Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    edited January 2015
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    LizN63 wrote: »
    I'm finding sometimes my frozen, reheated rice is rock hard when I come to eat it at lunchtime - what am I doing wrong?? :(

    When I started freezing my rice, I had the same problems.

    The best pointer I can give is to make sure you freeze your rice when it's still hot. If you wait for it too cool, the moisture evaporates. Also reheat it in the bag you sealed it in so that the moisture doesn't escape during the reheating process.

    Edit: I find my iPad has the stupidest spelling corrections. Edit to Edith? I don't know any Edith's! I kept fixing 'yo yo rice' over and over again, but still missed the autocorrection. I wonder what yo yo rice is for it to be in apples dictionary....
  • LizN63
    LizN63 Posts: 129 Member
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    Ah. I poked a few holes in them like you do for microwave meals :*)
  • barbiegirlie2
    barbiegirlie2 Posts: 26 Member
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    Yo Yo Rice: It's what yoi get when Yo Yo Ma (the famous cellist) makes rice.

    Wah-waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    barbiegirlie2 wrote: »
    Yo Yo Rice: It's what yoi get when Yo Yo Ma (the famous cellist) makes rice.

    Wah-waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

    o_O gee, that sounds like a joke I'd make or something....
    MKEgal wrote: »
    One thing I haven't seen yet in this thread is the suggestion to pack the box as tightly as possible to prevent shifting / mixing. If you're sure it's not going to be bounced around at all, leaving head space is fine. But if you're making lunch for your kid that might not end up well. :anguished:

    I always pack mine as tight as possible. If I put the lid on and can hear stuff shake in it, I open it back up and put in more veg. I'm rough with my bags in the morning, so my lunch would end up a big Ol mess!
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    OMG @MKEgal i really could have gone on without knowing that was a website! My poor paycheck :'(
  • aSearch4Me
    aSearch4Me Posts: 397 Member
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    So I'm excited :D ... We stopped by a new-to-us Japanese market nearby this weekend...and not only did they have an awesome supply of food (& cutesy bento stuff!!), but they also had an in-store restaurant with amazing sushi! 24- hours later and I'm still smiling.

    For bento'ing I picked up some travel chopsticks, rice molds, fish shaped soy sauce containers, and restocked a lot of seasonings I was out of :)

    Not a bento picture, but check out this chirashi bowl from the market. It was a major deal compared to what we normally pay at our favorite sushi restaurant here... Lol. tr3pbmjlpyev.jpg
  • barbiegirlie2
    barbiegirlie2 Posts: 26 Member
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    That looks amazingly delicious!
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
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    Cute! I want one! Great idea
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    For beginners (like me!) this website is a good guide for how to plan and pack a bento. Can't remember if this link showed up yet, but thought I'd share in case it hadn't.
    http://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-bento/
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Wow nice thick tuna sashimi slices in that chirashi bowl. Makes me wish I took a picture of my plate from the restaurant I ate at on Saturday night. My belly groaned but I definitely made my protein goals for the day.
    SpecialKitty7 wrote: »
    For beginners (like me!) this website is a good guide for how to plan and pack a bento. Can't remember if this link showed up yet, but thought I'd share in case it hadn't.
    http://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-bento/

    I love that website. Nami's recipe for beef guidon is the one I use, and she just posted something about hot springs eggs which intrigues me. The guyuudon is bento-able, and her bento tips are good too.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Here's Monday's bento: Soba noodles with smoked sesame seeds, spinach and shrimp sauteed in sesame oil, broccoli, an egg & some blueberries. 433 calories, 49/13/32 C/F/P.goqztsy5yd6l.jpg

    All in my new bento, which clearly, I need to learn the dimensions of.

    Aw. My bunny egg didn't come out in the pic. My dogs and one cat were sniffing around, so I had to hurry and get the picture :o
  • kramrn77
    kramrn77 Posts: 375 Member
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    That looks amazing!
  • barbiegirlie2
    barbiegirlie2 Posts: 26 Member
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    Today I was preparing food for bentos this week. I made carrot kinpira, sesame-dressed broccoli, and turkey basil meatballs (to be served with ponzu sauce). I also made a vegetable quinoa crock pot dish for dinner, so I may use some of that for bentos, too.

    I was going to make a few other things, but I got tired and took a nap instead. Lol
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I'll admit, this looks great. But there's no way I'm going to carry this on the crowded subway train, along with my gym bag for an hour long ride and back every day. I know I'd end up leaving them at work after two days. Really nice meals though!
  • barbiegirlie2
    barbiegirlie2 Posts: 26 Member
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    I decided to make one more thing tonight - Spinach with Sesame Sauce. I am going to have some amazing lunches over the next week or two!
  • aSearch4Me
    aSearch4Me Posts: 397 Member
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    My bento for Monday lunch: blueberries, snow peas, tamago, onigiri (seasoned cayenne, orange peel, & sesame seeds), wasabi, soy sauce, & pecans. [327 calories, 49g carb, 3g fiber, 12g protein, & 11g fat. ]

    aibfl88rbkje.jpg
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    I'll admit, this looks great. But there's no way I'm going to carry this on the crowded subway train, along with my gym bag for an hour long ride and back every day. I know I'd end up leaving them at work after two days. Really nice meals though!

    It takes me an hour and 40 on public transport, and I take my Bento with my gym bag as well. The lunchbox fits along the bottom of my handbag without issue (except when its 30C+ degrees outside, and I use a cooler bag). One of the main plus sides to a Bento box is that it's compact enough to be easy to carry around! If you are on a maintenance/gain regimen, your box would probably be bigger because of the amount of food you need to eat, but when you're losing, the boxes are usually around 500-700ml in size.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    mangrothian wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I'll admit, this looks great. But there's no way I'm going to carry this on the crowded subway train, along with my gym bag for an hour long ride and back every day. I know I'd end up leaving them at work after two days. Really nice meals though!

    It takes me an hour and 40 on public transport, and I take my Bento with my gym bag as well. The lunchbox fits along the bottom of my handbag without issue (except when its 30C+ degrees outside, and I use a cooler bag). One of the main plus sides to a Bento box is that it's compact enough to be easy to carry around! If you are on a maintenance/gain regimen, your box would probably be bigger because of the amount of food you need to eat, but when you're losing, the boxes are usually around 500-700ml in size.

    Yeah...Also I don't like to cook. So there's that! Can you mail me some? :)
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    @arditarose I've already made the offer to another MFP-er. You pay for my flights, and I'll come over and cook for you B)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    mangrothian wrote: »
    @arditarose I've already made the offer to another MFP-er. You pay for my flights, and I'll come over and cook for you B)

    Okay, once I figure out how to pay my rent this month!

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