Bento boxes beat the 'no touch' rule

Bento boxes are the answer because separate compartments keep foods apart, which is exactly what a kid who hates touching needs.

The trick is to lean into the compartments. Get a bento with fixed dividers, then use silicone muffin cups or small leakproof containers inside the bigger sections. That gives you even more separation, so grapes don’t roll into the turkey slice and broccoli doesn’t “contaminate” the crackers.

Also, don’t pack a huge variety. Picky eaters do better with two or three familiar things they actually like, not a rainbow buffet. Give them a protein, a carb, and a fruit or veggie, each in its own spot. Keep the strong-smelling stuff out — nobody wants the egg salad leaking into the cheese.

Let your kid help choose what goes in each compartment. It sounds like a pain, but it takes two minutes and massively cuts down on the “what IS this?” drama at lunchtime.

And remember: the goal isn’t gourmet. It’s them actually eating.— title: “Bento boxes beat the ’no touch’ rule” type: .report. source_topic: “Packing bento lunches for picky kids”

Bento boxes are the answer because separate compartments keep foods apart, which is exactly what a kid who hates touching needs.

The trick is to lean into the compartments. Get a bento with fixed dividers, then use silicone muffin cups or small leakproof containers inside the bigger sections. That gives you even more separation, so grapes don’t roll into the turkey slice and broccoli doesn’t “contaminate” the crackers.

Also, don’t pack a huge variety. Picky eaters do better with two or three familiar things they actually like, not a rainbow buffet. Give them a protein, a carb, and a fruit or veggie, each in its own spot. Keep the strong-smelling stuff out — nobody wants the egg salad leaking into the cheese.

Let your kid help choose what goes in each compartment. It sounds like a pain, but it takes two minutes and massively cuts down on the “what IS this?” drama at lunchtime.

And remember: the goal isn’t gourmet. It’s them actually eating.