Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    Ok, apparently my phone DID take a picture yesterday but the computer didn't want to recognize it? And today it does? Whatever, here's yesterday's bento: onigiri, shrimp, fish-shaped boiled egg, edamame, and fruit
    ex02xso01j7z.jpg

    And here's today's, which is very similar yesterday's, just more edamame and fruit in place of the shrimp, and the boiled egg is a star instead of a fish
    93736wonjg1b.jpg

  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    I love your shaped boiled eggs. I'm thinking of getting a set of egg moulds.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    Smushyypanda wrote: »
    I have wanted to do this for ages and I'm just getting into it.

    I've done a bit of research but wondered if people wouldn't mind just clarifying a few things.

    Do you tend to freeze rice or cook it in the morning?

    If you freeze the rice do you just reheat it in the microwave in the morning?

    Do you store your bento in the fridge at work or at room temperature (in regards to rice) and then do you eat it at room temperature or fridge cold (since I assume if you reheated frozen rice you can't reheat it again at lunch?

    I'm sure these are silly questions but I just wanted some clarity.

    Not silly!

    I freeze the rice in 1 cup gladware containers, then microwave it in the morning.

    Room temp (it sits on my back credenza all morning), I then eat it at room temp. But, to be honest, I did that before bentoing. You can actually re-heat it again, but many of the fancy boxes don't take well to the microwave. If I heat the rice in the morning and pack it after it cools, I find that it's fine at lunchtime.

    One thing though, is to find a rice you like after it's been sitting around. I love California short grain "sushi" rice and jasmine rice at room temp. I don't like basmati rice after it's sat around, but I will eat it when it's fresh and hot.
  • Ginny218
    Ginny218 Posts: 194 Member
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    i sometimes pack a heated thing in a silicone cup and then take just that out and heat it in the microwave at lunch.

  • Ginny218
    Ginny218 Posts: 194 Member
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    or pack everything not heating in silicone cup and heat up my glass dish or sometimes i will use my lid.
  • Ginny218
    Ginny218 Posts: 194 Member
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    none today - could not figure how to pack it - apple , tuna pouch and a applesauce
  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
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    I finally have a bento again and remembered a photo!! :yum: It's actually for tomorrow but I was so excited about remembering that I decided to post it tonight:

    vb5f2pskq3dd.jpg

    In the cup is just some poor person ramen, the main sections are leftover baked chicken that I shredded a bit and then some peas, carrots, and mushrooms, then two nectarines and a protein shake if I need it. This is around 1000 calories (it's in my food diary already if anyone wants to look, I estimated high on the chicken because my scale is on the fritz) because my daily goal is 1800 and this is enough food to last me all day until dinner at the minimum, I may not even be hungry for dinner after all this. :lol:
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    mqrj3hurhmgi.jpg
    Here is today's lunch - a salad of tomato, cucumber, spring onions and mature cheddar with assorted crackers (the little ones on top are fancy seaweed flavoured ones), grapes, a banana, sultana cake and yoghurt with blueberry jam. As you can see, I may be inspired by Japanese lunch packing, but my lunches are not Japanese at all!

  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    7d8w6aq6p237.jpg

    I thought you might like to see what one of these looks like closed up. The paper cake cases are there to stop things rattling about and leaving smears on the inside of the box, which look grotty and put me off my food, but I also like how pretty they make it look when it's closed up. Like a birthday present!

    (don't panic about the upside down yoghurt, it has a lid).
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    SpecialKitty7 wrote: »
    Smushyypanda wrote: »
    I have wanted to do this for ages and I'm just getting into it.

    I've done a bit of research but wondered if people wouldn't mind just clarifying a few things.

    Do you tend to freeze rice or cook it in the morning?

    If you freeze the rice do you just reheat it in the microwave in the morning?

    Do you store your bento in the fridge at work or at room temperature (in regards to rice) and then do you eat it at room temperature or fridge cold (since I assume if you reheated frozen rice you can't reheat it again at lunch?

    I'm sure these are silly questions but I just wanted some clarity.

    Not silly!

    I freeze the rice in 1 cup gladware containers, then microwave it in the morning.

    Room temp (it sits on my back credenza all morning), I then eat it at room temp. But, to be honest, I did that before bentoing. You can actually re-heat it again, but many of the fancy boxes don't take well to the microwave. If I heat the rice in the morning and pack it after it cools, I find that it's fine at lunchtime.

    One thing though, is to find a rice you like after it's been sitting around. I love California short grain "sushi" rice and jasmine rice at room temp. I don't like basmati rice after it's sat around, but I will eat it when it's fresh and hot.

    All of this. I weigh mine into 120g lots and freeze them in ziplock bag whilst the rice is still hot, then microwave it for 2 minutes to defrost. If I make my bento the night before, it's in the fridge overnight, then goes into a coolerbag and sits on my desk until lunchtime. If it's made in the morning, it just goes straight into the cooler bag and sits on my desk again.

    I use koshihikari rice, which is similar to the California shortgrain rice. I prefer it to Jasmine because it's texture isn't as sticky. Basmati in a bento is always dry. Arborio rice (risotto rice) has a weird texture to me when left in a bento.
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    Today's bento, which is again very similar to my last 2: onigiri, shrimp, edamame, and fruit
    tsalqasicqjw.jpg
  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
    edited June 2016
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    @PixieGoddess Your bentos always look so delicious!!

    I did take a bento again today but I didn't take a picture because it's literally the exact same thing as yesterday which I already posted except that I have one nectarine, not two, because I only ate one yesterday. :lol:

    ETA: And I was right, after all that food yesterday, I wasn't hungry for dinner. :lol: I made something light for dinner (tuna salad and green beans) and didn't even eat half of it.
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
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    ivygirl1937 wrote: »
    @PixieGoddess Your bentos always look so delicious!!

    Aww, thank you! I try.
  • Ginny218
    Ginny218 Posts: 194 Member
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    found a cheesy smile sandwich cutter - can't wait to try... next peanut butter sandwich....
  • Ginny218
    Ginny218 Posts: 194 Member
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    found a minnie mouse sandwich cutter too.. oh boy what fun.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Ginny218 wrote: »
    found a minnie mouse sandwich cutter too.. oh boy what fun.
    Bahahah, another confirmed addict amongst us.

    I actually made a bento and remembered to take a picture! Basic one; roasted carrot and orzo salad which i mixed some frozen spinach through and sprinkled some feta on. The other tray is some mini chicken dumplings with steams cabbage with a sesame chilli salt sprinkled over the top. The biscuits are Arnotts Marie's, which are awesome with your morning coffee.
    uhr1plg653sv.jpeg
  • Ginny218
    Ginny218 Posts: 194 Member
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    dumplings look cute
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Hooray! Another bentoer! Welcome
  • Windchild
    Windchild Posts: 129 Member
    edited June 2016
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    aleryan1 wrote: »
    Hi there! *waves enthusiastically!* I just skimmed through the last 40 pages of comments because I couldn't wait to meet you all. I bought a bento box ages ago and never really used it. I just bought a couple bento style lunch boxes from Walmart recently and I think I'll go fill one up for tomorrow's lunch so I can post a picture. My name is Nicole, or Aleryan which is actually my Dungeon and Dragon's character's name. I think I'll fit in well here. :wink:

    Just popping out of semi-lurkdom to say: Yey for D&D! And welcome.

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