Beyond the Lunchbox: 7 Surprising Ways to Use Bento Accessories

Most parents buy bento accessories with one goal in mind: happier lunchboxes. Cute picks, clever cutters and handy sealers all make a packed lunch look brighter, neater and far more tempting.

But here is the secret. Lunchtime World bento accessories are far more versatile than you might think. These little tools can transform everyday snacks, dinners and even family routines in the most unexpected ways.

Here are seven clever, genuinely surprising ways to use your bento accessories that go well beyond the lunchbox.

1. Turn after school snacks into art

Those quiet minutes between school pick up and dinner can be the trickiest of the day. A small plate of cut fruit or cheese becomes instantly more exciting with a few themed picks or shapes.

Think apple flowers, cheese bears or melon hearts. It takes seconds and feels like a treat without adding sugar.

Perfect tools:

• Lunchtime World Animal Friends Bento Picks for instant fun on any snack
• Lunchtime World Fun Shape Food Cutter Set for easy fruit and cheese shapes

2. Create DIY snack boards for playdates

Playdates can feel like a snack tornado. Instead of handing out crackers in a panic, create a mini snack board filled with small bite sized options and let the kids explore with bento picks.

Line up fruit, crackers, cheese cubes and mini sandwiches in sections, then add a handful of fun picks. It looks impressive but is secretly very easy. Even picky eaters nibble more when food feels like part of a game.

Perfect tools:

• Character and themed bento picks to match the vibe of the playdate
• Yumbox Mini Silicone Bento Cups to separate dips, fruit and crunchy bits

3. Elevate leftovers into dinner wins

Leftover pasta, plain chicken or a lone vegetable can feel uninspiring. A quick chop, a fun cutter and a pick or two can turn a simple meal into something your child actually wants to eat.

Cut cooked veg or chicken into small bite sized pieces, add a few shaped carrots or cucumber and serve it all with cute picks. Suddenly last night’s leftovers look intentional.

Perfect tools:

• Fun shape food cutters to turn plain veg into stars and hearts
• Animal Friends Bento Picks to make every bite more inviting

4. Make weekend breakfasts extra special

Tiny pancake stacks held together with a cute pick. Fruit cut into stars. Toast cut and sealed into little pockets with jam inside.

None of it takes long, but it turns an ordinary Saturday morning into a small moment of magic that kids remember.

Perfect tools:

• Lunchtime World Sandwich Cutter and Sealer Set for toast and sandwich pockets
• Fun Shape Food Cutter Set for fruit and pancake shapes
• Yumbox Mini Silicone Bento Cups for sprinkles, berries and syrup portions

5. Build adventure snack packs for outings

Heading to the zoo, park or a day out? Bento accessories make portable snack packs tidy and exciting. A few shaped foods and themed picks turn a basic snack into an on the go adventure.

Pack a bento box with sections for fruit, crackers and protein, then add animal or space themed picks to match the outing. Kids are far less interested in kiosk snacks when they have their own fun stash ready to go.

Perfect tools:

• Themed bento picks to match your day out
• Silicone bento cups to keep snacks separate and neat

6. Encourage new foods through play

Children explore the world through play, and food is no different. When a new food is presented in a fun shape or paired with a friendly character pick, the pressure disappears.

A carrot flower is far less intimidating than a big stick of carrot. A smiling panda pick makes a new flavour feel like a friend instead of a challenge.

Perfect tools:

• Shape cutters for veg, fruit and cheese
• Animal and character bento picks to turn new foods into little characters

7. Use sandwich cutters and sealers for more than sandwiches

Your sandwich sealer is secretly a multi tasking marvel. Try it with cooked rice to make tiny rice pockets, or use it on soft wraps filled with cheese and veg to create tidy parcels.

You can even press soft fruit slices into cute shapes and serve them as little sealed treats. These pocket sized portions are perfect for quick meals, picnics and fussy eaters who prefer familiar shapes.

Perfect tools:

• Lunchtime World Sandwich Cutter and Sealer Set for sealed pockets, wraps and more
• Fun Shape Food Cutter Set for extra details and decoration

Small accessories, big impact

Bento accessories are designed to make lunch brighter, but their real magic appears in the everyday moments. Quick snacks, weekend breakfasts, dinner battles and days out all become easier when you have the right little tools on hand.

With a tiny bit of creativity, your Lunchtime World accessories become a set of helpful shortcuts that bring joy to your child and make your life easier too.

Explore the full range of bright little extras in our Bento Accessories collection and start using your picks, cutters and sealers in completely new ways.