Jazz up kids food with BENTO boxes!

[eachpeachpearplum]

Hi Parents!

A few of us took over another thread discussing this and I wanted the subject to have it's own thread.

I have just recently gotten the "Bento Bug". What is a bento box? Its a stylized plastic food container - or lunch box - started in I believe Japan and very big there.

They are stacked boxes sometime with utensils or chopsticks included in the lid. They are also very colorful and I think would really appeal to our RAW KIDS who may feel like the odd one out at school snack & lunch time.

You can get these on Amazon any Japanese shop and at Hello Kitty. Luna Lin has an inspiring link to her Bento box collection at post #9 on the link below.

And her picture of a filled bento box look at post #6! Yummy!

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16875

I would love this space to be for what YOU put in your Bento boxes and what your kids response was!

I will post mine as soon as I get some!

Cheers, EPPP :p

[twinyoga]

I'm ordering bento boxes today. I'm in love with them and definetly hit with the bento bug. I have a boy and a girl. My daughter loves Hello Kitty. My son will be more fun. I always go with blue or orange and surfer themes for him. Though we live in Cleveland, his blonde hair and blue eyes look so "California and surfer like" to me. My big challenge is that my son has a huge appetite so I'll have to find one to hold his large quantity of food.

I'm also upping their raw food. They are high raw but I'm ready to make some new adjustements.

[JennaBoBenna]

I'm definitely going to get a laptop lunchbox for my boyfriend :D and one for me too!

Oh, and look at these cute bento accessories(an eBay store), I'm totally dying from the cute!!

Small containers, liquid containers, food separaters, food molds, etc!! (http://stores.ebay.com/japan-kitty_Japanese-ONIGIRI-RICE-BALL_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ7QQftidZ2QQtZkm)

[JennaBoBenna]

Here's another eBay store(with cheaper shipping!! :D )

link! (http://stores.ebay.com/The-Bento-Store)

[eachpeachpearplum]

Hey great link, thanks!


Remember to post how you do a RAW Bento Box!

[dreamrawalwz]

OOOOO! I'm obsessed with food containers (or any storage container I suppose). Don't show me this lol. I'll have to get some!

[Mosaicsbymichelle]

I found this site and I know it isn't raw but I thought it was some good inspiration for what can be done.

http://veganbento.blogspot.com

[Conscious Midwife]

Going to the Hello Kitty store today.

Love these boxes

[Judy]

I found this site and I know it isn't raw but I thought it was some good inspiration for what can be done.

http://veganbento.blogspot.com

Very nice link! Making animals and faces would be certainly something kids like (I don't have a kid, but I know that I like it :)!

[Judy]

Okay, I don't have kids, so I can't make raw bento lunches for them. However I do know how great it is when food doesn't only taste good, but also looks beautiful and fun, so it inspires to eat and is nurturing the senses as well. I found these photos a nice inspiration (allthough not -completely- raw), you can certainly use the ideas to make up a fun raw lunch. I've got them from this site, it's a blog of an Malasian family and contains more pictures of their (kids') lunches, dressed up with little clowns, hello kitty and other figures: http://fendi.jugem.jp/?cid=33. Notice for example not only the colorful boxes, figures and the way some food is shaped, but also the use of paper cake cups, ribbons, flags...

[eachpeachpearplum]

Hey thanks Judy those pictures are great! I bought these at my local HK store and cant wait to try them out for my daughter!The oval one has two levels with two compatrmens in each.

[berrymarymac]

Oh how cute!! Must not buy bento box! It would be nice for putting some snacks in after classes. Hmm, college student goes bento!! ^_^

[eachpeachpearplum]

Oh how cute!! Must not buy bento box! It would be nice for putting some snacks in after classes. Hmm, college student goes bento!! ^_^

The boxes come in "not so cutsie" colors too with black browns purple & grey I think. THESE are very small though however I do know you can them in a variety of sizes.

[berrymarymac]

Yeah, I've seen those online. And found some good ones for me.


...and I bought one. Can't wait until it gets here! http://www.geocities.com/flagpin2005/blue01w.jpg

[Judy]

I found this site and I know it isn't raw but I thought it was some good inspiration for what can be done.

http://veganbento.blogspot.com

Wow, that site has got GREAT pictures brimming with creativity!!!
The little sheep, the letters, the flowers made of strawberries, the piratey treasure map thing, I want to go bento too!

[Judy]

Hey Mrandal, where did you order your bento? Sitelink?

[berrymarymac]

Link! (http://stores.ebay.com/Tokyo-Gift)

It's an ebay account.

[JennaBoBenna]

mrandal, I bought that same bento in yellow!

[berrymarymac]

mrandal, I bought that same bento in yellow!

Sweet!! I was going to get pink, but said to myself, "wait...I hate pink!" Blue is my favorite color ^_^

[JennaBoBenna]

Sweet!! I was going to get pink, but said to myself, "wait...I hate pink!" Blue is my favorite color ^_^

lol! yes...the pink ones are weirdly enticing! :eek: Blue is my fave too, but when I saw that yellow one, I thought the spots were lemons ( I LOVE lemons!) and when I saw they were just spots, I bid on it anyway hehe

[CaptainSwab]

I'm getting it in yellow too. :D

Do you think it will be big enough for a good fruit salad?

[juliebove]

My daughter has the Hello Kitty ones. Also has the flatware. I didn't realize these were Bento boxes. Somehow I thought Bento boxes had a lot of compartments in them. Some of her containers have two or three compartments in them. I got some others at the dollar store that are a bit larger and they were a lot cheaper. These are great for packing raw veggies or chunks of fruit because they don't get squished in there. She also has some small blue ices shaped like flowers and smile faces. That way I know her food will stay fresh until she can eat it. She asked for a larger lunch box this year. That will make things easier. Last year she had a Hello Kitty soft sided lunch box. It was cute but had two small compartments in it making it hard to put in larger containers.

[CaptainSwab]

For those of you who ordered boxes, how long did it take for them to get to your house?

[JennaBoBenna]

For those of you who ordered boxes, how long did it take for them to get to your house?
Mine took less than a week to get to my apartment :)

[Conscious Midwife]

I bought small cookie cutters from pampered chef so I can start adding some cutsieness to my fruit salads and veggies. I now also have three assorted size melon scoops that i will use for fruit and frozen raw icecream treats and dehydrated recipies and probably even fudge balls.

[eachpeachpearplum]

OK we are all gearing up for school lunches - UGH! I had this thread up and wanted to highlight it for you.

She lists her pics first then in two further posts she lists recipes.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=174569#post174569

I was also in the shop and they had individual bagged carrot sticks. I KNOW I can do this myself but I think it will be nice for the kids to have SOMETHING predone looking :o .

Any ideas on a good very small container for holding dressings? Hmm just thinking; I went to the Container Store and they ALL sorts of glass jars with screw lids - even really small ones. I need to go back and have a look. I like the idea of glass.:rolleyes:



So parents what ideas have you come up with??

[eachpeachpearplum]

I bought small cookie cutters from pampered chef so I can start adding some cutsieness to my fruit salads and veggies. I now also have three assorted size melon scoops that i will use for fruit and frozen raw icecream treats and dehydrated recipies and probably even fudge balls.

I would love to see some examples of your artistic fruit & veggies. :p

[eachpeachpearplum]

Luna Lin had done a beautiful bento box using her mini cookie cutters. I was just on line looking for mini cutters and found this great link!

http://www.pinenose.com/cocuse.html

I just ordered three sets; stars, fruit shapes and veggie shapes. They had many other mini shapes too! Each set is about $7US.

[I~Wanna~RAWk]

I love all bentos, even the kiddie kind, but for those of you who want a more sophisticated look, here are a couple of bentos even my 13yo and 11yo boys didn't scoff at!

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/t...ier-p-669.html#

http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp...roductID=107019

also, garrett wade has extra stainless steel chopsticks you can purchase for the 1st bento that doesn't have utensils.

Happy Snacking

[eachpeachpearplum]

I love all bentos, even the kiddie kind, but for those of you who want a more sophisticated look, here are a couple of bentos even my 13yo and 11yo boys didn't scoff at!

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/t...ier-p-669.html#

http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp...roductID=107019

also, garrett wade has extra stainless steel chopsticks you can purchase for the 1st bento that doesn't have utensils.

Happy Snacking

Great thanks for the post!

[JennaBoBenna]

Luna Lin had done a beautiful bento box using her mini cookie cutters. I was just on line looking for mini cutters and found this great link!

http://www.pinenose.com/cocuse.html

I just ordered three sets; stars, fruit shapes and veggie shapes. They had many other mini shapes too! Each set is about $7US.


Thank you so much for posting this! I've been driving myself mad looking for mini cutters!!

[CaptainSwab]

I'm impatiently waiting for my box. I thought I ordered it forever ago but then I realized it has only been 10 days. :D

[eachpeachpearplum]

I'm impatiently waiting for my box. I thought I ordered it forever ago but then I realized it has only been 10 days. :D


Ha ha ha ha ha. . .

[Svadhyaya]

I bought my husband a laptop lunchbox and he was so proud of it until he took it to work and got made fun of by all the other guys. Now he refuses to take it. They made him feel embarrassed about his (expensive) lunchbox. Isn't that sad?

.....sigh.....

[Conscious Midwife]

I would love to see some examples of your artistic fruit & veggies. :p


Honey don't hold your breath :D :D

It will be at least another week before I get my act together in the kitchen.

My 18 year old leaves tommorow for training camp at UCLA, my toddlers start preschool next Monday, the middle kids are just that, in the middle, and I' a wreck. :eek:

Bought those cute little cutters on an impulse as I do most catalogue/ home show items. But I do plan to use them...

[Conscious Midwife]

Here are the "Creative Cutters" I bought (http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=6974&categoryCode=CE)

[eachpeachpearplum]

Here are the "Creative Cutters" I bought (http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=6974&categoryCode=CE)

Did you forget the attachment - LOL :eek: !

[Conscious Midwife]

Didn't forget...


Click the words and scroll down.

When you move your mouse/cursor over the post the whole sentence is underlined.

[Conscious Midwife]

In my last PC order I also got an avacado peeler/slicer. Duh what did I do that for. the knife and spoon trick was working just fine, and the avacado peeler was messy.

Hmmmmmmmm

[CaptainSwab]

Yay! Got my box in the mail on Friday. :)

[eachpeachpearplum]

What are you planning to send in your kids lunch box next week???????????????????? :o

[Doe]

Wow, lifeAgift!!! This julienne peeler (http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=4082&categoryCode=CE) on the same site as the creative cutters looks great for making zucchini pasta. Thanks for posting.

Teri S

[Cinnamon]

That julienne peeler looks great, and I love the other Pampered Chef products I have. I've also got several sets of creative cutters but I have used them for years with my polymer clay projects! Although after being used on the clay, they can't be used on food anymore. Guess I'll have to get some more of them just for food! Fun ideas everyone, my son is almost 27 now but I have a Grandson on the way so I'll be watching for ideas for him!

[Conscious Midwife]

Wow, lifeAgift!!! This julienne peeler (http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=4082&categoryCode=CE) on the same site as the creative cutters looks great for making zucchini pasta. Thanks for posting.

Teri S


WOW

Thank you for thinking. I have that peeler I've used it to make stripes on my cuccumbers and skiiny carrot strips for salad. Hmmmm hadn't pulled it out in a while. I'll buy some squash today and see if I'm able to make "pasta". I hope it works. :eek:

[Conscious Midwife]

It worked I tried it out today. My squash wasn't quite firm enough but it did the trick.

Texture and fo was just the kick my RAW efforts were needing.

I'll buy more today an attempt a pasta with olive oil olives and assotment of italian oriented seasonings.

For now the little bit I made went into my Ramiane lettuce salad with....



OOOPS Hijacked the threads this was about BENTO BOXES RIGHT????
So on that not the ones at the kitty store were a bit priciey on my last visit.
I won a $1 compartmentalized container, as a door prize. So I may try using this one. I'm not big on stooreing stuff in cheapy plastic. I like the polycarbonate ( I think) stuff that my juicer container and the Vitamix containers are made of. They seem to repell more stains than everyday plastic.

Nothing like having a cabinet full of Tupperware thats Carrot Fusion Orange :D

[Linda1970]

Does anyone know if you can buy bento boxes made of non-plastic(such as wood, bamboo) material? I've been searching for one for a while now and still can't find one.