Bento boxes are not just about looking cute and colorful, but also providing a balanced and nutritious meal for your little ones. Today, we’ve rounded up nine essential tools to help you create the perfect bento box for your child!
1 Rice Cooker
Rice is an important staple in many meals, so to create soft and fluffy rice that can be shaped into adorable forms, opt for a rice cooker with a capacity of 1-2 liters. This ensures enough rice for everyone, and look for a cooker with a steam vent lid and a non-stick inner pot for best results.
Rice Cooker – An Essential Tool for Bento Making
Additionally, consider your specific needs and choose between a rice cooker with a removable lid, a high-frequency rice cooker, or a pressure rice cooker to make shaping rice easier.
2 Frying Pan
For those beautiful and delicate egg rolls, a frying pan is almost indispensable. Go for a non-stick pan with a wide, flat surface to ensure even cooking and a smooth, silky finish for your egg sheets.
Frying Pan – Essential for Bento Box Creations
This versatile tool can also be used for regular cooking, ensuring even heat distribution and flavorful dishes.
3 Pot
To ensure a nutritious bento box, invest in a good-quality pot with various capacities to prepare different dishes like soups, stews, and boiled items. Look for a pot with a wide base, high sides, excellent heat retention, and a secure handle.
Pot – A Versatile Tool for Bento Box Meals
Opt for a transparent lid to monitor the cooking process, and ensure the pot has a steam vent to retain the natural sweetness and colors of vegetables. If you use an induction cooktop, choose a pot without a magnetic bottom.
4 Seaweed Puncher
Save time and effort with a seaweed puncher, which not only speeds up the decoration process but also ensures evenly cut seaweed pieces. It adds a cute and playful touch to your rice balls.
Seaweed Puncher – For Adorable Rice Balls
To use the seaweed puncher, follow these simple steps:
5 Vegetable Cutters
Vegetable Cutters – For Fun and Healthy Shapes
Encourage your children to eat their veggies by using vegetable cutters to create fun shapes like stars, flowers, and animals. These cutters come in various sizes and shapes, adding a touch of whimsy to your bento box creations.
6 Small Scissors and Tweezers
Small Scissors and Tweezers – For Precise Decorating
Bento-making is an art that requires precision and attention to detail. Small scissors and tweezers help you place each element perfectly, avoiding tears and misalignment in your bento box decorations.
7 Egg Molds
For an extra touch of cuteness, invest in some egg molds. These handy tools let you shape fried or boiled eggs into fun shapes like stars, bears, and more.
Egg Molds – For Adorable Egg Shapes
Opt for steel egg molds that are non-stick, rust-resistant, and won’t scratch your pan. To use, simply place the mold in the pan, add a little oil, and follow these steps:
8 Bento Box
Of course, you’ll need a bento box to hold your creation. Once you’ve prepared and arranged all the ingredients, simply close the lid, and your bento box is ready to go!
Bento Box – The Final Touch
Choose bento boxes made from materials like wood, hard plastic, or glass, as these can be safely placed in the microwave, ensuring your child enjoys a warm and inviting meal.
9 Silicone Decorating Pens
Silicone Decorating Pens – For Creative Touches
Finish off your bento box with some silicone decorating pens in various nib sizes. Fill them with your child’s favorite sauces, and let your creativity flow as you write messages or draw fun shapes and pictures.
There you have it—nine essential tools to create the perfect bento box for your little one. With these tools, mealtimes will be both nutritious and fun!