Comments on: Rainbow Lunches for Kids (and adults!)

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:38:38 +0000

Hi Rion,

I actually grabbed this photo from flickr, but typically I make similar ones with natural food coloring. I’ve had good success with beet juice for making red rice, and try to do natural coloring as often as possible – mixing the rice with pesto for greens, etc. But, for this really bright color, there isn’t much you can do without food coloring.

By: Rion

Rion — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:52:32 +0000

Hi…im very interested in knowing how you colored the rice…as well as what type of rice you used in this bento….very creative and the natural tone to the colors from the fruits, vegetables and to the rice….i am a chef in hawaii and really enjoy the takes on styles of bentos that are being made these days….Hawaii is a place very influenced by asian cooking especially bentos…we have our variety here…very high calories but very delicious….could you please email me if you are willing to share your technique….would really like to learn….Aloha

By: LunchBag: Rainbow of Nutrition | PureGoodness

LunchBag: Rainbow of Nutrition | PureGoodness — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:36:56 +0000

[...] is something I want to pass on to my kids. I found this picture and idea for lunch boxes that I’d like to put into practice this coming school [...]

By: Ludicrous Mama

Ludicrous Mama — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:27:26 +0000

My daughter loves her bento meals, and when we’re home, I try and do at least one meal a week in a muffin tin (google Muffin Tin Meals.) She loves the novelty of it, and the little bits of many foods appeal to her. Plus anything with a pick in it! And because her veggies are presented just as creatively as the fruits, she eats them more often than not.

By: Ludicrous Mama

Ludicrous Mama — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:25:15 +0000

Chariese – The Food Pyramid has a customizer for kids 5 and under, based on age and activity level.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/Plan/index.html and there’s a goal chart for kids 6-11 with daily recommendations. http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/mpk_worksheet.pdf

By: Cloak

Cloak — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 02:01:07 +0000

What’s in the middle of the dish

By: Dager

Dager — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:59:30 +0000

Cool

By: Comit

Comit — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:58:36 +0000

Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!that is so cute I love it !!!!!!!!!!!

By: jamie

jamie — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:13:10 +0000

Hi! I love this posting! Is that colored rice in the center of the dish? How did you do it?

Thank you!

By: Sam (The Second Lunch)

Sam (The Second Lunch) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:39:53 +0000

Hi Chariese,

Well I’ll just have to think about writing one! Thank you!
The protein question is tough. I’m not a registered dietitian, but I am a health coach – and getting enough protein is really not as much as a problem as it is made out to be. (Particularly if you are eating meat at dinner). You can get protein from many sources, including beans, whole grains, quinoa, etc – although I’m not a vegetarian, most of my protein comes from non-meat sources, personally.

I don’t think you’ll get any flack for a meat free lunch. (I rarely had meat packed for me as a child – it’s safer in a lunch box to go meat free anyway) – you can certainly get protein without meat. Nut butters are a good source (and kids tend to like them) – you could do it in a sandwich, and beans and whole grains make great kid friendly salads that hold up well in the lunch box.