• Fish Cookie cutter
• Colorful silicone molds

1. Prepare your Jell-O as directed on the box, then pour the Jell-O into one of the small separated compartments and set in the fridge.
2. Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on your child bread of choice. Use your fish cookie cutter to press down on the sandwich (you should be able to get two fish from each sandwich). Now place a dab of peanut butter on the back of your candy eyeballs and place one on each fish.
3. Place a silicone cupcake mold in your bento box and fill it with goldfish crackers.
4. Add a handful of baby carrots to your large compartment and place your fish sandwiches on top.
5. In the morning when your Jell-O has set, all you need to do is place a couple Swedish Fish on top and add in a drink.

Be on to lookout for more of our bento lunch ideas! But in the meantime you might like our Shark Pudding Cups, Secret Life of Pets Max Cupcakes, or our Butterfly Snacks for Kids.