Bento lunches

by Jenifer Scharpen (Subscribe to Jenifer Scharpen's posts) May 27th 2007 1:08PM

Categories: Eating & Nutrition, Playground Bureau, Education

Okay. I know that I may be setting myself up for lots of heartbreak here, but I can't help but be seduced by bento lunches. My good friend, Gwendomama, has the bento bug and has been making her daughter the most beautiful meals. I have a small pinch of Martha in my personality and now have to try it out as well. I'm hoping that this will convince my kids to expand their food horizions, at least by a little bit. (Perhaps another part of me wants to impress the other moms?) I absolutely love it when I'm in a nice restaurant and the food looks all swank -- so why wouldn't my offspring?

What about you? Do any of you bento? I want to hear about your experiences! Please make a hot dog octopus and tell me how it goes!

Here are some great links that Gwendomama sent me. Prepare to be impressed!

Here's a link where you can check out the gear. And more here. The initial investment may seem a little high (depending on your spending habits) but one of the very best things about bento lunches is the lack of plastic baggies and tin foil. They are so cute and they pay for themselves in the long run. (Do I even have to point out that they're good for the planet?)

Happy Lunches!

Comments (10)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

~Monica 5-27-2007 @ 1:36PM

LOVE IT!!!! Thanks so much for putting this together ; ) Rosie had her sister-in-law on The View do up some really cool kid-inspired dinners and they had the hotdog octopus as well as this amazing 'cupcake' that was a mini-meatloaf baked in a muffin tin, topped with mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower) as 'icing', then topped with different veggies or other food items as decorations. Creativity can easily run wild with that one! I absolutely *adore* making food fun for kids. Looking forward to hearing what others have done and found successful.

Nicola 5-27-2007 @ 1:58PM

Word of caution -- a lot of the cheaper Asian kid's boxes contain high levels of lead. Not something that you probably want to be packing a lunch in. Check out Laptop Lunches (http://www.laptoplunches.com/products.html) for a fantastic variety of kid friendly bentos. We LOVE them!

Jenifer Scharpen 5-27-2007 @ 2:23PM

Thanks for the warning about that. Definitely not something I was aware of!

Lt 5-27-2007 @ 3:44PM

It's all very pretty. Unfortunately, my kids wouldn't touch some of the main-dish type items with a ten foot pole!

Biggie 5-27-2007 @ 5:21PM

Hi, it's Biggie of Lunch in a Box here. I wanted to say -- don't feel that you need to buy a whole lot of expensive bento boxes from Japan (or Laptop Lunches) to get started -- basically it's just glorified (albeit cute) Tupperware. The thing is to pack it compactly and appealingly; you can make it as simple or involved as you're up for. Also, Japanese-language bento cookbooks are chock-full of recipes for non-Japanese food, so it's not necessary to pack Japanese food in a bento-style lunch. Check out this Japanese Flickr user's photos for an example of beautiful bentos packed in Tupperware: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chocolat_vanille/sets/72157594159531306/

Nicola 5-27-2007 @ 9:23PM

Remember that there is no need to pack Asian food in a bento! We pack sandwiches, fruit, soup, hard boiled eggs, chips, cookies, you name it. The point is that there is no waste and that a wholesome and complete meal is presented to the child in a fun and appetizing way. You bring the containers home, give them a wash, and you're ready again for tomorrow. No plastic bags, paper bags, or other needless waste as a byproduct of your child's (or your) daily lunch.

Tamyu 5-28-2007 @ 4:23AM

These definitely aren`t just for kids.
My husband has a bento-box, and takes a lunch to work in it each day.
In Japan, there are all sorts of bento-boxes, ranging from dollar-store level cheap to $30 or $40 just for the box. And I want to second one of the pps. It doesn`t really matter what you put it in - the main point is making a balanced, attractive lunch. My husband`s box certainly isn`t of the cute persuasion (Looks more like tupperware stacked in a big thermos thing) but it`s bento all the same.

All that "bento" means is "boxed lunch".

phyl 5-28-2007 @ 10:48PM

Also check out http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com

Those lunches are beautiful and not necessarily Asian-food but rather a lovely mix of creative vegan meals.

meredith 5-29-2007 @ 7:57PM

One of my favorites is Mr. Bento which looks more like a thermos: http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-Bento-Stainless-Steel-lined-Silver/dp/B000246GSE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0958104-7142520?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1180482914&sr=8-1

They also have a Flickr Pool: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mrbento/pool/

Alena 5-31-2007 @ 11:05PM

Also check out http://www.bentoyum.com/
It's a great new blog with recipes and pictures of Bento lunches! And you can buy some Bento sets right on there.

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