Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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Replies

  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    kramrn77 wrote: »
    I finally bought the gem wraps- I can't remember who used to use them, but do you make them the same day or do they hold up if you make them the night before and set them in the fridge overnight? I'm excited to try them!

    I made them the night before, but make sure you leave any dressing off, they will melt. I don't remember who used them regularly, but she did say they have to sit before you eat them.
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    kramrn77 wrote: »
    I finally bought the gem wraps- I can't remember who used to use them, but do you make them the same day or do they hold up if you make them the night before and set them in the fridge overnight? I'm excited to try them!

    I made them the night before, but you can't use wet ingredients (sauces, tomato, etc). They are too firm to eat immediately, so if you make them the day-of, you have to let them sit for five minutes or so before chowing down. I stopped eating them after a couple because I didn't want to make them the day-of, and they were getting too mushy if I made them the night before :(
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Here is my Kinda Ugly Box (tm) for today :smiley: :

    Layer 1: Layered Eggplant

    Layer 2: Mango and strawberries, arugula/kale/ham

    PS I kinda hate cutting up mango :wink:
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    No bento for me today :(
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    No bento for me today :(

    Me neither :( been sick the las 4 days so energy levels are lagging.
    sagj wrote: »
    PS I kinda hate cutting up mango :wink:

    You aren't alone there. Mango is certainly not a fruit designed for easy cutting. I put it in my "this fruit is too slow for neat bento" category. ;)
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    I'm preparing for my bento right now! Right cooking with an egg on it in the fancy rice cooker. Not sure where to go from there.. Maybe some grilled veggie! Definitely a side of ozuke.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    I'm preparing for my bento right now! Right cooking with an egg on it in the fancy rice cooker. Not sure where to go from there.. Maybe some grilled veggie! Definitely a side of ozuke.

    Ozuke?
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    edited June 2015
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    I'm preparing for my bento right now! Right cooking with an egg on it in the fancy rice cooker. Not sure where to go from there.. Maybe some grilled veggie! Definitely a side of ozuke.

    Ozuke?
    Pickled things. I just realized this may not be a national thing, since it is Colorado-based and I'm in Colorado. xD; We love our 'support our state' produce, etc.

    http://ozuke.com/product/ruby-calendula/

    I use the one above. It was an interesting taste at first, couldn't tell if I liked it or hated it. NOPE, I LOVE IT. A little goes a looooong way, too.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    I'm preparing for my bento right now! Right cooking with an egg on it in the fancy rice cooker. Not sure where to go from there.. Maybe some grilled veggie! Definitely a side of ozuke.

    Ozuke?
    Pickled things. I just realized this may not be a national thing, since it is Colorado-based and I'm in Colorado. xD; We love our 'support our state' produce, etc.

    http://ozuke.com/product/ruby-calendula/

    I use the one above. It was an interesting taste at first, couldn't tell if I liked it or hated it. NOPE, I LOVE IT. A little goes a looooong way, too.

    Ah, so it's a brand name. I was thinking "I don't recognize that word, but if it's tasty and bento friendly I must have it!" Sadly, not available in Aus :(
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    I'm preparing for my bento right now! Right cooking with an egg on it in the fancy rice cooker. Not sure where to go from there.. Maybe some grilled veggie! Definitely a side of ozuke.

    Ozuke?
    Pickled things. I just realized this may not be a national thing, since it is Colorado-based and I'm in Colorado. xD; We love our 'support our state' produce, etc.

    http://ozuke.com/product/ruby-calendula/

    I use the one above. It was an interesting taste at first, couldn't tell if I liked it or hated it. NOPE, I LOVE IT. A little goes a looooong way, too.

    Ah, so it's a brand name. I was thinking "I don't recognize that word, but if it's tasty and bento friendly I must have it!" Sadly, not available in Aus :(
    Never know, maybe one day! They just do pickled things, you could probably find an Aus brand of similar tastes. Check for brands that do Kim Chee, they may do other stuff.
  • LadyAhiru
    LadyAhiru Posts: 112 Member
    Sadly no Bento for me today! I hope i will have one tomorrow
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
    Lunch for tomorrow is stir fry brocolini, carrots, capsicum and spring onion, rice with furikake and salmon.

    vakv20d8cbwg.jpg
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    edited June 2015
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    I'm preparing for my bento right now! Right cooking with an egg on it in the fancy rice cooker. Not sure where to go from there.. Maybe some grilled veggie! Definitely a side of ozuke.

    Ozuke?
    Pickled things. I just realized this may not be a national thing, since it is Colorado-based and I'm in Colorado. xD; We love our 'support our state' produce, etc.

    http://ozuke.com/product/ruby-calendula/

    I use the one above. It was an interesting taste at first, couldn't tell if I liked it or hated it. NOPE, I LOVE IT. A little goes a looooong way, too.

    Yay, Colorado!! (I'm in Westminster)

    So I have a bento today, but I don't have my phone D: So no picture today, but I made 2 identical bentos from dinner leftovers last night, so I'll get a picture of the other one later this week. And I put them both in my 2 new bento boxes!! Yay!!
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Today's bento:

    Layer one: layered eggplant

    Layer two: spring mix salad with ham and romano cheese

    I also have some cherries and yogurt

    I really need to go to the grocery store; after house sitting this weekend i haven't restocked and am out of most veggies. :(

    @mangrothian I hope you feel 100% soon
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    @sagj why TY ^_^ I'm getting there, but the cold and flu season this year on Aus has been a nightmare. I usually just get the sniffles once over winter, but this year it's hit me bad twice.

    Today's bento is salmon with rice and veg and some kind of tomato chutney that came with the salmon in the sauce pot. The snack container has some antipasti (stuffed peppers, chilli olives and marinated capsicum strips). The main box is about 450cals, the antipasti box about 200cals.
    lmiamjrqd7u2.jpg
    The two are a good example of the difference Calories can be in a lunchbox. The antipasti box is half filled (the box is about 220ml) yet contains nearly half the Cals of the box over 3 times its size and stuffed to the brim.

    What saddens me is that in the past, my lunchboxes were at least that size or bigger, and used to be filled with items like the antipasti.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    edited June 2015
    I've been keeping my eye out for a smaller lunchbox/bento. I adore how mine can collapse to make it easier to carry... But it holds too much food. Even if stuffed with the lowest calorie of snacks, it adds up! Any suggestions? Microwavable is a plus.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    I've been keeping my eye out for a smaller lunchbox/bento. I adore how mine can collapse to make it easier to carry... But it holds too much food. Even if stuffed with the lowest calorie of snacks, it adds up! Any suggestions? Microwavable is a plus.

    What are the size (in mL preferably) of your current boxes?
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    Aha, found it on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Gear-Ez-freeze®-Collapsible-Assorted/dp/B00BSZJGII

    ... Huge.
    Main Container: 53 FL OZ - Medium Container: 8 FL OZ - Small Containers: 3.5 FL OZ
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    edited June 2015
    Oh my various gods, that's huge! Just the main container is 3 times the size of most of mine.

    You'll find that most of the bento boxes except the really cheap ones are microwaveable to reheat food only without their lids on, so you have quite a few options, but if you want a smaller one that is microwavable with the lids on, the Hanairo Bento is a good one at 585ml (2/3 smaller than your main container. maybe you can get it on Amazon?) and it has little pop vents in each lid to let air escape when you're microwaving. This one is 900ml (a third smaller than your main container).

    As a comparison, most of my boxes range from 490 to 550ml, and they hold more than enough lunch for me (the one I'm using today is 700ml, which is the bottom tier of my biggest box).

    ETA: You could also use something like this. The box I'm using today is a bentgo under a different brandname.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    RIGHT? Sooo huge! Oooh, that are pretty cute. I saw one on Bento&Co a while back that I loved. The Geisha Doll one! But I saw it wasn't really recommended for microwaving.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    The Geisha doll ones can go in a microwave, but for no more than about a minute or so to warm up food; a bento is a lunch (in theory at least) designed to be eaten at room temperature so there's less fuss when your lunch time rolls around, which is why many of the boxes aren't designed to be able to withstand any more than that.

    If you like hot food, I would suggest a Sistema (or other brand, I just happen to like Sistema) box similar to this, this or maybe this
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    Bento&Co had a microwavable section, and I just added the cutest thing to my cart.

    http://en.bentoandco.com/collections/microwave-safe/products/owan-sakura?variant=57059022
  • Urban_Princess
    Urban_Princess Posts: 219 Member
    you have really pretty food.

    sorry can't comment on bento boxes - never used one
  • Narcissora
    Narcissora Posts: 197 Member
    you have really pretty food.

    sorry can't comment on bento boxes - never used one

    Thanks! If you want to try it out, you can just use a plastic container (like Tupperware) and prettily arrange your lunch... If you have little silicone, paper, or metal muffin cups, you can use those to separate some of your food. It has sort of become a hobby for me, and I found that it is a great motivator to put together nutritionally-balanced meals that fit into my calorie goals. You don't need any of the fancy containers and accessories to start out :)
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Rice paper rolls from the local Vietnamese restaurant with peanut sauce. I think they are shrimp, veggie/tofu, spicy shrimp patty, and pork. Also a couple tiny spring rolls. I didn't make it to the store for veggies but I think it will be okay :wink:
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
    @sagj those rice paper rolls look delicious!!!

    Today's lunch is mixed lettuce, diakon, spring onion, carrot and tomatoes in the top tier, rice, honey soy chicken and tamago in the bottom tier

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  • LifeInTheBikeLane
    LifeInTheBikeLane Posts: 345 Member
    I've started making my loves and mines lunches like this in plastic containers. I may or may not have been inspired by this thread and bought a bento box online last night. :smiley:
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    I've started making my loves and mines lunches like this in plastic containers. I may or may not have been inspired by this thread and bought a bento box online last night. :smiley:

    Yay! One of us! One of us! Join usssss.....

    (I can't be bothered finding another world domination gif..)
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    Hiiii, Life! 8D Whoo, my suggestion worked~.
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    I've started making my loves and mines lunches like this in plastic containers. I may or may not have been inspired by this thread and bought a bento box online last night. :smiley:

    Yay! One of us! One of us! Join usssss.....

    (I can't be bothered finding another world domination gif..)

    I'z heelpz...

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    nhk723azwvwj.jpeg

    Welcome to the gang!