Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Oooh, new bento article by Maki (the JustBento / JustHungry website writer) for anyone who's interested. Five Rules for Packing Healthy, Practical Bento Lunches
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    Sorchya wrote: »
    I would love to find something to take bento. I am in the U.S, don't have a Daiso store nearby.

    Amazon.com can be your friend! The only Daiso as far as I know is in San Francisco, bit of a haul from Chicago. I bought most of my high quality stuff from Amazon, but I've also found stuff at places like Meijer. Someone else on here said The Container Store had stuff too. Anything can be a bento container, even gladware, give it a go :smiley:

  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
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    @Narcissora so glad you liked the fairy bread :smiley: you're friends are definitely missing out!!

    @mangrothian I want fairy bread too now!!
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
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    This is actually my last bento for about a month. We are finishing packing tomorrow, and we move on the 4th. (I actually moved here to Buffalo on the 4th of July four years ago. It's crazy that I'm moving out the exact same day).

    lg525a28nze0.jpg

    I just realized that I should have tried for a patriotic bento of red, white, and blue. Oh well.

    Rice topped with coconut chicken curry, haricot verts, raspberries, canned pears (slim pickin's in the fridge, so I had to find something in the pantry to eat). Not pictured is a chocolate flavored Greek yogurt because I'm at maintenance now and didn't think this would be enough food.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Sorchya wrote: »
    I would love to find something to take bento. I am in the U.S, don't have a Daiso store nearby.

    Amazon.com can be your friend! The only Daiso as far as I know is in San Francisco, bit of a haul from Chicago. I bought most of my high quality stuff from Amazon, but I've also found stuff at places like Meijer. Someone else on here said The Container Store had stuff too. Anything can be a bento container, even gladware, give it a go :smiley:

    Daiso has an online store in the US. Linkie Linkie

    There's also AllThingsForSale. They're another cheap online bento store. You'll even find some identical things in this and the Daiso store
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    I feel like I've gone a bit retro. I'm using the second bento box I ever bought. I used to put my rice, meat and veg in this tiny 480ml container, but I just can't do it anymore (I wouldn't be able to fuel my running if I did), so the rice went in two onigiri boxes.

    The bento totals 640Cal, and has 75 grams of pork belly marinated in yakiniku sauce, 1 egg marinated in soy and miso (with little nori hearts on them ^_^), narazuke pickles, mixed blanched vegetables (broccoli, capsicum, snow peas, brussel sprouts, carrot), and two onigiri (220g of cooked rice) filled with an umeboshi and yuzu pepper paste.
    m4th2y1yihsi.jpg
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!! I've been wanting onigiri for so long, and you're just making it worse!! TT^TT But I don't have time to wash, soak, cook, and shape the rice - and I CANNOT find microwavable sushi rice around here!! ><#
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
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    I feel like I've gone a bit retro. I'm using the second bento box I ever bought. I used to put my rice, meat and veg in this tiny 480ml container, but I just can't do it anymore (I wouldn't be able to fuel my running if I did), so the rice went in two onigiri boxes.

    The bento totals 640Cal, and has 75 grams of pork belly marinated in yakiniku sauce, 1 egg marinated in soy and miso (with little nori hearts on them ^_^), narazuke pickles, mixed blanched vegetables (broccoli, capsicum, snow peas, brussel sprouts, carrot), and two onigiri (220g of cooked rice) filled with an umeboshi and yuzu pepper paste.
    m4th2y1yihsi.jpg

    Is your rice winking at me? >.<
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    Narcissora wrote: »
    I feel like I've gone a bit retro. I'm using the second bento box I ever bought. I used to put my rice, meat and veg in this tiny 480ml container, but I just can't do it anymore (I wouldn't be able to fuel my running if I did), so the rice went in two onigiri boxes.

    The bento totals 640Cal, and has 75 grams of pork belly marinated in yakiniku sauce, 1 egg marinated in soy and miso (with little nori hearts on them ^_^), narazuke pickles, mixed blanched vegetables (broccoli, capsicum, snow peas, brussel sprouts, carrot), and two onigiri (220g of cooked rice) filled with an umeboshi and yuzu pepper paste.
    m4th2y1yihsi.jpg

    Is your rice winking at me? >.<

    It is. Sassy rice...
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    BENTO! Rice, shrimp, and mixed veggies, with a salad!
    yn38jmiiiius.jpg
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Narcissora wrote: »
    I feel like I've gone a bit retro. I'm using the second bento box I ever bought. I used to put my rice, meat and veg in this tiny 480ml container, but I just can't do it anymore (I wouldn't be able to fuel my running if I did), so the rice went in two onigiri boxes.

    The bento totals 640Cal, and has 75 grams of pork belly marinated in yakiniku sauce, 1 egg marinated in soy and miso (with little nori hearts on them ^_^), narazuke pickles, mixed blanched vegetables (broccoli, capsicum, snow peas, brussel sprouts, carrot), and two onigiri (220g of cooked rice) filled with an umeboshi and yuzu pepper paste.
    m4th2y1yihsi.jpg

    Is your rice winking at me? >.<

    Yup. How YOU doin? ;D
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 901 Member
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    Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!! I've been wanting onigiri for so long, and you're just making it worse!! TT^TT But I don't have time to wash, soak, cook, and shape the rice - and I CANNOT find microwavable sushi rice around here!! ><#
    It takes me like, 5 minutes aside from throwing it in the rice cooker! I buy Nishiki rice [Wal-mart Asian section] or just medium-grain rice [regular ol' rice area]... Throw in rice cooker, cook like normal. I never knew you were supposed to wash rice before. xD; But it comes out starchy and sticky! For shaping, I have molds I just throw'm in. Literally, dump in the rice, SMASH MOLD CLOSED. Take off lid again, and press the back to pop'm right back out. BAM! Nori optional.

    I have the triangle one, and the cute lil star/bear/heart one.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    PixelPuff wrote: »
    Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!! I've been wanting onigiri for so long, and you're just making it worse!! TT^TT But I don't have time to wash, soak, cook, and shape the rice - and I CANNOT find microwavable sushi rice around here!! ><#
    It takes me like, 5 minutes aside from throwing it in the rice cooker! I buy Nishiki rice [Wal-mart Asian section] or just medium-grain rice [regular ol' rice area]... Throw in rice cooker, cook like normal. I never knew you were supposed to wash rice before. xD; But it comes out starchy and sticky! For shaping, I have molds I just throw'm in. Literally, dump in the rice, SMASH MOLD CLOSED. Take off lid again, and press the back to pop'm right back out. BAM! Nori optional.

    I have the triangle one, and the cute lil star/bear/heart one.

    For Koshihikari rice (the Japanese medium grain / sushi rice), you're meant to wash it in cold water until the water is clear. It should go sticky anyway when you cook it even if you do wash it, but the starchiness generally isn't preferred. That's when it's in more traditional uses at at lest.

    In the end, it doesn't matter if you wash it or not. It's all about your preferences and the time available to you
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
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    Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!! Especially those in America (happy late 4th of July :smiley: )

    Tomorrow's lunch is cumin spiced lamb, broccoli, carrots and minion rice!!

    3g07zg6ijunk.jpg


  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
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    madiao wrote: »
    Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!! Especially those in America (happy late 4th of July :smiley: )

    Tomorrow's lunch is cumin spiced lamb, broccoli, carrots and minion rice!!

    3g07zg6ijunk.jpg


    Awesome!
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    madiao wrote: »
    Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!! Especially those in America (happy late 4th of July :smiley: )

    Tomorrow's lunch is cumin spiced lamb, broccoli, carrots and minion rice!!

    3g07zg6ijunk.jpg

    Banana?
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Today I used my large sealable microwave cup (its my largest container at 940ml), because for lunch I have curryrice! I didn't make as much sauce as would normally go with it, since I still don't completely trust a container that says 'leakproof', but it did need to be a microwavable one.

    hawi269ni1rn.jpg

    For Calories sake, it's got no potato in it (which would normally be the main veg), but has broccoli, capsicum, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrot, onion and chicken. nomnomnom. Perfect for when you're still slightly damp from walking in the rain on your way to work.

    P.S Stupid photo won't orientate in the right direction. Bah!
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    PixelPuff wrote: »
    Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!! I've been wanting onigiri for so long, and you're just making it worse!! TT^TT But I don't have time to wash, soak, cook, and shape the rice - and I CANNOT find microwavable sushi rice around here!! ><#
    It takes me like, 5 minutes aside from throwing it in the rice cooker! I buy Nishiki rice [Wal-mart Asian section] or just medium-grain rice [regular ol' rice area]... Throw in rice cooker, cook like normal. I never knew you were supposed to wash rice before. xD; But it comes out starchy and sticky! For shaping, I have molds I just throw'm in. Literally, dump in the rice, SMASH MOLD CLOSED. Take off lid again, and press the back to pop'm right back out. BAM! Nori optional.

    I have the triangle one, and the cute lil star/bear/heart one.

    For Koshihikari rice (the Japanese medium grain / sushi rice), you're meant to wash it in cold water until the water is clear. It should go sticky anyway when you cook it even if you do wash it, but the starchiness generally isn't preferred. That's when it's in more traditional uses at at lest.

    In the end, it doesn't matter if you wash it or not. It's all about your preferences and the time available to you

    Hrrmmm....I guess I could try not washing it and see how it comes out (that's the part that takes the longest, because I can do other stuff while it's in the rice cooker, and it generally only takes me a half-hour or less to make a batch of onigiri while watching TV :) )

    No bento for me today, just grabbed Chinese leftovers from dinner last night
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    Today's bento. Shrimp, edamame, mini peppers & jasmine rice mixed with forbidden rice. Kinda turned the whole thing purple when I thought I'd get pretty speckled rice, but it tastes good and that's what matters. Total 400 cals.k5s5bhe3clj8.jpg
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    Options
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!! I've been wanting onigiri for so long, and you're just making it worse!! TT^TT But I don't have time to wash, soak, cook, and shape the rice - and I CANNOT find microwavable sushi rice around here!! ><#
    It takes me like, 5 minutes aside from throwing it in the rice cooker! I buy Nishiki rice [Wal-mart Asian section] or just medium-grain rice [regular ol' rice area]... Throw in rice cooker, cook like normal. I never knew you were supposed to wash rice before. xD; But it comes out starchy and sticky! For shaping, I have molds I just throw'm in. Literally, dump in the rice, SMASH MOLD CLOSED. Take off lid again, and press the back to pop'm right back out. BAM! Nori optional.

    I have the triangle one, and the cute lil star/bear/heart one.

    For Koshihikari rice (the Japanese medium grain / sushi rice), you're meant to wash it in cold water until the water is clear. It should go sticky anyway when you cook it even if you do wash it, but the starchiness generally isn't preferred. That's when it's in more traditional uses at at lest.

    In the end, it doesn't matter if you wash it or not. It's all about your preferences and the time available to you

    Hrrmmm....I guess I could try not washing it and see how it comes out (that's the part that takes the longest, because I can do other stuff while it's in the rice cooker, and it generally only takes me a half-hour or less to make a batch of onigiri while watching TV :) )

    No bento for me today, just grabbed Chinese leftovers from dinner last night

    Just to add an opinion to the peanut gallery. I don't wash unless I'm making sushi. I don't really notice a difference either way, but all my cookbooks say it HAS to be done, so I do. I also use the Nishiki brand rice. It's a California short (and medium) grain rice.