Bento
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- NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
- Contact:
Bento
I haven't been following the forum lately, so I hope I'll be forgiven if I bring up something that has been discussed.
Of course, a lot of the whole point of the No S diet is very sensible -- PORTION CONTROL!
I discovered something that makes it fun. No, you don't have to make things complicated, but it's kinda neat, nonetheless:
Japanese Bento boxes. This is what millions of Japanese people bring to work and school every day.
They fit in very well with the No S diet.
My bento measures 7x4x3 inches. Ver' small. (And the one I have is billed as a large one!).
Now, if you look up the bento blogs that are popping up, you'll note that these things are packed tight when you make a lunch for them. But there's NO WAY you're going over for portion control.
(And if you follow bento esthetics, you're almost guaranteed a healthy meal anyway because of the colorful fresh food you put in it).
No, it's hardly necessary to proper NoS. But it follows the idea well and is fun.
Of course, a lot of the whole point of the No S diet is very sensible -- PORTION CONTROL!
I discovered something that makes it fun. No, you don't have to make things complicated, but it's kinda neat, nonetheless:
Japanese Bento boxes. This is what millions of Japanese people bring to work and school every day.
They fit in very well with the No S diet.
My bento measures 7x4x3 inches. Ver' small. (And the one I have is billed as a large one!).
Now, if you look up the bento blogs that are popping up, you'll note that these things are packed tight when you make a lunch for them. But there's NO WAY you're going over for portion control.
(And if you follow bento esthetics, you're almost guaranteed a healthy meal anyway because of the colorful fresh food you put in it).
No, it's hardly necessary to proper NoS. But it follows the idea well and is fun.
What a great idea. A perfect fit for No-s.
I've actually eaten out of one of these bento trays at a local Japanese restaurant, but I didn't know what they were called or that they were portable (or such a phenomenon!).
Please post links if there's a particularly good bento blog or purchase link to a tray (I did some poking around on amazon but everything I found seemed a little large and formal).
Reinhard
I've actually eaten out of one of these bento trays at a local Japanese restaurant, but I didn't know what they were called or that they were portable (or such a phenomenon!).
Please post links if there's a particularly good bento blog or purchase link to a tray (I did some poking around on amazon but everything I found seemed a little large and formal).
Reinhard
- NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
- Contact:
Your wish is my command, effendireinhard wrote:What a great idea. A perfect fit for No-s.
Please post links if there's a particularly good bento blog or purchase link to a tray (I did some poking around on amazon but everything I found seemed a little large and formal).
Reinhard
Cooking Cute
Lunch in a Box: Building a Better Bento
My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch
Livejournal Bento Lunch Community
- Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
- Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 2:55 pm
- Location: The Village
We got into a discussion of bento on another forum, and I thought about buying one. Then I realized that I was already eating like that, but American style. My lunchbag, which I picked up at Borders, holds my little leftover dishes very nicely, and that is what I take to work with me. I really think it's a nifty way to pack a meal!
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- Posts: 219
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:03 pm
- Location: Washington, DC USA
OK, I just ordered a box from Laptop Lunches. I had been coveting one of their boxes but I found it too confusing to figure out what to order. This post reminded me and I finally went and did the heavy lifting. There's no stopping me now!
- NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
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You can find them cheaper on ebay, and in Japanese stores if you live in a large city.KCCC wrote:What great timing - right before school starts, and we need to replace lunchboxes anyway.
A little pricey, but SO cute!
They're very small, though. Won't hold a sandwich unless it has been cut up. A classic Japanese bento is 4:3:2:1 Four parts rice, three parts protein, two parts veggies and one part sweet (but sweet in a bento really means fruit).
Astonishingly, they're filling!
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- Posts: 219
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:03 pm
- Location: Washington, DC USA
NF, I just want to thank you for starting this topic. I've been having so much fun with my new Laptop Lunch box, and I'm eating a lot more healthily too. The little containers make it easy to eat tiny servings of a variety of foods, which I've found is really important to me for sticking to the No-S plan. I'm packing my lunch Western-style for now, although it might be fun to get some cherry-blossom shaped cutters and some furikake sprinkles to dress up my food in the future. Here are some sample menus:
Big Container 1: tuna sandwich on rye
Big Container 2: yogurt with blueberries
Little Container 1: spinach sauteed with red pepper and pine nuts
Little Container 2: a sliced peach, sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
Big Container 1: leftover pasta with herbs (I didn't think this was going to work, but it did, beautifully)
Big Container 2: meat(less)balls (made with soy and mushrooms) and tomato sauce
Little Container 1: lima beans
Little Container 2: a small plum and a few dried cranberries
Big Container 1: tuna sandwich on rye
Big Container 2: yogurt with blueberries
Little Container 1: spinach sauteed with red pepper and pine nuts
Little Container 2: a sliced peach, sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
Big Container 1: leftover pasta with herbs (I didn't think this was going to work, but it did, beautifully)
Big Container 2: meat(less)balls (made with soy and mushrooms) and tomato sauce
Little Container 1: lima beans
Little Container 2: a small plum and a few dried cranberries
- NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
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Oh man, I hearya on that one. Variety is what does it for me, too! I feel a lot more satisfied and happier after a meal if it isn't a "one dish" meal.florafloraflora wrote: The little containers make it easy to eat tiny servings of a variety of foods, which I've found is really important to me for sticking to the No-S plan.
This is a link to a pic of a representative lunch for me now that I'm doing bento.
http://noelfigart.livejournal.com/1342925.html
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- Posts: 219
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:03 pm
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