Think Inside the Box

Edited by Tara Fitzpatrick

Taking a cue from the super cute world of Japanese cartoon characters, some parents are packing bento boxes for school lunches. Some of the elements from this global lunch style could spark ideas for making healthy eats look appealing to pint-sized picky eaters.

Websites like www.lunchinabox.net offer tips on building a better bento, such as filling the gaps between food items with little things like cherry tomatoes so the contents don't shift in transit, and how to make animal shapes. Bento boxes, by their nature, follow Japan's food pyramid: three parts grain, one part meat and two parts vegetable (notice there's no room in the cute little boxes left for chips or candy — genius!)