Eating inside the box

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This article was published 28/08/2024 (683 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brown bagged lunches are a thing of the past.

Once an esthetically pleasing trend piece, bento box-style lunch kits — Japanese-inspired containers with separate compartments for individual food items — have become the utilitarian star of the midday meal for many parents with school-aged kids.

Winnipeg dietitian Nita Sharda has had plenty of experience experimenting with different kits and cases while packing lunch for her two young sons through preschool and, now, elementary school.

She’s a fan of bento boxes for their ease of use and ability to pack a variety of foods.

“It helps me think about whether I have all the components that will help my child stay adequately fuelled and nourished,” she says. “And when kids have options and they can exercise autonomy, it just makes them feel so much more invested in their lunch.”

Which lunch kit to buy is a hot topic. Sharda recently shared a review of her large collection of kids bento boxes on Instagram (@nita_sharda). The post was met with a wave of comments from other parents weighing in on the pros and cons of different brands.

It’s a conversation she often has with clients as well.

“Parents want to know what’s been working because some of these are big investments,” she says, adding some popular brands retail for nearly $50 per box.

“If you’ve got two or three kids, it can really add up.”

Some of the main concerns among parents are insulation and being leakproof, Sharda says.

“I always envision my kids nicely putting their backpacks away at school, but that thing gets swung around and turned upside down on the playground before it even goes into the classroom,” she says.

Other considerations include capacity and accessibility, since different age groups have different caloric needs and younger kids may struggle to open containers with heavy-duty clasps.

Size and ease of cleaning are also factors when trying to fit the boxes into lunch bags and unpacking them at the end of the day.

Lastly, Sharda keeps an eye out for boxes with compartments that can fit packaged foods, such as cheese strings or yogurt drinks.

Her most-used products represent each end of the price spectrum: the Yumbox Original Bento (about $45, depending on the retailer) and the Sistema To Go Bento Box (about $10).

Lunch can be a tricky meal beyond the container it’s served in.

Sharda is the co-founder of Happy Healthy Eaters, an online coaching program with workshops and recipes focused on childhood nutrition. When making lunch or other meals, she advises caregivers to focus on four main components: fat for flavour and satiety; fibre for digestion and feelings of fullness; protein for iron; and produce to round out vitamins and minerals.

“If we’re capturing those key nutrients, there’s a really good chance your child can be successful with their eating over the course of the day,” she says.

She gets her kids — aged five and seven — involved in packing lunch by asking them to make closed-ended decisions, such as picking out a snack or choosing between different kinds of fruit.

As they get older, they’ll gain more responsibility for making their own lunches.

Sharda has learned through trial and error not to include too many adventurous food options.

“I remember sending broccoli one day and he came back home and was so upset that I had done that. Make sure you’re sending enough typically accepted (or safe) food, because if children are getting lots of new or unfamiliar foods or foods they typically reject, it can create this rush of adrenaline in a child’s body and when that happens there’s no productive learning that can take place,” she says.

Even foods that are considered “safe” at home, such as certain fruits and vegetables, may become undesirable as they lose freshness or change temperature throughout the day.

The lunchroom environment — with its group dining, noise and new smells — can also add to mealtime challenges, which makes comforting, familiar foods all the more important.

While she recognizes it may not be feasible everywhere, Sharda would like to see more schools make microwaves available for students. As a South Asian parent, she hesitates sending cultural dishes knowing they might not be enjoyed when eaten cold or lukewarm.

“If I want to send dal and rice I could absolutely send it in (an insulated container) but it’s not going to taste the same,” she says.

Adding another piece of equipment also adds to the cost of packing a lunch.

“It feels like another barrier to practising and eating in a way that honours my culture and, living in Winnipeg, one of the few ways I engross my children in our culture is through food,” she says.

“There’s a missed opportunity there, I think.”

Caregivers interested in learning more about the nuances of lunch can visit happyhealthyeaters.com to download a Lunches for Littles e-guide with tips and recipes.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @evawasney