For those having to pack a school lunch every day, whether your child is just starting preschool or a kindergarten pro, often times you're left thinking, "Now what?"
When we discovered Bento lunches, we found inspiration and a solution to our daily lunch conundrum.
Bento is a portable meal -- usually lunch -- packed in a small box. Bento boxes are usually multi-layered so one can include a variety of tastes in the lunches...
Bentos can range from simple to completely elaborate. Traditional Japanese Bentos usually have rice and fish, but just about any ingredient may be used. Using many of our leftovers from dinner and simple fresh ingredients, we were able to pack a tasty lunch for our son.
Often times, the key to making a good Bento into a great Bento, is presentation. Cute is king in the Bento world! You can buy egg molds to shape hard-boiled eggs into rabbits, bears or stars; sauces and condiments are placed in adorable containers. Many people elevate Bento-making to an art form by going all out. We don't go that far, but we still have a lot of fun making our lunches.
For more information on Bento lunches, including recipes and where to buy supplies, visit Lunch in a Box, Cooking Cute and Bento Box.
(Re-Edited from 2007-9-10 - CB)
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
These lunch ideas are great. Just the inspiratation I need with my daughter starting school.
I love the lunch bento-box in the photographs. Does anyone know where that one specifically can be purchased? I did do a quick search but didn't find it.
Thank you.
view Shasta's profile
Shasta, I do know where you can get that one. It's called a Leaflet Tight box, and it's available on www.sugarcharms.com . We have the smaller size, and it's great.
view HodgePodge's profile
I got some bento boxes with Peter Rabbit characters at a garage sale!
view bundeleh's profile
Hi, Shasta. HodgePodge beat me to it :) Yep, that's the Leaflet Tight box.
view Alex's profile
In the picture, does the little boy's shirt say "I'm a noun"?? How cute is THAT?
view Melissa Reed's profile
Hi, Melissa! The t-shirt is from Threadless.
view Alex's profile
Don't forget to check out the bento lunchbox at http://laptoplunches.com/. And also the inspirational lunches using that box at http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/. She is mostly done blogging now, but check out the '06 archives for lots of creative bento lunch ideas.
I got my husband's blood pressure back to normal by feeding him out of a laptop lunchbox!
view peanutbutter's profile
Thanks so much!
view Shasta's profile
My son has that shirt! In fact, that's him on the treadless page, sleeping in a stroller with his brother.
view mangosteen's profile
there's a company called fit'n'fresh that's selling similar boxes (they have them at target) that have a built-in ice pack to keep foor dfrom spoiling. They're pretty nice looking.
view christinanyc's profile
My toddler's lunchbox
http://tigeladas.wordpress.com/
I dare you to look through all her photos!
view stickyricemama's profile
stickyricemama: Cool site!
I also like Vegan Lunch Box, despite not being vegan. I don't like the idea of including meat or dairy products in a lunch that won't be refrigerated, so the vegan route appeals to me.
view TammyE's profile
For those in the Bay Area, make a trip to Daiso (Daly City, Union City), Ichiban Kan (San Mateo, San Francisco), or J-Town in San Francisco and you can find some really cute bento boxes.
I also follow these bento blogs as they are both inventive and make it look so easy to pack a bento lunch: http://www.cookingcute.com/
http://justbento.com/
view T-da's profile