Mostly Make-Ahead

Basmati rice with toasted sesame seeds, shrimp, steamed broccoli and carrot, heart-shaped deviled egg, soy sauce. Not pictured: applesauce, gelatin, and cookie.

My husband always says that if eggs cost $10 apiece, he would still buy one on occasion as a special treat. Eggs are so good, and there are many ways to serve them in a lunchbox. My kids prefer deviled eggs so I don't exercise my other options, but if you look at different bento sites you'll find recipes for a sweet omelette and for eggs that are finely scrambled and used to top rice. The main "decorating" in this box is just color: If you have a few contrasting colors, the food looks prettier. On the mornings when all you have is food of one color, bust out those contrasting silicone muffin liners!

I posted a variation of this earlier, and it's one of the kids' favorites. Mine, too, because it is quick and easy. If you're making rice for dinner the night before, just make extra for lunch. You can also steam the shrimp and veggies and boil the eggs and put them into molds. If you do it while you are already in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, it won't take much extra time. In the morning, just warm the rice, let it cool, then pack it all up. Notice how full the box is. You can get a lot of food into a small container, and the contents won't shift and spoil your design.