Bento-mania!!!

I know you have seen the Bento box lunches on the weelicious site that we all love.  However, did you know that there are a billion and a half awesome blogs out there (and moms behind these blogs) that showcase these incredibly fun, healthy, and colorful Bento lunches?  Below is a short list, I am sure there are so many more that I have missed.  Enjoy browsing and getting ideas for your kiddo's lunches... and then let me know how to find the time to be half as creative as the moms behind those blogs!

• What's For Lunch At Our House
• Bentolicious
• Another Lunch
• Hawaii's Bento Box 

My disclaimer:  I haven't thoroughly checked all of the recipes and cut some sites that seemed to use food coloring (YUCK!) in many recipes.  Please check out the ingredients to make sure they are a healthy fit for your family! :)

Here is one that isn't dedicated to Bento boxes, but I like it!

• Super Healthy Kids 

Add color to your plate!

(Excerpt taken from American Dietetic Association Press Release dated February 1, 2011)

While the trees may be bare in March, there are still plenty of colorful and nutritious foods to fill your plate. During the 2011 National Nutrition Month^®, the American Dietetic Association encourages everyone to add color and nutrients to your meals through this year's theme: "Eat Right with Color."

"Adding a splash of colorful seasonal foods to your plate makes for more than just a festive meal. A rainbow of foods creates a palette of nutrients, each with a different bundle of potential benefits for a healthful eating plan," says registered dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Karen Ansel.

Ansel offers ways to brighten up your plate in every season with this quick color guide.

Green produce indicates antioxidant potential and may help promote healthy vision and reduce cancer risks.

• Fruits: avocado, apples, grapes, honeydew, kiwi and lime
• Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers and leafy greens such as spinach

Orange and deep yellow fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that promote healthy vision and immunity, and reduce the risk of some cancers.

• Fruits: apricot, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mango, papaya, peach and pineapple
• Vegetables: carrots, yellow pepper, yellow corn and sweet potatoes

Purple and blue options may have antioxidant and anti-aging benefits and may help with memory, urinary tract health and reduced cancer risks.

• Fruits: blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins
• Vegetables: eggplant, purple cabbage, purple-fleshed potato

Red indicates produce that may help maintain a healthy heart, vision, immunity and may reduce cancer risks.

• Fruits: cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, red/pink grape fruit, red grapes and watermelon
• Vegetables: beets, red onions, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb and tomatoes

White, tan and brown foods sometimes contain nutrients that may promote heart health and reduce cancer risks.

• Fruits: banana, brown pear, dates and white peaches
• Vegetables: cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, white-fleshed potato and white corn

View the entire release here.