Tuna & Flowers Lunchbox (400 Calories w/pics)

April showers bring May Flowers! In this case the rain skipped April and came in May but we'll have some flowers anyway! (Tasty ones too.) No time for flowers? That's a-okay. This lunch is fabulous without the frills. Just slice it up and get out the door.



2 Servings | 400 Calories ea
1 Serving Pictured

4 Large Wheat Crackers
1/2 cup uncooked Rice (I used long grain white)
1/2 cup Baby Spinach
1 can Chunk Light Tuna in water
1 Tbl Light Mayo
1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbl Fat Free Ranch Dressing
1 small Stalk of Celery
4 Pickles
2 tsp Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cucumber
1 Large Carrot
1 Apple
1 Kiwi
Red Seedless Grapes
Soy Sauce (optional)

Combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of rice in a pot with lid. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Fill a bowl with water and add a pinch of salt. Core and slice the apple and cut into flowers. (How to video link below) Place the apple flowers in the salted water to prevent browning and set aside. Peel and slice the carrots. Place carrots in a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of water and microwave 1-2 minutes or until carrots are soft. Using a precision or exacto knife, cut triangles all around the outter edge. Use a straw to punch a small hole in the center of the larger pieces. Keep the scraps, set carrot flowers aside. Slice the Cucumber (leave peel on if desired). Cut triangles all around the outter edge of the cucumbers. Save the scraps. Peel and slice the kiwi into 6 slices.

Dice the celery and pickles. Drain the Tuna. In a small bowl, mix tuna, mayo, cucumber/carrot scraps, celery, pickles, sunflower seeds and cheese. Salt and pepper if desired. When the rice is done, season with soy sauce if desired. Let cool a little then spoon 1/2 cup of the cooked rice onto a piece of plastic wrap. Enclose the rice, squeezing it together tightly and shape it into a flower. Unwrap and place in the bento box. Place a small slice of carrot in the center.

In the bento box, lay down a bed of spinach and place tuna salad on top with crackers on the side. Arrange apple flowers, cucumber flowers and kiwi around it. Sprinkle the tuna salad with carrot flowers. Fill the nooks and crannies with grapes as needed.


A good How to make Bento Box video that has a tutorial for apple flowers/rabbits:
http://youtu.be/-_hbPLsZvvo