Bento Boxes, what do you think?

[BernardandMissBianca]

So there was a movement on 2peas about bento boxes. I'm thinking of trying them but I won't be fancy schmancy about it. I just want better lunches for the kids.

So do you do them? Would you do them? Here's a link.


http://lunchinabox.net/2008/07/28/sausage-bento-lunches-east-vs-west/

[disneynut14]

Please forgive my ignorance:blush: But what is a bento box?

[Lisa]

We have done octopus hot dogs but that is about it. :rotfl2:

[BernardandMissBianca]

Please forgive my ignorance:blush: But what is a bento box?

sorry, I need to stop drive by posting. LOL We were headed out.
Basically it's a divided box that you can put food stuffs in to make lunch. Some people cut the fruits and veggies up and place them to look like animals and things (not me, lol) I think part of the goal is to not use pre packaged foods so you reduce waste and have more healthy foods.

[BEHN-toh] A thin metal or lacquered wooden box divided into compartments. The bento box is used in Japan for storing separate small dishes that comprise an individual meal (most often lunch). In Japan, the bento lunch, which is commonly available at train stations, represents fast food elevated to high culinary art and design. Each of the country's 5,000 stations sells a unique box lunch that reflects the cooking of the region. The beautifully designed bento boxes can take on myriad shapes including masks, tennis rackets, or other objects both traditional and whimsical. More than twelve million bento-box meals are sold to hungry travelers and commuters in Japan each day.

[logan&tylersmama]

We have done octopus hot dogs but that is about it. :rotfl2:

oh lisa - you are such a gourmet.:rotfl:
BTW I love octopus hotdogs.
jennifer

[logan&tylersmama]

sorry, I need to stop drive by posting. LOL We were headed out.
Basically it's a divided box that you can put food stuffs in to make lunch. Some people cut the fruits and veggies up and place them to look like animals and things (not me, lol) I think part of the goal is to not use pre packaged foods so you reduce waste and have more healthy foods.

[BEHN-toh] A thin metal or lacquered wooden box divided into compartments. The bento box is used in Japan for storing separate small dishes that comprise an individual meal (most often lunch). In Japan, the bento lunch, which is commonly available at train stations, represents fast food elevated to high culinary art and design. Each of the country's 5,000 stations sells a unique box lunch that reflects the cooking of the region. The beautifully designed bento boxes can take on myriad shapes including masks, tennis rackets, or other objects both traditional and whimsical. More than twelve million bento-box meals are sold to hungry travelers and commuters in Japan each day.



Buffy - why dont you make them for the crop this week end and we can let you know what we think :rotfl: a good trial run!
It looks interesting - but alot of work -
I confess to using the frozen PB&J for DS's camp lunch this summer:eek: - I KNOW>>>> I never did state that i could cook!!!
Jennifer

[BernardandMissBianca]

my culinary talents do not surpass the Oreo Pudding Pie I made last month. And the Oreo pudding was premade, just add milk! LOL

But we do need to figure out what we are eating, the pizza place is closed for vacation! :scared1: How dare they!! I need my eggplant pizza!

[AlexWyattMommy]

The two they showed in the web photos would never work for my kiddos. They do not like sausage nor will they eat "messy" food from home. :confused3 They would think the cornbread muffins messy. We did a lot of school lunch because there was more variety than turkey & cheese sandwiches. They won't eat anything else. As soon as Eldest hits middle school there will be microwaves, so that will help.

[disneynut14]

Thanks for the clarification buffy. I suppose I do that now but with ziplock baggies :rotfl:

I would love some suggestions on lunch. My DD takes the same things to school (aka Daycare) every week.

cold cut roll ups (i.e. no bread)
cold chicken nuggets ( I prepackage them every week 4 to a bag)
mini bagels with different cream cheeses
yogurt
cold pizza
(These are the main dishes, with various fruits and such as sides)

Her daycare has peanut and egg restrictions

Anyone have any other ideas for a 2 year old?

[PrincessNancy96]

Buffy - why dont you make them for the crop this week end and we can let you know what we think :rotfl: a good trial run!
It looks interesting - but alot of work -
I confess to using the frozen PB&J for DS's camp lunch this summer:eek: - I KNOW>>>> I never did state that i could cook!!!
Jennifer

My thoughts exactly!! I might need to come up and test one out!!!

I need to think more on this..because my boys are so picky (like AWM's boys) and I need more lunch ideas...

[Lisa]

Buffy - why dont you make them for the crop this week end and we can let you know what we think :rotfl: a good trial run!

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[disneynut14]

Oh yeah, no microwave. It has to be a cold lunch. Talk about tough!!!

[PrincessNancy96]

They tell the kids they can bring stuff in to microwave and than they get all snippy w/ the kids... :( Don't offer it if you are that inconvienced..

[BernardandMissBianca]

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

oh you know me soooo well!!! LOL

[BernardandMissBianca]

Thanks for the clarification buffy. I suppose I do that now but with ziplock baggies :rotfl:

I would love some suggestions on lunch. My DD takes the same things to school (aka Daycare) every week.

cold cut roll ups (i.e. no bread)
cold chicken nuggets ( I prepackage them every week 4 to a bag)
mini bagels with different cream cheeses
yogurt
cold pizza
(These are the main dishes, with various fruits and such as sides)

Her daycare has peanut and egg restrictions

Anyone have any other ideas for a 2 year old?


my kids like cheese crackers and grapes.

jelly sandwiches in soft tortilla shells. I make those for me. I spread the jelly over the whole wheat tortillas and roll them up, then slice them like sushi rolls.

[logan&tylersmama]

Thanks for the clarification buffy. I suppose I do that now but with ziplock baggies :rotfl:

I would love some suggestions on lunch. My DD takes the same things to school (aka Daycare) every week.

cold cut roll ups (i.e. no bread)
cold chicken nuggets ( I prepackage them every week 4 to a bag)
mini bagels with different cream cheeses
yogurt
cold pizza
(These are the main dishes, with various fruits and such as sides)

Her daycare has peanut and egg restrictions

Anyone have any other ideas for a 2 year old?

My son's Day care has a nut restriction too, and no microwave.
Ok - no Flaming me - I will confess to the poor lunches i make for him.

He LOVES buttered noodles - so i make them in the am and put them in a thermous

OH MAN THE ICE CREAM MAN IS DRIVING BY WORK>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
SORRY I GET DESRATCTED WHEN I HEAR THE ICE CREAM MAN!!!

ok ,,, back to what i was saying...
*buttered noodles
*hard boiled eggs
*chichen roll ups As my children call them) in a thermos (These are like south western chicken...i dont know.... roll ups:confused3 - i am surprised they like them becuase they like EVERYTHING plain!)
*THANK GOD THAT THURSDAY IS PIZZA DAY I pay $10.00 a month extra for this - but it is so worth it!
* Hickory Farms beef stick cut up with cheese and crackers
* Chicken nuggets in the thermos
* mac and cheese in the thermos
* some times i do fish sticks or popcorn shrimp in the thermos too but that isnt such a big hit
some extras we rotate out would include fruit, yogart, goldfish or some type of crackers, rasins, yogart covered rasins, cheese sticks, mini muffins,

OK --- SO i dont win mother of the year award -
open to suggestions for picky eaters.
jennifer

[BernardandMissBianca]

Jennifer everything you listed is good! Nice variety, fruits, dairy. Perfect!

Now can you send the ice cream man this way please?

[logan&tylersmama]

Now can you send the ice cream man this way please?

he is Torturing me sitting outside my office window - Taunting me with his little ice cream man music ---- oh the horror!!!! i think i have to cave in and go out there.

Jennifer

[BernardandMissBianca]

get something good!!!

[Lisa]

get something good!!!

:sad2: :sad2:

Save it for a Mickey Premium Bar, Jennifer, in October.

[SusieStone]

Of course I have the anorexic child that is on meds so he won't eat lunch. I keep plenty of money in his account for him to buy lunch but he won't eat any of it. I let him put cookies and chips in his bag and whatever I can get him to drink.

I have tried healthy, etc. but iwth the meds he takes....his appetite is zapped at lunch and with 22 kids, I guess there isn't time to encourage them to eat....so if I send regular lunch or he buys...it ends up in the trash.

However, if I take him some fast food, he will eat that to get the priza.

I just do whatever works to get something in him.

At other times he eats Kale,brocolli (sp), cabbage. collards, steak, chicken and loves rice and stuff like that...so, it is an easy trade off for me.

[logan&tylersmama]

:sad2: :sad2:

Save it for a Mickey Premium Bar, Jennifer, in October.

thank you for the intervention Lisa - i stayed strong and had a weight watchers 1 point cookie
jennifer

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

Of course I have the anorexic child that is on meds .

I didn't know that!:grouphug:

[SusieStone]

I didn't know that!:grouphug:

I don't mean he is really anorexic. He is skinny as a stick because of the ADHD meds. He is only in the 40-50th percentile for height/weight. He is almost 7 and can still wear a 4T bathing suit.

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

gotcha, Susie ... I didn't know he was on meds for adhd. My ds was (mis)diagnosed with that a year before the ASD diagnosis. Looking back, I don't know how that mistake was made. :confused3 :sad2:

[SusieStone]

gotcha, Susie ... I didn't know he was on meds for adhd. My ds was (mis)diagnosed with that a year before the ASD diagnosis. Looking back, I don't know how that mistake was made. :confused3 :sad2:

I have him down to 1 Adderall a day. ithout that he doesn't have a good day at all. Sometimes he gets a clonidine for sleep.

[patchchild]

I admit, when they're done up, they are absolutely adorable. A great way to get a picky or reluctant eater to eat more, but oh the work! Some people really go all out.

[heathrow42]

Ha! -- Just posted to the "Desperate for Lunch ideas" thread about this. Love bento boxes.. but I like to pick at food and love having lots of little things.

Link to my post.. with lots of links and info.. photos too..

http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26755696&postcount=17

--heather

[Queenie]

OK I have to say I'm loving the idea but is anyone else reminded of the little plastic meal trays you get given on a plane? It just screams "airline food" to me!

When I was a kid I got cheese sandwiches and chocolate biscuits pretty much every single day. This was before the whole healthy eating craze of course!

Just as a suggestion, how about little cold sausage rolls and cheese straws?

[D,L and K's Mom]

Great thread. I just purchased a lap top lunch box for my DD. She is not a sandwich eater. Yogurt, cheese and crackers, fruit and veggies.

[123SA]

Oh I hate food preparation. If I ever win the megamillions lottery the first thing I am going to do is hire a nutritionist, food shooper, and cook! I am dreading the start of school and lunches. Susie - -I sympathize with you. My little guy will be 3 next month -- he is 22lbs. He just doesn't eat a lot and almost never eats lunch. He is not even on the growth chart for weight. We have been attending a research growth clinic since he was about 12 months. Nothing is wrong with him thank goodness. DD8 is about 10% both height and weight -- she accidently put on DS2 shorts the other day. My 5 yr old seems big compared to them -- he is about 50% weight, 75% height.

Anyway back to the lunches
For DS3 (almost) I will cook a ham steak and cube it. He'll eat that at room temperature if he is inclined to eat. Also pork roll. yogurt, go-gurt or drinkable yogurt. Melon, apple, cucumbers or carrots. I have high hopes for school lunches -- they serve them family style so maybe he will try it. He is not a picky eater -- just won't eat.

[PrincessNancy96]

Here is what I started this year w/ school lunch preparation. I am sending my kids water/gatorades and small healthy snack to school for CC practices too... So, in total I'm putting 5 lunch boxes together per day..

I started putting them together while I'm cooking dinner... I make all the water bottles/ gatorade and healty snacks and put them in the fridge in their insulated lunch bags.. The kids say everything is still cold when they get to practice @ 3:30pm!!! My 2 boys are picky eaters.. so they help me figure out what they want for me to pack unless they are eating at school. I pack everything I can and get it into the lunch bags and into the fridge. In the morning the only thing left to make is the sandwich. While I make DS's sandwich, I am able to also get DH's lunch packed. So far it's worked out great.. no running late, no fights over what to pack, and no quick runs to school because we forgot to send a lunch to school with anyone! ;)