It’s easier than you think to be creative with your kids lunches and make them fun! Here are two easy-to-follow guides from The Tasteful Tribe to turn regular sandwiches into something spectacular with Dinosaur and Mermaid themed bento-box style meals.
Kids Food Art Dinosaur
What you’ll need:
- 2 slices preferred bread
- 1 slice cheddar cheese
- 1 slice black forest ham, optional
- avocado cut into triangles
- ¼ cup green grapes, halved
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 3-4 strawberries, cut into hearts (optional)
- Letter Cookies, optional for the letter “D”
- Dinosaur cut-outs, optional
- 2 Candy Eyes, optional (you can also use blueberries or black sesame seeds)
Instructions:
Place the halved green grapes into the main compartment of the lunchbox.
Make the sandwich; place cheese and ham slices (if using) in between 2 slices of bread. Using a knife or dinosaur head food cutter, cut-out the dinosaur head and place on top of the grapes.
Cut-out triangles from the crust of the bread and place around the backside of the dinosaur’s head.
Place the avocado triangles inside the mouth to form the dinosaur’s teeth. Place the top of a blueberry to form the nose. Place the candy eyes or blueberries to the upper right to form the dinosaur’s eyes.
Using the leftover sandwich, cut-out dinosaur bones or foot with the Dinosaur cut-outs and place into the side compartment along with some blueberries.
Into the other side compartment, place the strawberry heart cut-outs and top with the letter “D”
Kids Food Art Mermaid
What you’ll need:
- 2 slices preferred bread
- 2 slices cheddar cheese
- 1 slice turkey, optional
- avocado cut into triangles
- 3-4 strawberries cut-into flowers, optional
- 1 clementine cut into rounds
- ¼ cup goldfish crackers
- Letter Cookies, optional to spell out “SWIM”
- Edible Markers, optional for the mermaid’s eyes and mouth (you can also use blueberries or black sesame seeds and a piece of strawberry for the smile).
Instructions:
Place the blueberries into the main compartment of the lunchbox.
Make the sandwich; place cheese and turkey slices (if using) in between 2 slices of bread. Using a knife or shape food cutters, cut-out a circle, square and two rectangles. Place them on top of the blueberries to form the mermaid’s body and create a triangular path to form the mermaid’s tail, placing the avocado triangles inside it.
Cut-out an oval shape from the cheddar cheese slice to form the mermaid’s hair. Using either a knife, create waves in the hair. On the top of the mermaid’s head, place a strawberry flower cut-out and a cheddar cheese star cut-out. Place two cheddar cheese stars on the square for the mermaid’s bathing suit.
To create the mermaid’s face use Edible Markers or black sesame seeds for the eyes and a piece of strawberry for the smile.
Place the goldfish crackers into a side compartment of the lunchbox.
Into the other compartment, place the clementine rounds, strawberry flower cut-outs and the letter cookies S-W-I-M, if using.