Ham and Cheese Roll Ups Bento Lunch

Keep reading to learn all the hacks to build a healthy bento lunch that stays fresh until lunchtime.

Bento Box Lunch with Ham & Cheese Roll Ups

These Ham and Cheese roll-ups are a great school lunch idea when you run out of bread but have deli meat and cheese. It’s tasty, packed with protein, and easy to assemble in 5 minutes. Even little hands can help to prep this lunch!

Use your favorite cheese: like Cheddar, Swiss, Jack, mozzarella, Gouda… there’s no limit! Once the ham and cheese roll-ups are done, pack them in a lunch box with fruit, veggies, and your favorite lunch sides for the ultimate balanced bento box.

If you’re out of fresh veggies, frozen or canned vegetables are also a good option for lunch boxes. Bonus: frozen veggies, like peas, carrots, and corn, don’t need to be thawed out before packing in the lunchbox!

What is in Ham & Cheese Roll Ups Bento

You’ll see how easy it is to pull together a healthy homemade bento using a variety of simple staples that kids love eating for lunch. Check the list:

• Ham: any kind of deli ham you have on the fridge.
• Cheese: Cheddar, Swiss, Jack, mozzarella, Gouda… use your favorite!
• Something crunchy: your kid’s favorite crackers or chips.
• Fruit and veggies: I included frozen corn and berries, but you can use your favorite fresh, frozen, or canned veggies and fruit. More ways to pack fruit for lunch here.

How to Pack Ham & Cheese Roll Ups for School Lunches

Let’s grab the lunchbox and assemble this tasty, high-protein school lunch super fast! Follow these tips, and everything will stay neat for hours! Here’s how I packed this bento:

1. Roll up
   Lay the ham slice flat on the cutting board and fold it in half, if necessary, to be about the same size of the sliced cheese. Place the cheese on one end on top of the ham, and roll it up to the end. Repeat the process with the remaining ham and cheese slices.
2. Fill the lunch box
   Place the ham and cheese roll ups inside a compartment of the lunchbox. 
3. Add veggies
   Pack the corn (or other veggie) in a small, lidded container or another compartment. You don’t need to thaw out frozen corn, it will thaw out by lunch, canned corn also works.
4. Pack crackers
   Place the crackers inside a separate compartment of the bento box or container.
5. Add fruits
   Store the berries or the fruits of your choice in a separate compartment.
6. Refrigerate
   Refrigerate the lunchbox or place it in a lunch bag with an ice pack, if needed. 

Make next: Grilled Ham & Cheese

More Tips for Packing This Bento Box for School Lunch

Building a balanced bento box that remains fresh until lunchtime is possible with these hacks:

Separate wet from dry ingredients
A compartmentalized lunchbox is the best way for this lunch to remain intact for hours. Keep crackers separate from the roll ups, and fruits and veggies in their own compartments. Check here my favorite lunch containers.

Swap and add ingredients
What is so great about building bento boxes for lunch is that you’re free to customize them with what you have on hand. No corn? Swap it for carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, or olives. No berries? Add grapes, tangerine segments, cherries, etc.

Don’t thaw
If you’re using frozen corn, peas, or carrots, there’s no need to thaw them out before packing them in the lunchbox. Fruit like frozen pineapple, peaches, or mango, can also be added frozen. Of course, you can also use canned or fresh fruits and veggies.

Add more nutrition
Kids love snacks and desserts! For bigger appetites, pack this bento along with a sandwich or these Chocolate Brownie No-Bake Energy Bites, a Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, or Zucchini Carrot Cake Bars.