HappyBento was created because, as a mother of 2 school-age children, I was looking for a fun and practical way to provide a varied and healthy lunch to school. My kids are 2 completely different eaters. My goal for both kids was to have them eat a varied diet with a good balance of healthy food. If I wanted to give fruit, bread and cottage cheese in combination, I quickly ended up with 3 different packages per child to ensure that nothing leaked or got mixed up. So I also had plastic waste every day because everything had to be packed properly. I noticed that sandwiches with an extra cookie and some fruit often became the standard again. Whenever I gave fruit or vegetables, I regularly got them back home. This was not attractive enough to eat and sometimes nothing was eaten at school. So I started looking for a way to present a healthy lunch attractively.
I came up with the Bento method, but soon noticed that there was little supply for this in the Netherlands or that the products were very expensive. Because I believe that it would be better for every child to eat a healthy and varied diet at school, I wanted to find a way to offer this lunch method more favorably. After all, a good balance in nutrition also has a positive effect on the growth, development and concentration of your child.
So I have launched a real Bento box from our own brand, the HappyBento box, which is airtight and leak-proof. We also have a wide range of comparable or cheaper alternatives to lunch boxes with separate compartments. We have now grown into the largest Bento webshop in the Netherlands with a very large range of lunch items for children (teenagers and parents!) and the nicest matching accessories.
“Healthy eating should be a party for every child”
I am Caroline, 37 years old and mother of Benthe (13 years old) and Julian (10 years old). In 2019 I founded HappyBento and I am grateful that I can now also give other parents and kids a Happy smile with our HappyBento products.
I love good food and cooking at home, but I know better than anyone that the hectic pace of family life often makes it difficult to continue eating creatively and healthily. Especially if you have a picky eater at home.
I think it's all about finding the right balance and HappyBento goes a long way in helping.
Working with HappyBento
What does bento mean?
Bento is originally a popular meal that is common in Japan and is becoming more and more trending in Europe. The principle of a Bento lunch is that it should be a varied and healthy meal where you present the food beautifully. Because you pay extra attention to the presentation of the food, it becomes very attractive to eat healthy. Think of fun bread figures, fruit shapes and cheerful picks. By providing the lunch in our HappyBento box with these fun decorations, picky eaters are also encouraged to eat healthy. Every child will be happy with this nice healthy HappyBento lunch!
Why HappyBento?
Because it's fun, creative and healthy =) Eating healthy should be a party for every child! HappyBento wants to make this way of lunch possible for everyone. We therefore offer HappyBento boxes at a lower price than comparable bento boxes without compromising on quality. Thanks to the affordable handy and fun bento accessories that we offer next to it, you can vary endlessly with bread, fruit and vegetables to make a creative lunch.
We also regularly share fun ones examples and recipes on Social Media to give you extra inspiration.
How does HappyBento work?
You can get all the necessities for a bento lunch from us. Of course you have one to start with bento lunch box necessary. We sell these with 4 or 6 compartments. This way you keep moist food separate from dry food such as sandwiches. The more compartments the more you can vary. Choose for yourself what you like best. You can also choose from several bento accessories to make fun lunch creations.
The HappyBento accessories are not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts.