Bento Box Lunches for the Kids
Posted on September 23, 2010 by Eric Wolfram in family, Inspiration
Bento boxes: They're not just for sushi anymore.
Supermom Wendy Copley shows us how to build a better bento box
Bento (弁当 bentō?) 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. Wendy Copley has adopted the idea and she is tailoring it to the tastes of her American family. Copley’s bentos are colorful, visually interesting, and filled with everything and anything — from green peas to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yum!
Copley, photographer and mother from Northern California, has been Blogging about her bento boxes. Success is based on, color, design, and ultimately how much of the lunch returns.
Batman Bento
“I decided to have a little fun with the daily chore of packing my son’s lunches by dressing them up and it turned into a full-fledged hobby,” says Copley, mom of 2 boys, ages 6 and 2.”
If you’re in need of extra inspiration, Copley has published ample photos of her bento creations for everyone to see.
Americans can get plastic bento box lunch sets at Laptop Lunches or if you want to get a traditional style bento box online.
Fall Colored Bento
You can also find interesting things like Cookie Cutter shapes for sandwiches. Puzzle shapes for sandwiches are also a good idea.
“Some of the things I like best about packing bento lunches are that it’s environmentally friendly — my kids’ lunches generate very little packaging waste — and that it’s creative and fun for me.”
If you want to read more, SFGate, a San Francisco newpaper, recently wrote an article about Copley’s Colorful Bento Boxes
Let the bento begin!
