Monday, September 8, 2008

Cute Bento Lunches!

I used to make bento lunches a lot, but mine were never as cute as this one! Find more cute images like these at e-obento.com--the ladies that make these lunches are artists, too!

I started down this bento path because I LOVE Japanese food. The ingredients are a little unusual (and depending on your area, may hard to find), but once you build up a stock of basics, making Japanese food is simple, delicious and satisfying. :)

Sadly, ever since we moved in January, making bento for lunch has fallen by the wayside. Its something I really need to get back into--not only does it save a lot of money, but its also a lot healthier than eating out or eating pre-packaged, frozen meals (which I used to eat a lot in college, but they have too much sodium & a multitude of preservatives, ICK!).

Lunch in a Box is probably my favorite bento blog; the author lives with her husband and son in San Fransico, and she used to live in Japan when she was younger. Her main goal with the blog is to help share tips for making quick, healthy lunches for children (specifically her son), but of course the recipes can be used for adults, too. ;)
She has a lot of how-to tutorials with plenty of photos, and a lot of recipes that are simple and can be made ahead of time for fast packing later.

I'm so inspired to cook right now! I think I'll be starting a new 'freezer stash' of food this evening. :)

2 comments:

yellowfish said...

Oh! I always admire people who make bentos- normally I just throw stuff in a tupperware and run out the door!
that second one is ridiculously cute.

Unknown said...

I used to do that--but I realized I could maximize the types of food I packed in the same amount of space if I went with the bento approach.

Its rather easy, if you do most of your packing the night before (we usually have leftovers for the main portions of our lunches), and then in the morning I'll add sliced fruit, veggies, eggs, cheese or croquettes.

Its a lot of fun, and so yummy. :)