Baba ghanouj lunches

Packing: The cut tomatoes in the salad gave off liquid, so if I weren’t using a totally divided box like the one above it would be better to pack it in a separate little container. I cut the big slices of lamb into bite-size pieces for easy eating (using a knife in the lunch containers is both unwieldy and scars the boxes).

 

Contents: Bug’s vegetarian bento had grapes, a quick salad of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, homemade baba ghanouj (eggplant dip) and pita bread triangles for dipping.

Morning prep time: 6 minutes.

Packing: This was finger food except for the salad, so I used a little three-pronged mini fork for little hands. The baba ghanouj was pretty thick and I carried Bug’s lunch for him today, so I didn’t bother to cover the inner container. If I were giving this to Bug to carry by himself, I would have covered the heart-shaped container with plastic wrap or Press N’ Seal to eliminate spillage. I put Bug’s lunch in the same insulated Lock & Lock bag with my two containers, just left the drink container out. It was a slightly tight fit, but it zipped up and gave me the flexibility to pack more food in just one bag. I also picked up a couple of little carabiners to attach the lunch bag to my diaper bag, which frees up a hand to corral Bug!

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READ MORE:

• Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
• How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillers”
• Choosing the right size bento box
• Packed lunch food safety
• Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews