Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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Replies

  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    madiao wrote: »
    Narcissora wrote: »
    I wish peanut butter were zero calories. I love that stuff, but I can't eat it and still make my daily calorie goals. :(
    If PB was 0 calories I don't know if I could fins much room in my day to eat much else :wink:

    Today's lunch consisted of rice, chicken with teriyaki sauce, tamagoyaki (which didn't turn out so well but tasted awesome) and two small dumplings in the bottom teir and a generic salad in the top tier.

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    Came to about 560 cals.

    That looks awesome!
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    sagj wrote: »

    Layer 1: chicken, raspberries, grapes, mushrooms and almonds
    Layer 2: mini mozzarella balls with tomatoes and carrot flowers. Served with ranch dressing ( and a side of curious cat ;) )

    Every one of mine comes with a side of curious cat! Alternately it can be: pushy cat, thief cat, taste tester cat, or i'll just stick my toe in there cat...

  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited May 2015
    sagj wrote: »

    Layer 1: chicken, raspberries, grapes, mushrooms and almonds
    Layer 2: mini mozzarella balls with tomatoes and carrot flowers. Served with ranch dressing ( and a side of curious cat ;) )

    Every one of mine comes with a side of curious cat! Alternately it can be: pushy cat, thief cat, taste tester cat, or i'll just stick my toe in there cat...

    Yes! She was on her way to thief cat; I got the picture as quickly as I could to save the bento. The picture may be a little out of frame but my lunch is secure! :smiley:
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    sagj wrote: »

    Layer 1: chicken, raspberries, grapes, mushrooms and almonds
    Layer 2: mini mozzarella balls with tomatoes and carrot flowers. Served with ranch dressing ( and a side of curious cat ;) )

    Every one of mine comes with a side of curious cat! Alternately it can be: pushy cat, thief cat, taste tester cat, or i'll just stick my toe in there cat...

    One day I'll start calling you the crazy cat lady, but I don't want you spouting gibberish and throwing your kitties at me like missiles. That, and I could be called crazy dog lady...
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
    @sagj thanks! I love your side of curious kitty, s/he looks so cute ^-^
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    I wish you could "like" posts on here...

    No bento for me yesterday, and I won't have one on Monday (my favorite food truck catered at work yesterday, and we have loads of leftovers for Monday), but I will be lurking around until then :)
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
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    We are just enthusiastic! :wink:
  • votkuhr
    votkuhr Posts: 276 Member
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    - Baby spinach, gouda cheese slice
    - Chicken!
    - Reese's mini peanut butter cups, salted edamame, blueberries
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    sagj wrote: »

    Layer 1: chicken, raspberries, grapes, mushrooms and almonds
    Layer 2: mini mozzarella balls with tomatoes and carrot flowers. Served with ranch dressing ( and a side of curious cat ;) )

    Every one of mine comes with a side of curious cat! Alternately it can be: pushy cat, thief cat, taste tester cat, or i'll just stick my toe in there cat...

    One day I'll start calling you the crazy cat lady, but I don't want you spouting gibberish and throwing your kitties at me like missiles. That, and I could be called crazy dog lady...

    Meh, I've been called worse. :wink: Technically, I should be the crazy pet lady, as I've got cats, dogs, rats & fish.

    @sagj Exactly! I'll have to share that with the other crazy cat lady at work, err..umm other cat enthusiast :blush:

  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    Hey, I resemble that remark!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I keep forgetting to take pics before I devour mine, but here's today's. I had a heavy breakfast out with my sweetheart, so I took it easy for dinner and snacktime. Large baked potato with cheese and sour cream, yogurt and multigrain chips with black bean hummus. Altogether around 475 cals.

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  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    I keep forgetting to take pics before I devour mine, but here's today's. I had a heavy breakfast out with my sweetheart, so I took it easy for dinner and snacktime. Large baked potato with cheese and sour cream, yogurt and multigrain chips with black bean hummus. Altogether around 475 cals.

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    I've never seen blackbean hummus before, sounds interesting. And I'm jealous of that can of dr pepper; that stuff is so hard to get here. If I do find dr. pepper, its a specialty import and costs like AU$3 a can.

    @SpecialKitty7 I used to be a crazy pet lady, but the house we're renting only allows dogs and fish. So that's what we have. Kitty had to move to my parents, where he promptly went out into the garden and ate something he shouldn't, and is now in kitty heaven *sniff*
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
    I've never seen blackbean hummus before, sounds interesting. And I'm jealous of that can of dr pepper; that stuff is so hard to get here. If I do find dr. pepper, its a specialty import and costs like AU$3 a can.

    I'm not sure how far it would be for you but there is a place in Moorabbin that sells 16 packs of Dr. Pepper for about $12. They're called USA foods, they sell a few different things that are hard to find here but popular in the US :smile:
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    @mangrothian I bet if you can't find the black bean hummus, you could probably find a recipe for it. I can't imagine it's difficult to make if you can find the ingredients. I like it because it's spicy and has fewer calories than regular hummus.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    madiao wrote: »
    I've never seen blackbean hummus before, sounds interesting. And I'm jealous of that can of dr pepper; that stuff is so hard to get here. If I do find dr. pepper, its a specialty import and costs like AU$3 a can.

    I'm not sure how far it would be for you but there is a place in Moorabbin that sells 16 packs of Dr. Pepper for about $12. They're called USA foods, they sell a few different things that are hard to find here but popular in the US :smile:

    I've been to USA foods a few times when I was living in the Eastern Suburbs, but I'm a little too far away from Moorabbin now.
  • TisMeEggin
    TisMeEggin Posts: 60 Member
    Wow! What great ideas and beautiful pictures! Thank you all for sharing! :)
  • srschaffer1
    srschaffer1 Posts: 30 Member
    So, I'm finding myself wanting to try sushi again. Problem is: I can't eat raw sushi. It's always been a problem for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for sushi for me?

    Also, I got myself another bento. This time it's a MonBento. I'll try to post pictures when I am able.
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    edited May 2015
    So, I'm finding myself wanting to try sushi again. Problem is: I can't eat raw sushi. It's always been a problem for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for sushi for me?

    Also, I got myself another bento. This time it's a MonBento. I'll try to post pictures when I am able.

    I've made sushi rolls that are just veggies and have big chunks of avocado in them. I've also used those imitation crab meat sticks... Sounds gross, but I think they are super yummy. (BUT if you buy these, make sure to use them in like three days after you open the package. They go bad really fast). You can also used cooked shrimp - i've never done this, but I've bought tempura shrimp rolls at restaurants, so I don't see why you couldn't use shrimp to make them.

    Try California Rolls. No raw seafood in those.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    So, I'm finding myself wanting to try sushi again. Problem is: I can't eat raw sushi. It's always been a problem for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for sushi for me?

    I know here you can get cook salmon, tuna and chicken cali rolls. Also, look up sushi sandwiches. You can make those with tinned tuna, smoked salmon, etc., so you shouldnt have a problem with that.
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    I get the shrimp California rolls which are good. I think there is also a shrimp salad one I've seen. They also make spicy shrimp and crab Cali rolls as well as tofu/ vegetarian roll. And that's just here in my Podunk southwestern US town grocery store; I'm sure there are so many more varieties out there. Raw fish is an ingredient in a segment of what we define as sushi; there are many types that don't touch raw fish with a ten foot pole :smiley:
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    edited May 2015
    I know I said I wouldn't be doing bentos for a while due to pre-planned lunch events, but I have been getting so off-track with my diet the past week that I had to really plan out my food in advance. Lunch is provided by my office tomorrow, but I put together a bento for dinner tomorrow so that I know what I am going to eat and I know that I will stick to something healthy.

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    I found a half-used box of whole wheat lasagna noodles in the pantry, so I made a bunch of spinach-filled lasagna roll ups. (That's the weird tomato-y noodley looking thing in the small box). Also, strawberries and a salad with tomato and feta.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    Narcissora wrote: »
    I found a half-used box of whole wheat lasagna noodles in the pantry, so I made a bunch of spinach-filled lasagna roll ups. (That's the weird tomato-y noodley looking thing in the small box). Also, strawberries and a salad with tomato and feta.
    So you made cannelloni then (the rolled up version of lasagne)? :D I think its great idea; were the pieces firm enough to just pick up with a fork by the time you ate it (ie, no knife/spoon required)?

    Monday bento. Hopefully I wont be working late nights this week, so for the first time in ages I should have a full week of bentos at work. Yay!
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    Today's is two onigiri (i mooshed up an umeboshi with some mirin, and mixed it through the rice with the shiso furikake), some mini snags cooked with a spicy sauce glaze and a kale coleslaw mix that I impulse purchased at the supermarket. Totals 550 Cals. There's also my yoghurt and some starburst (another impulse buy - I went shopping when I was hungry :( ) to have for brekky/snacks.
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    So you made cannelloni then (the rolled up version of lasagne)? :D I think its great idea; were the pieces firm enough to just pick up with a fork by the time you ate it (ie, no knife/spoon required)?

    I thought cannelloni used a specific type of pasta? Maybe not. I don't do Italian often, so if it isn't spaghetti, chances are I might not know what it is. But yes, I ate my pasta creation with a fork only :)

    Also, I looked for umeboshi at Wegmans (they have a pretty good Asian food section, considering it is just a regular grocery store), but I couldn't find it. I'm really curious because you use them a lot, and I want to try them out.

    Also also, can you please pass an orange starburst over to me?
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    Narcissora wrote: »
    So you made cannelloni then (the rolled up version of lasagne)? :D I think its great idea; were the pieces firm enough to just pick up with a fork by the time you ate it (ie, no knife/spoon required)?

    I thought cannelloni used a specific type of pasta? Maybe not. I don't do Italian often, so if it isn't spaghetti, chances are I might not know what it is. But yes, I ate my pasta creation with a fork only :)

    Also, I looked for umeboshi at Wegmans (they have a pretty good Asian food section, considering it is just a regular grocery store), but I couldn't find it. I'm really curious because you use them a lot, and I want to try them out.

    Also also, can you please pass an orange starburst over to me?

    You can either make cannelloni by rolling up lasagne sheets, or by buying the pre-made tubes. As to the umeboshi, they're something that I only ever seem to find at specialty asian grocers (the English term is pickled plum fyi). I do use them a lot, but I do warn you that they are a very sour, acquired taste. I love them, but they're not for everybody.

    My daddy always said I was too sweet, so I guess I need sour stuff to balance me out :D My husband on the other hand, tells me sour is as sour does ;)

    And I'll only give you the orange starburst if you exchange it for a yellow one...
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited May 2015
    So you are sweet AND sour; people love that combo! ;)
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    My lunch today:

    Layer one: green chile sausage, olives, grapes and mango

    Layer two: corn and kale/cabbage salad with white cheese and shrimp. Served with honey red wine vinaigrette

    Happy Monday all!

  • FloraSin
    FloraSin Posts: 188 Member
    It took a really long time, but I packed my boyfriend a smurf themed bento when they finally launched a game he'd been working on (ios programmer). Can't find a picture, but I'll keep looking and post it if I do. The smurf wasn't blue, he was brown because he was made of chicken flavoured quinoa. I cut a provolone slice to be his clothing. Cut up a chicken breast to look like a house shape. Background of Kale.

    The colours were wrong, but the loves was there and he had a nice healthy salad. All he had to do was cut up the chicken breast and mix it all up.

    I fell in love with bento a few years back. Started with a hot dog octopus (easy and awesome. Cephalopods are my favourite) and never made lunch the same again.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    Okay, today's lunch and snack bento: Snacks are a somewhat smooshed bunny egg, roasted almonds and strawberries. Lunch is broccoli, jasmine rice, pork dumplings & two green tea milk caramels (the things that look like green Starburst) . Both are kind of on lighter side today as I am expecting a big dinner tonight.

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  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    FloraSin wrote: »
    Cephalopods are my favourite

    you are awesome.

    I hope you post pictures!
  • allofme32
    allofme32 Posts: 92 Member
    wow I need to do this or portion control!!! It is also so visually pleasing to the eye.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    edited May 2015
    allofme32 wrote: »
    wow I need to do this or portion control!!! It is also so visually pleasing to the eye.

    It's quite fun actually. Since we're limited to how much we can fit in our box, it limits the calories (somewhat automatically) and by making it pretty and with variety it helps keep you sated.

    Grab a tupperware/gladware and give it a go? It doesn't hurt to try :smiley: