Tired of sending your little one to school with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Bento lunch boxes give parents a fun way to mix things up while still giving kids healthy food.

Get creative and put together a fun and fresh bento box for a special lunch time surprise! To help you out, we’ve got a great recipe for rice balls from Mika Shino, author of Smart Bites for Baby. These yummy treats are a classic ingredient in any bento lunch box!

Ingredients (Makes 6-8 mini rice balls)

• 2 cups white or brown rice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 sheets of nori seaweed, cut into halves for 8 sheets

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the rice with the sea salt.

2. With moist hands, take half a handful of rice and press and roll it in your palms until it becomes a tight ball.

3. Wrap the seaweed around the rice, and set unto a plate until you finish the rest of the rice balls.

4. You can serve them immediately or put them into the lunchbox. They will keep moist at room temperature for a few hours.