Blue Food Bento Box for Kids

This ocean-inspired bento box is a fun, nutritious way to introduce kids to sustainable foods from the sea—like fish, seaweed, and more! It’s colorful, packed with variety, and simple to prep, whether for school lunches, a picnic, or a mid-day adventure.

From salmon-stuffed rice balls decorated like fish to crunchy seaweed snacks and fruit cut out like ocean bubbles, this lunch is full of playful details that help kids connect with the idea of eating blue foods—foods that are good for them and for the planet.

Perfect for little ocean explorers, this meal is fun to eat, easy to customize, and full of teachable moments about where their food comes from.

Sustainability Tips

• Fish: Choose canned tuna or salmon that’s responsibly caught or farmed.

• Seaweed: Seaweed is one of the most sustainable foods on the planet—it requires no fresh water, fertilizers, or feed to grow and actually improves ocean health.

• Fruit & Treats: Use seasonal fruit to minimize food miles. Choose small treats with minimal packaging or opt for bulk-bin snacks to cut down on waste.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 1 little ocean explorer

Ingredients:

Fishy Rice Balls:

• ½ cup cooked sushi rice (cooled)

• 1 tbsp canned tuna or salmon (mixed with a touch of mayo or mashed avocado)

• Nori (seaweed) sheets, cut into shapes (for eyes/fins)

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: sesame seeds

Sea Cucumber Sticks:

• 1 mini cucumber, peeled in stripes and sliced into sticks

• Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt or serve with soy sauce or tahini dip

Crunchy Seaweed Snaps:

• A handful of roasted seaweed snacks or seaweed chips

• Optional: crumbled on top of rice balls for extra crunch

“Ocean Bubbles” Fruit:

• A mix of blueberries, grapes, and melon balls (to look like underwater bubbles!)

Treasure Treat:

• A small handful of goldfish crackers, dried mango, or a chocolate seashell candy
  

Method:

Make the Fishy Rice Balls:
Mix cooled rice with a pinch of salt and form into small balls or ovals. Press a bit of tuna or salmon into the center of each ball. Decorate with nori to make eyes, scales, or fins — you can use scissors or a hole punch to shape the seaweed.

Pack the Sea Cucumbers:
Stack the cucumber sticks neatly in a section of the bento. These cool, crunchy veggies are refreshing—and ocean-themed by name!

Add Seaweed Snacks:
Tuck in a few sheets of roasted seaweed or seaweed chips. They’re salty, crispy, and full of umami flavor.

Fill in with Ocean Bubbles Fruit:
Use blueberries, grapes, or melon balls to mimic underwater bubbles and add natural sweetness.

Finish with a Treasure Treat:
Include a little edible “treasure”—something fun and small to end lunch on a smile.

Fun Tips! 

• Use silicone fish or shell-shaped molds to make rice balls extra fun.

• If your child is new to seaweed, try flavored roasted nori (like sesame or teriyaki).

• Add a fun ocean-themed pick or a note that says “You’re FIN-tastic!”