Bento boxing it up….

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

“Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops, train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend time and energy for their spouse, child, or themselves producing a carefully prepared lunch box.”

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

We know that it can be hard to follow the demands of a healthy lifestyle when you are busy with working. Bento is the perfect way for you to keep your is a perfect way to stay healthy. Forget the fast food and forget packing your lunch in a brown sack, the bento is a fun way to get creative with your food. The possibilities are endless with what you can pack.  

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

I swear by the bento. I used to work in the food industry. I know how tempting it can be to just cook up a fast meal while you have a quick break from a lunch rush.  It’s not the healthiest thing to do, but at the moment it’s the easiest thing to do. After awhile I just got tired of eating fries and cheese steaks. I randomly stumbled across a page dedicated to people professing their love for the Bento box. Even though I didn’t have a credit card to buy a cute nifty box online, I bought a little Tupperware container to keep my food in. the next day I came to work with a little box filled with strawberries, celery, carrots, rice, and grilled chicken. I felt so much better and had a lot more energy to work.  This was back in 2007. I didn’t care about losing weight, but I did care about the food I ate. Going Bento for work helped me not gain weight. 

If you are thinking about going Bento, here are a few things to follow:
 

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

• Food has to be edible at room temperature.
•  Stay away from the junk food. Packing cookies and Debbie cakes might be tempting, just pack fruit instead.
• Change things up each day. You don’t want to get bored eating the same stuff each day.
• Get creative; Bento boxes are a day brightener!
• Leftovers are a great addition to your bento! 
• You can pack your bento the night before if you want to.
• Bacteria thrive on moisture and protein at room temperature. Use an ice pack and an insulated lunch bag when packing perishable foods that will be unrefrigerated for more than two hours. 

Here are a few websites if you want more information:
http://lunchinabox.net/
http://www.laptoplunches.com/


where to buy bento boxes:
Amazon
http://www.jbox.com/