The traditional meaning of the word Bento comes from the Japanese culture meaning: a single portion takeout or home packed meal. Traditional bento's include rice, meat or fish, and a pickled or cooked vegetable. The root of Bento means convenience. Something all parents strive to find!
The goal of a bento box is to provide a healthy lunch full of nutritious foods separated in appropriate portion sizes. When packing a bento box the focus should be on protein and whole grain rich foods as the main course. Fruits and vegetables should serve as compliments surrounding the protein and whole grain. Foods that are included in a bento box should be foods that are safe to eat at room temperature and do not require refrigeration. Whether you are looking for a new adventure in the lunch world check out a bento box. The concepts of a bento box are simple but full of bountiful imagination of culinary delights and can also provide a great presentation for leftovers!
For additional information on where to buy bento box supplies can be found on the Just Bento.com website.
I have seen Bento Box's but have often felt intimidated by them. All of those little squares to fill up made it hard for me to think outside the "bento" box per se. I do like the organization of a bento box and the reusable aspect of the box. After doing research for this week's newsletter I have been motivated to try some of the bento box recipes that I found on line and introduce some of the fun characters to the kids. Albeit some of the bento box recipes can be time consuming they were super cute. Check out the recipes at Parenting for more inspiration.
What do you like to put in your child's bento box?
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