Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    I've stopped making a bento box for lunch since doing low carb, does anyone here make low carb bento boxes? I suppose i just need to be a little more creative!

    Have a look back over the last few pages. There's quite a few low carb boxes there, especially the ones using those vegetable gem wraps.
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Here is my box today:

    Layer one: Mango, broccoli, goat cheese, almonds, and some happy or defiant strawberries (first time using my picks!)
    Layer two: shrimp, corn, half a string cheese and cabbage/kale salad. Served with honey red wine vinaigrette.

    Today feels like a defiant, tongue-sticking-out strawberry kind of day!
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
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    I've stopped making a bento box for lunch since doing low carb, does anyone here make low carb bento boxes? I suppose i just need to be a little more creative!

    Have a look back over the last few pages. There's quite a few low carb boxes there, especially the ones using those vegetable gem wraps.

    I agree although I suppose it depends on how you define "low carb". My boxes don't tend to have grain in them so most of my carbohydrate is coming from my fruits and veggies. That doesn't necessarily mean they are "low carb" but I'm going for nutrient dense, to tell the truth. Also, fruits and veggies are nom nom nom :wink:
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
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    mzbek24 wrote: »
    I just made my first bento box today, after getting the idea from mfp a few months ago and hunting around for some accessories and things. Veggie Cutters are from Daiso, and Rice moulds and Fuel bento box from ebay. Cheers for the awesome idea.

    24v7ihe.jpg

    This is lovely!
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
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    Bentos are a great idea! They take care of the portion control issue and make your food look more appetizing. Much of our food decision making comes from sight so if it looks nice then we are more likely to be satisfied. Glad you pointed this out!
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    I have a bento I haven't had the chance to use yet, but here's a nice blog post about making bento using typical American foods and without any of the cute cutting tools. Good for beginners.

    http://glorysmischief.com/bento-101
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
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    I tried the mango chipotle gemwrap just now, and here is a little critique:

    It was super tasty - it tasted strongly of mango and had a smokey note to it. It really enhanced my wrap. It was kind of strange eating a sandwich wrapped in a mango fruit roll-up, but I got over that whole notion very fast. It was only 15 calories, which is a huge win in my book.

    What I didn't like - it got a little bit soggy. I put it together last night, and sitting in the bento overnight made it a little mushy. I made sure not to use very liquidy ingredients, but the wrap itself still started to disintegrate. If I used a dressing or a tomato wth the pulp, I think it would have completely fallen apart.

    I have five more of these things, so you will be seeing more of them from me in the near future.

    Does anyone know how long they last after the package is open?
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    I have a bento I haven't had the chance to use yet, but here's a nice blog post about making bento using typical American foods and without any of the cute cutting tools. Good for beginners.

    http://glorysmischief.com/bento-101

    Thanks for sharing! Sometimes I think people get turned off by thinking it needs to be Asian inspired, or fancy and time consuming. This is a good reminder that it does not need to be any of those things.

  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
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    Hubby's simple lunch today. Ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread, smokehouse almonds, carrots, and some cool ranch doritos.
    62d408f156da017d451434080f047d52.png
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Hubby's simple lunch today. Ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread, smokehouse almonds, carrots, and some cool ranch doritos.

    I'm a sucker for cooler ranch doritos!
  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
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    sagj wrote: »
    Hubby's simple lunch today. Ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread, smokehouse almonds, carrots, and some cool ranch doritos.

    I'm a sucker for cooler ranch doritos!

    They are yummy. They are the "water chips" to my little ones.

    So I put lunch in bento boxes, it counts right? Tuna onigiri for the kiddos, and for me spinach, tomato, carrot salad with Italian dressing in bottom box and top is 1.5 serving of rice with tuna(curry powder, avocado, sriracha, onion, pickle, and mustard.) Messy, not cute but hey yummy. 503 calories for my whole lunch.
    52c1d7cb214e67bb048b1c842fc82cb8.png
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Leftovers in the big tier: chicken (I swear there's a little bit of chicken at the back there!), balsamic veggies, couscous, and mac-n-cheese. Very starch-heavy, but it's what was leftover. EDIT: there's also a bit of skewed perspective here due to camera angle: I actually have the same volume of all 3 sides, even though it looks like theres TONS of the mac-n-cheese and barely any veggies.
    Small tier has half a bunny-shaped egg, boiled peanuts (I had to shell them to get the 1/4-cup to fit), grapes, and almonds.
    cvusl3jqc5gs.jpg
    I haven't actually eaten the big tier yet, but I took a picture before I tore into the small tier as a snack. I usually don't do that, but my blood sugar dropped and I needed more than the couple things I had at my desk. Plus, since this bento is so starch-heavy, it's a lot more calories than my normal bentos (540 as opposed to 300-400) so I figured it was a good idea to eat part as a snack anyways. I'mma go eat the rest now! :3
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    I have a bento I haven't had the chance to use yet, but here's a nice blog post about making bento using typical American foods and without any of the cute cutting tools. Good for beginners.

    http://glorysmischief.com/bento-101

    Thanks for sharing! Sometimes I think people get turned off by thinking it needs to be Asian inspired, or fancy and time consuming. This is a good reminder that it does not need to be any of those things.

    Its definitely a good site. I probably should make some non-traditional bentos to post on heres as well. I'm fully aware that a lot of the ingredients i use aren't exactly in most people's pantries ( lol i almost wrote panties there >.< )
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    I have a bento I haven't had the chance to use yet, but here's a nice blog post about making bento using typical American foods and without any of the cute cutting tools. Good for beginners.

    http://glorysmischief.com/bento-101

    Thanks for sharing! Sometimes I think people get turned off by thinking it needs to be Asian inspired, or fancy and time consuming. This is a good reminder that it does not need to be any of those things.

    Its definitely a good site. I probably should make some non-traditional bentos to post on heres as well. I'm fully aware that a lot of the ingredients i use aren't exactly in most people's pantries ( lol i almost wrote panties there >.< )

    SCANDAL!!
    omgcat.gif
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
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    sagj wrote: »
    mzbek24 wrote: »
    I just made my first bento box today, after getting the idea from mfp a few months ago and hunting around for some accessories and things. Veggie Cutters are from Daiso, and Rice moulds and Fuel bento box from ebay. Cheers for the awesome idea.

    24v7ihe.jpg

    This is lovely!

    Agreed! That looks delicious!

    Today is left over roast bento: maple and rosemary roast lamb, carrots, asparagus and sweet potato puree. Top tier is just strawberries and banana

    zd61j9bpkp6l.jpg

  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    madiao wrote: »
    sagj wrote: »
    mzbek24 wrote: »
    I just made my first bento box today, after getting the idea from mfp a few months ago and hunting around for some accessories and things. Veggie Cutters are from Daiso, and Rice moulds and Fuel bento box from ebay. Cheers for the awesome idea.

    24v7ihe.jpg

    This is lovely!

    Agreed! That looks delicious!

    Today is left over roast bento: maple and rosemary roast lamb, carrots, asparagus and sweet potato puree. Top tier is just strawberries and banana

    Mmmmmm, roast lamb. Did you invite Tom Cruise over for dinner? (are you old enough to recognise that reference?)

    I had a craving for soup today, which isn't exactly bentoable (it goes against my personal rule of no soupy foods funnily enough!), so no bento for me today.
  • irenehb
    irenehb Posts: 236 Member
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    [quote="mangroth

    Mmmmmm, roast lamb. Did you invite Tom Cruise over for dinner? (are you old enough to recognise that reference?)

    I had a craving for soup today, which isn't exactly bentoable (it goes against my personal rule of no soupy foods funnily enough!), so no bento for me today.[/quote]
    madiao wrote: »
    sagj wrote: »
    mzbek24 wrote: »
    I just made my first bento box today, after getting the idea from mfp a few months ago and hunting around for some accessories and things. Veggie Cutters are from Daiso, and Rice moulds and Fuel bento box from ebay. Cheers for the awesome idea.

    24v7ihe.jpg

    This is lovely!

    Agreed! That looks delicious!

    Today is left over roast bento: maple and rosemary roast lamb, carrots, asparagus and sweet potato puree. Top tier is just strawberries and banana

    Mmmmmm, roast lamb. Did you invite Tom Cruise over for dinner? (are you old enough to recognise that reference?)

    I had a craving for soup today, which isn't exactly bentoable (it goes against my personal rule of no soupy foods funnily enough!), so no bento for me today.
    I remember that ad, with Naomi Watts, ironically Nicole Kidman's bestie.
    Personally, I would take the roast lamb over Tom Cruise and that is saying a lot since I haven't eaten meat in 22 years.
    I promise to do a bento one of these days but am not working at the moment. The funny thing is I have a Daiso and a Kawa Mart very close to home, live in Melbourne too.

  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
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    @mangrothian that actually made me spit out my drink and laugh :smiley:
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    edited May 2015
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    irenehb wrote: »
    madiao wrote: »
    sagj wrote: »
    mzbek24 wrote: »
    I just made my first bento box today, after getting the idea from mfp a few months ago and hunting around for some accessories and things. Veggie Cutters are from Daiso, and Rice moulds and Fuel bento box from ebay. Cheers for the awesome idea.

    24v7ihe.jpg

    This is lovely!

    Agreed! That looks delicious!

    Today is left over roast bento: maple and rosemary roast lamb, carrots, asparagus and sweet potato puree. Top tier is just strawberries and banana

    Mmmmmm, roast lamb. Did you invite Tom Cruise over for dinner? (are you old enough to recognise that reference?)

    I had a craving for soup today, which isn't exactly bentoable (it goes against my personal rule of no soupy foods funnily enough!), so no bento for me today.
    I remember that ad, with Naomi Watts, ironically Nicole Kidman's bestie.
    Personally, I would take the roast lamb over Tom Cruise and that is saying a lot since I haven't eaten meat in 22 years.
    I promise to do a bento one of these days but am not working at the moment. The funny thing is I have a Daiso and a Kawa Mart very close to home, live in Melbourne too.
    madiao wrote: »
    @mangrothian that actually made me spit out my drink and laugh :smiley:

    Hehe, I think we've just confused every non-Australian in here. ^_^

    @irenehb I wouldn't bother with Tom Cruise either; he's too short, and I really don't like the idea of having to crouch down....
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    Hehe, I think we've just confused every non-Australian in here. ^_^

    Totally, although I found the commercial on YouTube. I've heard of a lot of things connected with him, but lamb was not one of them :lol: