Using Bento Boxes for lunches.
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The Eco boxes are nice. That's probably the one I am going to get, honestly. Since I am in the car, I don't have access to a microwave anyway. But the fact that stainless steel washes so well is really nice. My favorite set right now is stainless steel with a rubber top.0
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@kramrn77 I didn't know the container store had all that! Next time I'm over at my mom's I'm checking it out (she lives practically down the street from one).0
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I've been pretty absent this week b/c I keep getting lunch provided for me!
(And I'm too broke to turn it down, even if I'd rather eat the bento that's been in the fridge for 3 days.) So maybe tomorrow, I'll finally eat and post a picture of the one bento I've made this week 
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ellienowell wrote: »This is fabulous! I really want to get into this! Do you have a recipe for your little meatballs etc? They look great. I will try that Bento site you linked and start Bentoing asap!
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Hi everyone, I'm also new to bento boxes and another challange I have is that I live right in the middle of WI. And yes it's going to be -20 below zero tonight. I need simple ideas and ingredients that I can buy her at my local stores. I do not have access to some of the ingredients you have mentioned. Just about every kind of fish and shrimp is frozen. I don't want this to bum me out and am willing to take the challange. Any and all ideas are welcome. I will order the boxes online but need a good web site to go to get started. Moderately priced any ideas?0
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@Avigne13, I am a poor young professional, I make with whatever I have at hand. My understanding is as long as you pack it into the box, it is a bento...0
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I have been out of town for the past week so no bento for me, but so proud of my daughter who made her own bento to take to school for lunch! This was her very first one...rice, steamed squash and green beans, and orange chicken...yes its a bit burnt LoL but she's trying
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@Avigne13, I've only just started to do this myself. I use a lot of eggs, boiled or omelet. Also rice with your favorite sauce, mix ins. Cut up veggies. Mostly things you can eat cold or don't spoil if you keep it in the fridge for a couple days. You can do a lot with cut up veggies and some dressing for dipping. It's up to you if you want to try and make it look "pretty" or not. I see a lot of people on here using leftovers from last nights dinner.0
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DeathofSuburbia wrote: »@Avigne13, I am a poor young professional, I make with whatever I have at hand. My understanding is as long as you pack it into the box, it is a bento...
Indeed! Though from my understanding, there is a ratio to bento... 4 part carb, 2 part protein, 1 part vege, 1 part fruit.. or the one I try to do... 3 part carb, 2 part vegetable, 1 part protein.
Thats what makes it great, both the portion control and also getting in the ratios for a filling / rounded out meal. But in its essence..its leftovers =D I'm still learning myself here, but love it.
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Hi everyone, I'm also new to bento boxes and another challange I have is that I live right in the middle of WI. And yes it's going to be -20 below zero tonight. I need simple ideas and ingredients that I can buy her at my local stores. I do not have access to some of the ingredients you have mentioned. Just about every kind of fish and shrimp is frozen. I don't want this to bum me out and am willing to take the challange. Any and all ideas are welcome. I will order the boxes online but need a good web site to go to get started. Moderately priced any ideas?
Frozen fish & shrimp are fine. All the shrimp in my bentos was frozen raw, and I stir fried it. You don't necessarily need a fancy box (it just makes it that much more fun), I started out with gladware. You also don't need fancy or even asian foods, feel free to make a hamburger and roasted potato bento!
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pretty much. Food that's safe to leave at room Temp for a short while, actually tastes good at room temp, and isn't too soupy/saucy. My bentos aren't really expensive to make at all. I use cheaper cuts of meat, most of my sauces are made from the same mix of 5 ingredients, and since I cook everything in batches and freeze it or use leftovers, it's bulk cooking on a budget. The more expensive ingredients that I use are probably the umeboshi (pickled plum), Japanese pickles and some of my berry fruits I eat as a snack. For fruit I just suggest whatever is cheap and tastes good to you.DeathofSuburbia wrote: »@Avigne13, I am a poor young professional, I make with whatever I have at hand. My understanding is as long as you pack it into the box, it is a bento...Hi everyone, I'm also new to bento boxes and another challange I have is that I live right in the middle of WI. And yes it's going to be -20 below zero tonight. I need simple ideas and ingredients that I can buy her at my local stores. I do not have access to some of the ingredients you have mentioned. Just about every kind of fish and shrimp is frozen. I don't want this to bum me out and am willing to take the challange. Any and all ideas are welcome. I will order the boxes online but need a good web site to go to get started. Moderately priced any ideas?
To be honest, if it wasn't for the fact that the rarer Japanese/Asian foods are so easily accessible for me (Melbourne is pretty much a food Mecca in Australia) I wouldn't be using them. Rice, eggs dishes (I suggest one of the tamagoyaki recipes in the thread), little meatballs, frozen shrimp is fine, with cut and lightly blanched or steamed veg. I. Terms of boxes, something about 500-700ml in size (I'm no good with fl.oz and such) is a good start, even just gladware.0 -
ellienowell wrote: »This is fabulous! I really want to get into this! Do you have a recipe for your little meatballs etc? They look great. I will try that Bento site you linked and start Bentoing asap!
I've actually had a couple of private messages about the meatballs I make surprisingly. I didn't think they'd be of interest.
-500g / 1lb mince (whatever type takes your fancy)
-1 egg
-3 tbsps Panko/breadcrumbs or 2tbspn semolina
-1 small onion
- herbs/spices to taste
Chop everything as fine as possible and mix, or plop the ingredients in a food processor (I suggest doing the onions on their own first) roll into little balls (wet hands make this really easy) and panfry with minimal oil. When they've just finished cooking, I throw in a small amount of a sauce of some kind (soy, Worcestershire, ponzu, sweet chilli etc) into the pan and roll the balls around in it until the sauce has coated them and gone sticky.
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Sorry to multi post so much, but I just remembered to ask something I thought about last night. What do you guys use to eat your bentos with? Do you use a fork or chopsticks? Was curious......0
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mangrothian wrote: »Sorry to multi post so much, but I just remembered to ask something I thought about last night. What do you guys use to eat your bentos with? Do you use a fork or chopsticks? Was curious......
Right now forks...but do want to get chopsticks as well since they would be easier to pack and eat with if my bento meal allows it. But would still use a fork if I have long grain rice or well...anything that would make using chopsticks impossible.0 -
mangrothian wrote: »Sorry to multi post so much, but I just remembered to ask something I thought about last night. What do you guys use to eat your bentos with? Do you use a fork or chopsticks? Was curious......
Right now forks...but do want to get chopsticks as well since they would be easier to pack and eat with if my bento meal allows it. But would still use a fork if I have long grain rice or well...anything that would make using chopsticks impossible.
Long grain rice? Practice my dear! Practice! ^_^0 -
Lmfao!! Its just way too fluffy for chopsticks..while I *could* do it...picking up a few grains at a time would kill me.
Then again, that would be a fantastic way to lose weight..I would get tired and pass out from hunger before being able to finish a meal LOL Hey! New fad diet! The chopstick diet! I need to go write an e-book and monetize this... hehehehehe!0 -
Hey hey hey! Only if I get acknowledgements in the Authors introduction!
I actually use chopsticks even with salad at lunch. I'm really good with them, but it makes me eat slower, savouring my food. Except for my yoghurt, because that's just silly.0 -
Yeah, no to chopsticks with yogurt...though if its the thicker Greek yogurt, you could swing it!!! I eat my salad with chopsticks as well =D They dont help me eat slower though, you can balance more food on those things than you can on a fork...sumo training lol
You will get credit..heck, I'll even give you a 10% commission on sales. I'm gonna make millions, so thats not a bad deal hehehehe!0 -
mangrothian wrote: »Sorry to multi post so much, but I just remembered to ask something I thought about last night. What do you guys use to eat your bentos with? Do you use a fork or chopsticks? Was curious......
I mostly use chopsticks (I eat salad with them too) or even just my fingers, esp for onigiri. There have been a couple times I've grabbed a spoon or fork when needed - the one that comes to mind is dirty rice, which is long grain AND greasy so....master-ninja-level chopstick skills required, which I do not quite have.0 -
Hi everyone, I'm also new to bento boxes and another challange I have is that I live right in the middle of WI. And yes it's going to be -20 below zero tonight. I need simple ideas and ingredients that I can buy her at my local stores. I do not have access to some of the ingredients you have mentioned. Just about every kind of fish and shrimp is frozen. I don't want this to bum me out and am willing to take the challange. Any and all ideas are welcome. I will order the boxes online but need a good web site to go to get started. Moderately priced any ideas?
@avigne13 If you look back at the photos on the previous pages, you'll see some great, simple, non-Asian ideas...like my chicken and mini-waffles bento, or several people have done taco bentos. Pretty much anything can be made into a bento...just think small-sized foods, packed in tight. I've even seen burgers and hot dogs, pizza, whatever...make sliders or cut sandwiches into wedges, make small things in muffin tins like pizza muffins or little omelets...anything can work.
For those who were talking about (and drooling over) small cheeses earlier, look what Trader Joe's has now!!!
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