Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    bri170lb wrote: »
    Thank you for your responses about your favourite bento boxes and extras.

    I decided to buy a cheaper set from the grocery store. I used it today and it was just right. I plan to ask my family for some fancy Monbento stuff for Christmas.

    I cleaned out a drawer in my kitchen to store everything and FOUND a couple of tiny cutters that would have worked on my peppers this morning...but I forgot...so sad.

    I don't know how to post pictures yet. The instruction seem to be written in a language foreign to me. I will have to get my kids to help me figure it out.

    Anyway, thanks everyone for the inspiration! I have a beautiful and healthy breakfast and lunch today!

    I got my monbento on a massive clearance, but I do have to say, while the box is super high quality, its probably my least used one. It's kinda big. The sizes are all listed in in liter and mililiter which makes it hard for me to gauge size and melts my little Imperial American brain. Just make sure when you pick a Monbento to carefully check the volume compared to what you're using now.

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    The only imperial conversion I'm not good with is Km's to miles; probably because it's the only one I don't have to deal with in Australia. My parents still talk in feet and inches (rulers have cm and inches on them too), and standard cup and glass sizes usually have a fluid ounce size listed on them, since standard beer glass sizes all use the old rules (pot, middy, schooner, pint, wtf?).

    For mls, it may be quicker in your head to use cups for a rough estimate. 1 cup = 250mls. 4 cups = 1 litre. I get frustrated when the websites only list the boxes dimensions and nothing else. Grrrr.

    I'm okay with the conversions (mostly) and I prefer to weigh food in grams (but me in pounds!) I just can't visualize something like a km, or the volume of a liter. Centimeters wig me out. I bought something online in cm (thinking inches) and it was sooo tiny! They teach us metric in schools, but I think that's only to keep us from embarrasing ourselves when we travel outside the country :lol:
    There's a joke in there somewhere about how you say it's in inches, but it looks like it's in cm to me *wink wink nudge nudge nudge say no more*

    I finally a) made a bento and b) actually remembered to take a pic
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    Chicken karaage, marinated egg, pumpkin in honey and chilli, rice, umeboshi & veg. Nom nom nom!
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    Bento of the day!haejj19ivyjm.jpg

    Pickles, almonds, egg, cheese and sausage!
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    Today's first bento in a while! Matcha soba & broccoli on the bottom tier, pink shrimp, dry roasted edamame and candy corn in the top tier.

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  • LadyAhiru
    LadyAhiru Posts: 112 Member
    My Bento for tomorrow is filled with traditional austrian food ;)

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  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    Today's trio of bento-y goodness....h3ox2plt7c1r.jpg
    Salad with chopped egg, almonds, Greek yogurt with cinnamon and a babybel cheese!
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    Today's trio of bento-y goodness....h3ox2plt7c1r.jpg
    Salad with chopped egg, almonds, Greek yogurt with cinnamon and a babybel cheese!

    I think I miss yoghurt the most out of all dairy; you pic is making my mouth water. Thankfully I don't have to give up on milk in my coffee.

    I think my bentoing will be continue to be sporadic until my events part of the year is over at the end of November; I'm getting home too late and sleep is minimal at best. Today is a bagged salad, tinned salmon and marinated eggs :(
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    FINALLY got a bento! Leftover carnitas, veggies, and spanish rice in the big tier. Small tier has a scoop of frozen veggies (b/c I'm out of all other things) that has slowly melted. The strawberries were still good, cherries were okay, and the one blueberry in there....yeah, I can only imagine that's what potpourri tastes like....
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  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    Today's trio of bento-y goodness....h3ox2plt7c1r.jpg
    Salad with chopped egg, almonds, Greek yogurt with cinnamon and a babybel cheese!

    I think I miss yoghurt the most out of all dairy; you pic is making my mouth water. Thankfully I don't have to give up on milk in my coffee.

    I think my bentoing will be continue to be sporadic until my events part of the year is over at the end of November; I'm getting home too late and sleep is minimal at best. Today is a bagged salad, tinned salmon and marinated eggs :(

    Why no yogurt? Are you lactose intolerant?

    Don't fret over throw-together lunches... Half of mine are made of ready made stuff I've got hanging around in the fridge (and quite often it's just salad leaves, tinned fish and a pickled egg). :lol:

    Today's bento is leftover lamb with salad, picked eggs and babybels...
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  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
    I've got soup bento today for lunch; I'll see if it is worth a picture then :)

    Happy bentos all!
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    My "bento" is in a regular container today, and is the same foods I had in the big tier yesterday but twice as much
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  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
    These are all so great! I need to make myself a nice cup of tea and read the whole thread when I have time. Love how everyone's lunches are so pretty. I bought a bento box in San Francisco almost 20 years ago just for the cuteness factor, used it a couple times then just left it on the kitchen shelf to admire. Couple years ago, same thing with another similar lunch kit from The Container Store. But now, hey... you've all inspired me, and when the school cafeteria closes for Thanksgiving Break, I'm going to Go Bento!
  • aliciasilfies
    aliciasilfies Posts: 179 Member
    I just discovered this thread and haven't read through all the way yet, but I have been enjoying all of the pictures!

    I recently discovered a lot of bento containers and accessories on eBay from sellers in Japan. A lot of them have free shipping to North America, UK, EU, Australia, NZ and Asia and the prices are about the same as Daiso (I'm lucky enough to work around the corner from one here in San Francisco!) Just thought that I would share for those that are having trouble finding them! :)
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    Today's trio of bento-y goodness....h3ox2plt7c1r.jpg
    Salad with chopped egg, almonds, Greek yogurt with cinnamon and a babybel cheese!

    I think I miss yoghurt the most out of all dairy; you pic is making my mouth water. Thankfully I don't have to give up on milk in my coffee.

    I think my bentoing will be continue to be sporadic until my events part of the year is over at the end of November; I'm getting home too late and sleep is minimal at best. Today is a bagged salad, tinned salmon and marinated eggs :(

    Why no yogurt? Are you lactose intolerant?

    Mildly. It's only a recent discovery; I can still have dairy, but there is a limit

    I was never a big dairy eater as a kid or a young adult, so if I did have it, it was in milk in coffee/tea or butter in cooking. Over the last year I started having a lot more yoghurt and it took about 7 months as I ate it more and more regularly to figure out it was the cause of some gastric issues.

    I made Karaage last night, but I'm just pairing it with a salad today. Not a bento box in sight again :(
  • soozy_q
    soozy_q Posts: 56 Member
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    First try, fairly impressed with the sushi considering I don't have a sushi mat : )
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    I am very impressed - I can haz?? #_#

    No bento for me today, I was at a con this weekend & my apartment is still a war zone of costumes and worbla samples :p
  • The_Book_Thief
    The_Book_Thief Posts: 2 Member
    I've been stalking this thread for months, and just started a new account today, but y'all finally talked me in to it.

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  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    Today's bento... Roast beef, gherkins, mac nuts and cheese.
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    My collection is growing...........
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  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
    Ummm so finally putting up "some" :D pictures. Trying to choose my favorites from the last few weeks.

    1st one is mine, breakfast box, cuz I could. 335 calories, two egg rolled omelette and turkey sausage with ketchup.
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    Rest is hubby's lunches, aka, leftovers from the last few weeks.

    Fresh corn tortilla, shredded Latin beef stew, corn cheese 14360a4ed3145536127c4ff19fc0921a.png
    Baked Tonkatsu with curry & rice and some cheese on the side.
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    Hambagu (Hamburger) Steak & sauce with mashed potatoes
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    Baked chicken strips with BBQ sauce in container, corn, and mashed potatoes
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    And lastly (sorry for so many at once!) Baked Korokke (Croquettes) with tonkatsu sauce.
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  • bri170lb
    bri170lb Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I think I may have done it. My first picture. Not fancy. Ham, tomatoes, cottage cheese and Babybel.
  • madiao
    madiao Posts: 119 Member
    First pictured bento for a while. Have been forgetting to take pictures but I got a new wooden bento and have been dying to use it!

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  • moribunny
    moribunny Posts: 417 Member
    @HanamiDango your lunches look delicious! What kind of breading did you use for the chicken strips?
    @bri170lb hope you're having fun bentoing! ^__^
    @madiao Your lunch...it's so beautiful @__@ Love the look, authentic-Japanese choices, and your tamagoyaki is pretty~
  • Editme12
    Editme12 Posts: 71 Member
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    It's tough posting when you have the android app :(

    Any-who, first bento for this site.
    Garlic chicken sausage, rice, broccoli, carrots and some pickles. 383 cals. Was very yummy, first time I tried the sausage.
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    sagj wrote: »
    What kind of bread it that? It's a neat shape :)


    I haven't been around, sorry I didn't reply before. Honestly, I don't quite remember what it was called. I found it in Walmart near the bakery. I usually get french rolls or bolillo from safeway but found this one and it was a nice alternative. *looks up in food diary* Wheat bolillio (or bolillo, not sure on the spelling).

    I didn't have bentos much before vacation and none during. I don't have a day off until monday but did a little grocery shopping so hopefully I'll have something to post again in the next couple of days.
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    @HanamiDango, those croquettes look amazeballs! Do you have a recipe?
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    @HanamiDango, those croquettes look amazeballs! Do you have a recipe?

    I bet my buttons they're the Baked Korokke from Just one cookbook
  • dymaxxion
    dymaxxion Posts: 9 Member
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    I love bringing my bento to work so I don't eat terrible takeout!
    This one is romaine lettuce with cucumbers and shakshouka (eggs poached in tomato with spices, peppers and onions). I love seeing everyone else's lunch ideas!
  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
    bunnyxhime wrote: »
    @HanamiDango your lunches look delicious! What kind of breading did you use for the chicken strips?
    @bri170lb hope you're having fun bentoing! ^__^
    @madiao Your lunch...it's so beautiful @__@ Love the look, authentic-Japanese choices, and your tamagoyaki is pretty~
    Thank you, I used panko for the breading with the method from Just One Cookbook website, the using the toasting the crumbs in a pan. I skip the oil and just toast the crumbs.
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    @HanamiDango, those croquettes look amazeballs! Do you have a recipe?

    I bet my buttons they're the Baked Korokke from Just one cookbook
    Thank you for answering for me, that is correct. ^_^
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    Back to the bento. Had a long shift so made sure to bring food and snacks as I took more than one break for once. Had chicken breast with a paprika seasoning, spinach, sugar snap peas and peach/pineapple salsa for dinner. Snack was the 8 mate rice cracker mix, sriracha peas, vegetable chips and a little jolly rancher halloween candy.

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  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    @HanamiDango, those croquettes look amazeballs! Do you have a recipe?

    I bet my buttons they're the Baked Korokke from Just one cookbook

    OMG, I'm drooling...

    I need to make these!!!

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    First time using my egg moulds. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but "sometimes I want my eggs to look like a bear!"
  • MeganDinkins1
    MeganDinkins1 Posts: 10 Member
    I got one of these as a gift, maybe I should try it!