Using Bento Boxes for lunches.
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Ah!!! That looks delicious! I'm so jealous! The Pikachu bento is too cute! There's a pokeball press? How does that work?
Today I just brought homemade chicken soup. It's not pretty, so no picture.
I'd be bringing lunch and dinner, since my classes run from 6 to 8:30 in the evening. T_T I do have access to a fridge (and a microwave - my bento box is microwave safe, too!), thank goodness. I don't know what sort of food would work best for this sort of situation. I have to walk about half a mile between my parking area and my classroom, and my work is about a 10 minute drive away. I'm probably looking at packing in two separate boxes.mangrothian wrote: »
Do you mean two meals in separate boxes, or say a meal in each layer of a two tier box? and by two meals, are you talking brekkie and lunch, or lunch and dinner? Either way, if your bento is going to last two meals, a cooler bag is a must if you don't have the opportunity to store it in the fridge is the biggest suggestion I can give, especially for lunch/dinner. That, and the second meal should have the food that will taste better after sitting longer (won't go soggy or cardboard-ish after the longer sitting time).MunicipalBeanCounter wrote: »Soooo, this app isn’t letting me edit properly. So here’s a picture of the aforementioned bento! Also, does anyone have any tips for packing two meals? Anything I should keep in mind?
I got given a Pikachu bento box for christmas. It's way bigger than what I'd normally use, but I have to use it because it's just too damn cute ^_^ It even has a pokeball press in the lid if I want a pokeball image on my sandwiches lol. Just means that I don't fill up the compartments as much as I normally would.
Left side: crumpet with a container of peanut butter for brekkie (the crumpet is frozen which is why it looks odd), and a snack of bagel crisps with a tub of the most divine goats cheese with truffle dip that I was introduced to last year.
Right side: Home made coffee and maple bacon (once you make your own bacon, you never go back!) diced and pan fried with mixed veg and a spice mix called 'berbere' (I can't remember what's in it besides chili and cumin), along with a couple of boiled eggs.
Happy New Year bentoer's! May the thread be more active this year than it was last year
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To clarify, I am the same person as MunicipalBeanCounter, I just logged into an old account I didn't remember making! >.< Ooops!Lndarden50 wrote: »Ah!!! That looks delicious! I'm so jealous! The Pikachu bento is too cute! There's a pokeball press? How does that work?
Today I just brought homemade chicken soup. It's not pretty, so no picture.
I'd be bringing lunch and dinner, since my classes run from 6 to 8:30 in the evening. T_T I do have access to a fridge (and a microwave - my bento box is microwave safe, too!), thank goodness. I don't know what sort of food would work best for this sort of situation. I have to walk about half a mile between my parking area and my classroom, and my work is about a 10 minute drive away. I'm probably looking at packing in two separate boxes.mangrothian wrote: »
Do you mean two meals in separate boxes, or say a meal in each layer of a two tier box? and by two meals, are you talking brekkie and lunch, or lunch and dinner? Either way, if your bento is going to last two meals, a cooler bag is a must if you don't have the opportunity to store it in the fridge is the biggest suggestion I can give, especially for lunch/dinner. That, and the second meal should have the food that will taste better after sitting longer (won't go soggy or cardboard-ish after the longer sitting time).MunicipalBeanCounter wrote: »Soooo, this app isn’t letting me edit properly. So here’s a picture of the aforementioned bento! Also, does anyone have any tips for packing two meals? Anything I should keep in mind?
I got given a Pikachu bento box for christmas. It's way bigger than what I'd normally use, but I have to use it because it's just too damn cute ^_^ It even has a pokeball press in the lid if I want a pokeball image on my sandwiches lol. Just means that I don't fill up the compartments as much as I normally would.
Left side: crumpet with a container of peanut butter for brekkie (the crumpet is frozen which is why it looks odd), and a snack of bagel crisps with a tub of the most divine goats cheese with truffle dip that I was introduced to last year.
Right side: Home made coffee and maple bacon (once you make your own bacon, you never go back!) diced and pan fried with mixed veg and a spice mix called 'berbere' (I can't remember what's in it besides chili and cumin), along with a couple of boiled eggs.
Happy New Year bentoer's! May the thread be more active this year than it was last year
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Very pretty, and looks delicious, but WAY more effort than I can put into a lunch
Especially since mine would have to sit in the car for 4 hours, and has to be eaten while driving. Usually my lunch is either a couple hB eggs, 2 fruit strips and maybe a fiber bar from an insulated lunch box, or a McDonald's mcchicken sandwich(no mayo) and large diet coke no ice, about 320 calories.
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Very pretty, and looks delicious, but WAY more effort than I can put into a lunch Especially since mine would have to sit in the car for 4 hours, and has to be eaten while driving. Usually my lunch is either a couple hB eggs, 2 fruit strips and maybe a fiber bar from an insulated lunch box, or a McDonald's mcchicken sandwich(no mayo) and large diet coke no ice, about 320 calories.
I remember in the early days of the thread, there was a lady who I think was a nurse who did home visits, so her lunch was always in the car. She ended up getting one of those small 9V plug in fridges that holds 6 cans and putting her lunches in there to keep them cool along with her drinks.
I also make driving bentos for long car trips. It's usually sandwiches cut to fit in the box with ingredients that won't slop out whilst you're driving, and the other food like meatballs and tomatoes I put on long skewers. I also wrap rice balls (onigiri) in seaweed so they can be eaten one handed.
Bento's don't have to be pretty. It literally is a term for a boxed meal. It's whatever works for you. If that's a box with some eggs, fruit strips and a fibre bar, then that's your bento. Those of us who go for the traditional Japanese bento's are just nutters, so don't mind us
Lndarden50 wrote: »Ah!!! That looks delicious! I'm so jealous! The Pikachu bento is too cute! There's a pokeball press? How does that work?
Today I just brought homemade chicken soup. It's not pretty, so no picture.
I'd be bringing lunch and dinner, since my classes run from 6 to 8:30 in the evening. T_T I do have access to a fridge (and a microwave - my bento box is microwave safe, too!), thank goodness. I don't know what sort of food would work best for this sort of situation. I have to walk about half a mile between my parking area and my classroom, and my work is about a 10 minute drive away. I'm probably looking at packing in two separate boxes.mangrothian wrote: »
Do you mean two meals in separate boxes, or say a meal in each layer of a two tier box? and by two meals, are you talking brekkie and lunch, or lunch and dinner? Either way, if your bento is going to last two meals, a cooler bag is a must if you don't have the opportunity to store it in the fridge is the biggest suggestion I can give, especially for lunch/dinner. That, and the second meal should have the food that will taste better after sitting longer (won't go soggy or cardboard-ish after the longer sitting time).MunicipalBeanCounter wrote: »Soooo, this app isn’t letting me edit properly. So here’s a picture of the aforementioned bento! Also, does anyone have any tips for packing two meals? Anything I should keep in mind?
I got given a Pikachu bento box for christmas. It's way bigger than what I'd normally use, but I have to use it because it's just too damn cute ^_^ It even has a pokeball press in the lid if I want a pokeball image on my sandwiches lol. Just means that I don't fill up the compartments as much as I normally would.
Left side: crumpet with a container of peanut butter for brekkie (the crumpet is frozen which is why it looks odd), and a snack of bagel crisps with a tub of the most divine goats cheese with truffle dip that I was introduced to last year.
Right side: Home made coffee and maple bacon (once you make your own bacon, you never go back!) diced and pan fried with mixed veg and a spice mix called 'berbere' (I can't remember what's in it besides chili and cumin), along with a couple of boiled eggs.
Happy New Year bentoer's! May the thread be more active this year than it was last year
Ahhhh, I remember the days when I had to be at uni at 9am, and my last class finished at either 6 or 8pm. Never doing that again.
For something like a dinner bento, if I was going to make one it'd be the things that taste good at room temp and keep since I can't be bothered microwaving mine. Mini meatballs with some kind of sauce stored in a container or maybe little chipolata or cocktail sausages (they all keep quite well and taste ok at room temp), an onigiri or two, and either lightly parboiled vegetables or a salad without dressing (or dressing stored in a small container). Just make sure anything cooked has time to cool down completely before putting a lid on it so you don't have condensation ruining your food during the day.
Lunch is when I'd have things like fish, softer vegetables, eggs, dumplings, noodles, and things that don't keep as well. Or sandwiches if I'm feeling lazy like today (today is an egg, avocado and mayo sandwich).2 -
MunicipalBeanCounter wrote: »Soooo, this app isn’t letting me edit properly. So here’s a picture of the aforementioned bento! Also, does anyone have any tips for packing two meals? Anything I should keep in mind?
Now that tax season is here, I pack two meals daily, breakfast and lunch. The breakfast sits for about 2-3 hours and the lunch sits for about 5-6 hours before getting eaten. I have an insulated lunch bag for them. I've been meal prepping for the last month or so, so daily for the week, I have the exact same lunch.
Breakfast is overnight oatmeal, mixed berries and a kashi bar.
Lunch this week is saffron rice, corn, black beans, shredded chicken and avocado with a side of tri-color bell peppers.
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This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
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SpecialKitty7 wrote: »This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
You are my hero.2 -
I love when there is activity in this thread! You all do such a great job of planning good meals for yourselves!1
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Here’s my lunch for the day! Homemade chicken teriyaki, broccoli, rice, and some frozen peaches!
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This is something I have been wanting to do. ... My daughter has some bento-inspired containers to help with reasonable portions when she takes her lunch to school. I usually come home for lunch, and although not bento, I do have a rough idea what the capacity is of my dishes. I know which bowl holds a perfect portion of pasta and which plate looks perfect when loaded with appropriate portions.3
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Forgot to take a picture of my bento today, but it was yummy! It was more teriyaki chicken (I have to finished the bottle of teriyaki sauce I bought before I'll allow myself to move on to a different "entrée."), steamed broccoli, a little less than one sliced banana (Shaggy and Scooby, my blue heelers, got a couple slices each. ), and a handful of black grapes! Since I have school tonight, I also brought my dinner, but it's mostly in a zip-lock bag, so... I'm not going to submit you to that terror. But I will tell you what I brought! It's some more black grapes, some english cucumber, red pepper hummus, and a tin of tuna. I'm trying to get in enough protein so I'm not absolutely starving by the time I get home at 9:30. We'll see how I do! 2
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Doing my very best to make this forum active again!!! Here’s my “between work and school” dinner from yesterday! It’s got mesquite chicken (roommate threw away my teriyaki chicken because I forgot to put a date on it and they thought it was leftover from two weeks ago. ), garlic hummus, cucumber, banana, and black grapes. Not my prettiest bento (none of them are - lol), but it was delicious. Pic was taken from my Public Policy classroom, mid dining! Pic of tonight’s (very similar) dinner to come later! Lunch today was a can of tomato soup. I can’t complain.
I recently ordered a new box, so packing lunch and dinner should become much simpler! I can’t wait to show y’all! I think it might be larger, too!
Also, any tips on packing a substantial amount of hummus without it getting too messy? I need the protein/fiber to not starve in my 3 hour classes, but the mess is almost not worth it.3 -
I thought I said this before, but apparently I hadn't... You, madam, are an inspiration. That fridge is beautiful.SpecialKitty7 wrote: »This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
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Study bento!
Black grapes, banana slices, broccoli, and bbq pork! My bento bag came in, but I’ll wait to post pictures until my new bento shows up as well! I’m thinking about getting some cute mushroom sauce containers, as well! I just got a raise at work, so I might buy them to celebrate!
I’m going out for dinner tonight at a Korean place I love. I’ll probably get this great squid dish and keep the leftovers for lunch on Monday! We’ll see!5 -
Lndarden50 wrote: »
I thought I said this before, but apparently I hadn't... You, madam, are an inspiration. That fridge is beautiful.SpecialKitty7 wrote: »This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
Thank you much! This week's lunch is brown derby salad, so nothing too exciting. But, it's the first time I get to use my new round containers.1 -
SpecialKitty7 wrote: »Lndarden50 wrote: »
I thought I said this before, but apparently I hadn't... You, madam, are an inspiration. That fridge is beautiful.SpecialKitty7 wrote: »This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
Thank you much! This week's lunch is brown derby salad, so nothing too exciting. But, it's the first time I get to use my new round containers.
What's a brown derby salad? It sounds delicious (salad is YUMMY!)! Also, yay for new containers! I can't wait for mine to come in this afternoon! I'll have to post a picture of all of my stuff! No bento today because I have to go home for lunch. But I will be eating some of those squid leftovers, of which I have already packed into a bento for tomorrow!
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Lndarden50 wrote: »SpecialKitty7 wrote: »Lndarden50 wrote: »
I thought I said this before, but apparently I hadn't... You, madam, are an inspiration. That fridge is beautiful.SpecialKitty7 wrote: »This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
Thank you much! This week's lunch is brown derby salad, so nothing too exciting. But, it's the first time I get to use my new round containers.
What's a brown derby salad? It sounds delicious (salad is YUMMY!)! Also, yay for new containers! I can't wait for mine to come in this afternoon! I'll have to post a picture of all of my stuff! No bento today because I have to go home for lunch. But I will be eating some of those squid leftovers, of which I have already packed into a bento for tomorrow!
It's a type of cobb salad. It has romaine, blue cheese, bacon, chicken (mine has ham too), egg & avocado. It's supposedly named after the restaurant that invented it.
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SpecialKitty7 wrote: »Lndarden50 wrote: »SpecialKitty7 wrote: »Lndarden50 wrote: »
I thought I said this before, but apparently I hadn't... You, madam, are an inspiration. That fridge is beautiful.SpecialKitty7 wrote: »This is what my fridge looks like every Sunday night. Grab n' go!
Thank you much! This week's lunch is brown derby salad, so nothing too exciting. But, it's the first time I get to use my new round containers.
What's a brown derby salad? It sounds delicious (salad is YUMMY!)! Also, yay for new containers! I can't wait for mine to come in this afternoon! I'll have to post a picture of all of my stuff! No bento today because I have to go home for lunch. But I will be eating some of those squid leftovers, of which I have already packed into a bento for tomorrow!
It's a type of cobb salad. It has romaine, blue cheese, bacon, chicken (mine has ham too), egg & avocado. It's supposedly named after the restaurant that invented it.
That looks so delicious!
I'm super jealous. Everytime I make a salad, it always turns out gross. I don't know how I always manage to mess up something as easy as salad, but we're all differently talented, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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I love your picture. The food looks so fresh and healthy. You have inspired me to get one for my husband.1
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I've been on clearing-out-the-freezer lunches recently (it's pretty much random what I get to eat), so I haven't been using my bento boxes since I've been back at work. Slow cooker ham and bean soup isn't exactly bento-able lol.1
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mangrothian wrote: »I've been on clearing-out-the-freezer lunches recently (it's pretty much random what I get to eat), so I haven't been using my bento boxes since I've been back at work. Slow cooker ham and bean soup isn't exactly bento-able lol.
Maybe it isn't bento-able, but it sounds dang tasty!!!
Most of my clearing-out-the-freezer stuff just ends up being, "lets put this vegetable next to this protein and see if that works." I know. It definitely sounds appetizing, am I right?
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Y'all, I've packed breakfast, lunch, and dinner today! I'm so excited! I have no excuse to go and buy something to nibble on! I'll be back on track to purchase a home by summer in no time! I'll post pictures later!
My new bento is a bit bigger than I expected, so that's been interesting to work with. On top of that, today there's something very fishy in the office refrigerator, and I'm not sorry. I am the worst kind of person.
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Lunch bento in my new box! Fish, broccoli, peas, carrots, and a fruit salad! The bananas didn’t, uh, turn out so well. Altogether delicious!
My cute new lunch tote!
Pic of my dinner bento to come after I’ve heated it/made it to class!
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Haha, a lot of cut fruits don't last that long unless you squeeze some lemon or lime juice over it. I usually stick to berries, melon or citrus (or whole fruit if it will fit in the box). Can't wait to see the dinner one!2
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Thanks! Amazon's the best. It was under $10, too!
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mangrothian wrote: »Haha, a lot of cut fruits don't last that long unless you squeeze some lemon or lime juice over it. I usually stick to berries, melon or citrus (or whole fruit if it will fit in the box). Can't wait to see the dinner one!
Yeaaah... My bananas had been doing well when I cut my grapes, so I guess that's what I'll have to do.
Dinner was delicious! And very pretty! However, I was so hungry by the time I got to class that I forgot to take a picture! I didn't pack anything pretty yesterday. I had tomato soup for lunch and forgot my dinner, so I suffered through my presentation until I got home and had wine and cheese for a 10:00 snack. Very nutritious. Lots of good antioxidants there. 2 -
Lazy bento Friday...
Ham mustard and vintage cheddar sandwich (we’re still going through our Christmas ham lol) and some mixed veg with olives. The tomatoes and mini capsicums are from my garden
I tried to use the pokeball press on the inside of the lid on my sandwich, but the bread wasn't big enough
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mangrothian wrote: »Lazy bento Friday...
Ham mustard and vintage cheddar sandwich (we’re still going through our Christmas ham lol) and some mixed veg with olives. The tomatoes and mini capsicums are from my garden
I tried to use the pokeball press on the inside of the lid on my sandwich, but the bread wasn't big enough
It looks so yummy! I wish I was able to grow anything other than potted plants! Is that a peach I spy in there?0 -
Hey everyone! I just finished my lunch hour, of which 30 minutes was spent climbing stairs in very creative ways. >.< All I can say now is “Ow!”
Here’s a photo of my lunch! It’s Szechuan chicken with carrots and peas, and a handful of frozen peaches. Drunk Lisa thought she put in enough peaches last night. Sober Lisa thinks she was sorely mistaken.
Dinner looks similar, but I’ll take a picture if I remember anyway! 4
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