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When it comes to eating healthy it is such a chore to get my kids on board. They pretend to only like sugar coated cereals, fun-colored marshmallows, and salty crunchy cheese poofs. It got so bad that I was having to puree and mash up veggies to hide them in dinners. Now I make their healthy lunches and instead of making faces like they just ate a lemon, they get excited about lunch time.  How did I inspire such a change?  Well, I turned to other parents who started creating fun and healthy bento box lunches.  

Bento lunches are still very common in Japanese culture where the wife will spend time and effort on preparing an intricate and delicious lunch for her husband and children each day.  These lunches can be themed, include characters, or just be cute and fun.

My kids love showing off their awesome lunches at school, and I am just thankful they are eating good food.  While it may be culture in Japan for a mom to spend a whole lot of time on the bento lunches, I do have to work full-time.  So setting aside time each night to get the cookie cutters out and to work was difficult at first, now it is just a routine that allows be to be a bit creative and help to ensure my children are getting proper nutrition.

One question many moms ask me is from where I find my inspiration.  Well, to be honest, I usually take a look at what other bento moms have done.  The BentoLunch.net website is full of great ideas that are not only healthy and great tasting but adorable and simple.  Take a look at my favorite simple bento lunches for the kids below.

Ham and cheese bento done right.  My kids love how colorful this one is.

The word taco makes my kids extremely happy, so here are pita tacos.  Yum!