When Jenny Mollen was growing up, she ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread. “I think the the reason I’m so obsessed with my son’s lunches is because I’m making up for my own deficit,” the 39-year-old recently told Us Weekly.
Mollen’s bento box creations for Sid, 4, regularly rack up thousands of likes on Instagram. A sample meal includes a cheese and tomato tapenade sandwich cut in the shape of a cat, and fresh sourdough unsalted potato chips.
“I take my time with it,” the I Like You Just the Way I Am author told Us. After Mollen and husband Jason Biggs put Sid and his little brother Lazo, 12 months, to sleep, it’s her time in the kitchen. “It’s sort of relaxing and fun,” Mollen explained. “It’s my time down from the day, mindlessly putting together some sort of weird, collection of assortments.”
Though the Angel alum’s elaborate spreads look daunting, she promised they are not that difficult to prepare. Just think about the rainbow. “Focus on how many colors you can get in a lunchbox,” Mollen told Us. “Oftentimes if you just think in colors, the lunch makes itself.” (Another tip: Don’t feel the need to start from scratch. Use dinner leftovers!)
Mollen acknowledges the fact that Sid doesn’t appreciate his rice sculpted to resemble a rabbit, or his raspberries filled with raspberry yogurt. “We take everything our parents did for granted and only focus on the things that they didn’t do right,” she quipped. “I don’t think it will ever occur to him that I was putting effort into his lunches!”
With reporting by Nicki Gostin
