Bento Box Breakdown: Panda Onigiri and Friends

On my never-ending quest to get my 4 year old son to eat more, I’ve become obsessed with making cute Bento Box lunches.

This Panda and Friends Bento Box was my very first attempt and I thought surely, it was more food than he could finish for lunch.

I couldn’t have been more wrong – he ate the entire box! And thus begins my new Bento Box Breakdown series where I will teach you how to make these adorable creations.

I promise, it’s a lot easier than it looks! (scroll down to the bottom to watch the video tutorial).

Pin this post for later!

I purchased my supplies at the local Japanese market, but if you don’t have one near you, no worries. Everything is also available online at Amazon (links for everything you need below)!

Supplies needed

1. Mini Round Silicone Cups
2. Stainless Steel Vegetable Cutters
3. Animal Egg Molds
4. Animal Picks
5. Panda Rice Mold Kit
6. Bento Box

You will also need rice (I like to use individual rice bowls for convenience if I don’t already have a pot cooked) and roasted seaweed sheets (sushi nori).

Instructions

To Make Animal Shaped Egg

Hard boil large (NOT XLarge) eggs.

While still hot, peel and press into Animal Egg Molds.

It’s ok if the egg is a little big and squeezes out the sides – you’ll trim these off later!

Close and place into an ice bath for about 10 minutes.

Open carefully and remove from mold by flipping over and tapping.

Remove the one (or two) that you will use immediately, but you can store extras in the refrigerator in their molds if you are not using them right away. I recommend leaving them in the same container that you used for the ice bath.

Trim off any excess by pinching and pulling off with your fingernail or you can use a small paring knife.

To Make Tomato/Carrot Flowers

Slice a large carrot and use Vegetable Cutters to make shapes. Use these Animal Picks to attach grape tomato to flower shape.

STEP BY STEP VIDEO: How To Make Panda Onigiri

 

Arrange everything together and you’re finished!