Daily Times

Last week, we revealed the mothers from around the world who put extra-special effort in to their children’s lunches, by creating intricate and artistic bento boxes for their little ones to open each day at school.

But this mother of two, from Singapore, wipes the floor with them for the most creative school meals yet.

To the tune of 185,000 Instagram followers and her own website where she showcases her wares, Lee Li Ming has prepared over 200 different creations for her two children – Ivan Tey, 12, and nine-year-old Lucas Tey!

From penguins made from rice to spaghetti teddy bears and little pieces of sashimi fashioned into piglets, Ming has tried everything, even going as far as to make a Snoopy-inspired rice dish on one occasion and Minions made from spaghetti.

Mainly, she takes inspiration from the characters her children would like to see in their lunches when they open them at school, but Ming has also got more creative as she has become more experienced, drawing inspiration from the world around her, too, “I started packing him charabens, along with lunch notes,” she writes on her blog about her first-born child starting nursery and missing her in 2011.

“I was hoping to cheer him up and let him feel my presence and love through them.”

Since then, Ming has started making her lunches for both of her children, photographing them since August 2011, when she started her blog.

Ming’s blog is a brilliant how-to for aspiring bento artists. From recipes to picture tutorials and lists of tools and tips, there’s something there for anyone who would like to gain a new skill and become a little more creative.

Ming has also released a book Presenting Adorable Meals for Adorable Kids, Yummy Kawaii Bento, which is available on Amazon and elsewhere.

In it are over 70 food art recipes and more than 60 recipes, which have never been shared on her blog. Scrambled eggs chick and Piggy Onigiri are just two of many highlights. Why not liven up your own lunchbox with something from Ming’s site? Head to Bento Monsters for more.