Using Bento Boxes for lunches.

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  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
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    Guilty as charged and unashamed.

    mangrothian wrote: »
    You want... more?

    On that note, guess who ordered several more boxes and a couple of accessories just a bit ago? :blush:
  • ParadiseLost91
    ParadiseLost91 Posts: 28 Member
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    This thread is super long so I didn't read all the way through!
    I've been hearing so much about bento and then found this thread.

    Can anyone explain to me the difference between Bento and a normal packed lunch?
    I always bring my lunch in plastic containers, I love the Sistema BPA-free boxes that seal completely so no "spilling" occurs in my bag haha.

    But is Bento something specific? Does it have to be specific foods? I have a hard time understanding what makes it different than packing a normal lunch. I would usually pack either a sandwich or some dinner leftovers in one container, and then another container with, say, almonds or another small snack.

    Sorry for my bad English :) hope someome can explain because it all looks very tasty, would love to learn the basic way of making a bento lunch!
  • Windchild
    Windchild Posts: 129 Member
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    Hello everyone! I've been lurking and enjoying all of your wonderful bentos.. thought it was time for me to share one of my own again, lame as they are. :smile:

    Here's Friday's Lunch:

    f9p34jz6jeth.jpg

    As always.. my stuff comes from cans and bags.
    In the top tier:
    Whole Leaf Spinach (Great Value- Canned)
    Golden Sweet Corn (Great Value(No salt added) - Canned )
    Salted Butter, One pat (for veggies)

    Bottom Tier:
    Chicken Marsala (Bird's Eye)
    Calorie Total: 360

    Not pictured are my snacks, which consisted of applesauce and cinnamon applesauce.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
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    ParadiseLost91 wrote: »
    This thread is super long so I didn't read all the way through!
    I've been hearing so much about bento and then found this thread.

    Can anyone explain to me the difference between Bento and a normal packed lunch?
    I always bring my lunch in plastic containers, I love the Sistema BPA-free boxes that seal completely so no "spilling" occurs in my bag haha.

    But is Bento something specific? Does it have to be specific foods? I have a hard time understanding what makes it different than packing a normal lunch. I would usually pack either a sandwich or some dinner leftovers in one container, and then another container with, say, almonds or another small snack.

    Sorry for my bad English :) hope someome can explain because it all looks very tasty, would love to learn the basic way of making a bento lunch!

    I'm sure there are many possible answers to this question, but perhaps this will help? :)

    http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/great-question-whats-difference-between-lunch-box-and-bento
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    ParadiseLost91 wrote: »
    This thread is super long so I didn't read all the way through!
    I've been hearing so much about bento and then found this thread.

    Can anyone explain to me the difference between Bento and a normal packed lunch?
    I always bring my lunch in plastic containers, I love the Sistema BPA-free boxes that seal completely so no "spilling" occurs in my bag haha.

    But is Bento something specific? Does it have to be specific foods? I have a hard time understanding what makes it different than packing a normal lunch. I would usually pack either a sandwich or some dinner leftovers in one container, and then another container with, say, almonds or another small snack.

    Sorry for my bad English :) hope someome can explain because it all looks very tasty, would love to learn the basic way of making a bento lunch!

    The link that @SueSueDio is a good one to explain (poor Makiko who runs the site is going through chemo at the moment and had had major health issues the last few years, which is why the site hasn't been updated in some time).

    The word bento (弁当) literally means boxed food. For the purpose of this thread, extend it to a way where you can eat with your eyes through a neatly presented lunch, a way to portion control with small sizes, and have a lunch that you look forward to eating so you're not tempted with the cafeteria.

    And for some of us, it's to justify an addiction to collecting lunch boxes ...XD

    I decided that my meal prep this week would be bentos. Although they're in normal containers because I can't bring myself to meal prep and put everything in boxes that look different to each other. It makes me feel like I'm short-changing a day of the week or something.

    ncs9l458tc6b.jpg
    Korean slow cooker meatballs, rice and furikake (each day has a different flavour) with an umeboshi, with broccoli and cabbage as my veg. I'm excited that broccoli is finally getting cheap again. It's been as high as $8 per kg this Summer.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Windchild wrote: »
    Hello everyone! I've been lurking and enjoying all of your wonderful bentos.. thought it was time for me to share one of my own again, lame as they are. :smile:

    As always.. my stuff comes from cans and bags.
    In the top tier:
    Whole Leaf Spinach (Great Value- Canned)
    Golden Sweet Corn (Great Value(No salt added) - Canned )
    Salted Butter, One pat (for veggies)

    Bottom Tier:
    Chicken Marsala (Bird's Eye)
    Calorie Total: 360

    Not pictured are my snacks, which consisted of applesauce and cinnamon applesauce.

    Not lame. No matter how you food is prepared (or not prepared ^_^) you are making a lunch that a - you want to eat, and b - is with your Cals for the day. All is well in my book.

    I personally spend so much time preparing food because I find cooking relaxes me. If cooking is not your thing, or if you're extremely time poor then getting into bento making with pre-prepped foods is fine.

    I'm pretty sure (if someone knows otherwise correct me), but in Japan a lot of the bento 'side dishes' (the extras beyond rice and protein) can be bought frozen in baggies ready to be heated and used, which is the same thing.
  • Windchild
    Windchild Posts: 129 Member
    edited March 2017
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    mangrothian wrote: »
    Not lame. No matter how you food is prepared (or not prepared ^_^) you are making a lunch that a - you want to eat, and b - is with your Cals for the day. All is well in my book.

    I personally spend so much time preparing food because I find cooking relaxes me. If cooking is not your thing, or if you're extremely time poor then getting into bento making with pre-prepped foods is fine.

    I'm pretty sure (if someone knows otherwise correct me), but in Japan a lot of the bento 'side dishes' (the extras beyond rice and protein) can be bought frozen in baggies ready to be heated and used, which is the same thing.

    I don't mind the cooking so much as the clean up. :neutral: That and I have a couple of naughty kitties that want to jump up on the counter to see what I'm making, so doing any real meal prepping/cooking can be a bit of a pain.

    *edited to fix borked coding*
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Windchild wrote: »
    mangrothian wrote: »
    Not lame. No matter how you food is prepared (or not prepared ^_^) you are making a lunch that a - you want to eat, and b - is with your Cals for the day. All is well in my book.

    I personally spend so much time preparing food because I find cooking relaxes me. If cooking is not your thing, or if you're extremely time poor then getting into bento making with pre-prepped foods is fine.

    I'm pretty sure (if someone knows otherwise correct me), but in Japan a lot of the bento 'side dishes' (the extras beyond rice and protein) can be bought frozen in baggies ready to be heated and used, which is the same thing.

    I don't mind the cooking so much as the clean up. :neutral: That and I have a couple of naughty kitties that want to jump up on the counter to see what I'm making, so doing any real meal prepping/cooking can be a bit of a pain.

    *edited to fix borked coding*

    Haha, I have a dog tall enough that he can rest his head on the kitchen bench. If he's feeling particularly cheeky, he'll try and swipe something if I even turn my back for a second, and his little sister tries to emulate (thankfully she's not as tall or sneaky as him).
  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
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    w8itc9sbtrbv.jpg

    Lettuce, cucumber, carrots and grilled chicken
    Apple
    (forgot to add yogurt with raspberries )
  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
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    I took a picture of my lunch yesterday and forgot to post it. :disappointed: I'll try to remember later tonight. It wasn't really that fancy or pretty though, just happened to be in bento boxes. :lol:
  • ariceroni
    ariceroni Posts: 422 Member
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    @Windchild - I have a naughty kitty too who loves to steal food off the counter or sit on my cutting board while I'm using it! I usually try to give her wet food (she gets one a day) to distract her while I prep haha

    I got some new boxes delivered over the weekend! All three that I used today are new, so exciting. Left really early to hit the gym before work today, so I packed breakfast, lunch, and my afternoon snack! So yummy :yum:

    lvjk0kka6z9d.jpg

    Breakfast - black bowl:
    Vanilla soy yogurt
    Soy protein powder mixed in the yogurt
    Frozen mixed berries
    Crushed kashi wheat biscuit cereal
    Banana
    = 348 calories

    Lunch - teal/white box:
    White rice
    Chinese stir fry veggies
    Szechuan beefless strips (Gardein)
    Kimchi
    Mango chunks
    = 466 calories

    Snack - blue/black box:
    Tangerine wedges
    Almonds
    Chocolate bunny grahams (Annie’s)
    = 179 calories

    Not pictured is my post-run, pre-breakfast protein shake: almond milk, vanilla pea protein powder, and half a banana for 182 calories. Overall a very tasty day ahead of me!
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,250 Member
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    Relooking at this thread for ideas. I plan on buying some new containers with my tax return (which should be here tomorrow woohoo!) and starting some meal prep. So I need ideas. Thank you all for your posts. Not only of the food but of the containers you use so I can see what works well for what sorts of food.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    @ariceroni how do you find the liquid in your breakfast box? leakproof enough?
  • ariceroni
    ariceroni Posts: 422 Member
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    @mangrothian it worked really well! The oats weren't quite as liquidy as they look in the picture, but still pretty runny. The bowl I have (this one) has an optional inner bowl, which is what I put the banana in. The liquid ended up a bit on the (outside) bottom/sides of the red bowl, but none got inside with my bananas so the lid for that seemed to seal well. The lid for the whole container screws on and seemed to do a great job containing the liquid as none seeped out into my bag, though I also tried not to throw my backpack around too much haha.
  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
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    Well, it's not strictly a bento, but:

    0zmxisabfhl4.jpg

    Southwestern style salad of butter lettuce, spinach, cabbage mix, chopped red onion, corn, black beans, and grilled chicken with salsa and some ranch to go on it - 496 calories. A mess of kiwi (180 g) for a snack: 110 calories.

    Not pictured: my breakfast of cottage cheese (226 g): 180 calories

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