Any Bento Lunch Box Nerd Mummies?

I'm obsessed. I've been following Bento Boxes since slashfood had a special about a year or two ago. I've always wanted to do Bento lunch boxes for my kids but couldn't find the right "gear". Well decor have finally released a bento lunch box and my kids are LOVING it. I've been taking photos of their boxes.

I thought it would be cool if anyone else is a freak like me and wanted to share pics and ideas :D

Today DS had:

Compartment 1: Babybel cheddar.
Compartment 2: Fruity Bites (cereal) & Fruit Crackers from Aldi (kind of like pillows).
Compartment 3: Ham sandwich.
Compartment 4: Strawberries & Grapes.

Today DD had:

Compartment 1: Picon Cheese & Savoury Crackers.
Compartment 2: Fruity Bites (cereal) & Fruit Crackers from Aldi (kind of like pillows).
Compartment 3: Skinless Franks & Grape Tomatoes
Compartment 4: Strawberries & Grapes.

I am going to get more and more inventive and experiment with sushi, sandwich rollups, and so forth. There will also be more baked goods in future as well ;) DS also loves Tuna & Mayo in a compartment which he eats with a spork.

They just look so cute :D

i want to see the pics! Wish my kids were big enough to join in..

cai you are an evil women!!!
how cool are the bento lunch boxes!!!
grr now i will have to get one for my lunches then for when the kids are going to school!!

I actually have no idea what you are talking about!! LOL. But it does sound like something else I could get addicted to! PICS?????

We have a tupperware lunch box that has a sandwich section and then 2 small sections and 1 in between size.

M's average lunch has:
1 small carrot sticks
1 small mini wheat bites (fruit inside)
1 vege mite sandwich cut into bits
1 rice crackers (seaweed are the favourite atm)

But we also add things like
mini quiches (done in mini muffin trays)
savoury muffins (mini muffin again)
rice snacks (the ones that are spicy and different flavours)
hummous in a small one to dip the carrot sticks in
fried crispy noodles
ham roll ups (in a tortilla with a smear of avocado)

ETA: if you google bento box there are some cool ones you can buy.... AND cool recipes!! Cai my neighbour used to make these rice snacks in the main section... like wrapped around a red bean mix or something? I think it was called Oni something....

I've just bought a bento box for Z today, YAY! I've kinda been doing this since he started preschool, it's just been in ziplock bags & seperate containers, now I can do it properly.

Ok here are some pics. Keep in mind I haven't got adventurous yet and nothing is home made yet... but I'll get there ;) You get the idea.

oooooooh link not working cai!!

im very interested too!

it says there isnt any pictures or i dont have access...

I've edited the link ;)

We have the tupperware version and have been using them for about 12 months now. Both kids have one and DH has one too!

My only problem is if I fill all 4 compartments, it's too much for DD for a day at preschool, too much wastage. Today for example she had:

1 x multigrain sandwich with raspberry jam
sultanas
a tub of yoghurt

So there was one empty compartment.

Her preschool have asked us to pack their lunches in separate zip bags but I'm ignoring them! I didn't pay $20-30 (can't remember how much it was) for her lunchbox to then go and waste money on sandwich bags.

Ange - if we're going out for the day I pack a box for DS too, so Lulu's not too young to join in! I used to pack one for him when I worked part time and he went to MILs for the day. He probably ate more of his than DD did! LOL.

I'm not a fan of the tupperware ones, purely because you can't move around the sections. I want to see everyone elses pics too ;)

we too have the tupperware one!

Cai - Just checked out your pics and I don't geddit...what do you mean about moving the sections around? I thought you meant you could make the sections smaller/larger which would be cool, but yours look like 4 the same size??

willow i think with doing it with little containers you can choose the size of containers so it might not always be the same ones..

im shocked that the kindy asked for you so do it in zip lock bags... alot of schools are trying to stop plastic wraps and bags being used for the kids...

ETA i just looked on ebay and there are some beautigul ones there is a japanese one with cutters and little bottles..

ill put the link in but remove it if i shouldnt (I removed it, people can search ebay - Nelle xo)

DD - ahhhh, OK, now I geddit! LOL.

I think it's to do with fridge space, if every kid had a lunch box this size then it makes it harder for them to store the lunches properly apparently.

You can move them around or take some out. Which makes it easier for me. What I want is the Laptop Lunchbox (they are awesome, but also expensive!). You can also use Paper Cupcake cases as dividers for food too.

i dont think its a craze i will gte into, but they are pretty cool :)

When you said Bento, i initially thought you were turning japanese, *i really think so*. :p
I have a decor snack box like that and i do put different things in it for lu. Mine is not really big enough though. Thinking i need a bigger one.

Cupcake cases as dividers is a good idea....

Willow- Why do they want sangas in zip lock bags specifically????

What on earth is a laptop lunch box? *off to do a search*

Oh don't worry I plan to do traditional Japanese bento... ;) But for now I'm using the principle with everything I already have ;)

hmmmm japanese.

What is slashfood Cai? Is it another paytv show i miss out on????

Nope its a website that updates on the latest food stuff, be it fads, recipes, holidays, wine/alcohol etc. Food news basically (google slash food).

I have the Tupperware ones which I like, but these look like they might be a really good idea. I like that there is a recipe book available too - I need ideas for lunch boxes!!!

The laptop lunchboxes do look really good though I know what you mean about $$$!

Oh this is what we need! Preschool has supplied a lunchbox tho, so they all fit in the fridge nicely... but when he starts school I'm getting something like this! Altho, there are other times we take a packed lunch for all of us... maybe I should get one for each of us! hehehehe. Love the different types - stackable.. stainless steel (this will appeal to DH.. he doesn't like BPA etc in the plastics).

At the moment I've got all different containers/bags in it keeping his salad, sandwich and fruit & stuff all separate.

I'm going to a tupperware party in a few weeks.. will be checking it out!

Thanks Cai!

I'm going to go to a japanese grocer in a few weeks (when I have some $$$) and buy some shaped rice presses (like hello kitty) and some animal skewers and sauce bottles :D I would love to send the kids with traditional bento boxes in sacks but unfortunately I am worried they would get wrecked. I've got nori so we're all set there. There are some awesome bento's around like the star wars collection and the flickr collection that got me excited about bento in the first place. There is also one that a mum does for her son (with normal bits and pieces that you would normally put in their lunches.

The thing I love also is it cuts out the packaging. I hate using ziplock bags and plastic bags. And for some kids opening the packaging can be a challenge in itself!

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The thing I love also is it cuts out the packaging. I hate using ziplock bags and plastic bags.

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Yep, this is why I brought these for my kids.

Ange - It had something to do with available fridge space and keeping the food at the correct temperatures etc - so basically safe food handling. They are a local council owned and operated centre, and they had an inspection not long ago.

My DS's lunch box has quite a few compartments too (I think it's a Sistema) and everyday I have to put something in each and every one. Babybels are a favourite here too... as are Boost snacks, Sao crackers with vegemite and cheese, and of course a sandwich (the most common being deli chicken, lettuce, cheese and mayo on light rye)... he also likes smoked salmon, Philly cheese and lettuce but we can't afford that very often. I'm looking forward to some more inspiration! DH is a huge traditional Bento box fan (there's a good place near the GPO in the CBD) and I had a wonderful Bento last weekend when I was out and about by myself. Such a wonderfully aesthetic, healthy and yummy lunch!

Were you able to load the photos today? I've been struggling to get the Gallery to work for several days now (uploading and deleting).... but off to check out your piccys now! ETA: ahhhh, you used another host site ;)

I used to do this for myself years ago. I had a great decore container, it had 5 compartments, 4 around the edge and 1 small in the middle. Not sure where it is now ;(, but I did pick up the one you have Nilaic the other day as I thought it would be handy.

Just thinking it might be good for us to take for out and about lunches so we don't have to buy.

:bump:

Anyone have any new ideas?

Rouge, if you don't mind me asking - whereabouts did you purchase your bento boxes from? I've been looking for some for months, and haven't yet found anything suitable.

I just got it from K-mart its a decor container with 4 little inserts that are removable :) There are better ones around but this one works for us.

we were given a laptop lunch box for ds's birthday, its great.. kind of

Yes! Me! I have enough cool and funky lunchboxes to have a different one every day for a month!

Bento obsessed!!!!!

OOoo these lunch boxs sound cool i have never heard of them ..:)

I just googled bento lunchboxes (and aside from this thread coming up fourth in the list), I have come to the realisation that I am a Bento lunch box nerd!

Well, self-diagnosed.... I pack lots of little containers with different food for Steph (and me, and now Ryan) when we go out, and for playgroup. Instead of being in one compartmentalised (lol, how's that for a word :lol:) container, all the little containers just get stacked in her bag.

I am just not imaginative like all you other Mum's, especially you Cai, how do you think of those foods? I guess I am just such a plain eater :shakehead:.

I collect little rice bowls, but I think this could be the next step.... bento boxes....

ETA: I just realised (so many realisation in one day! Think I'll need a lie down!) that I got a big 'bento box' recently from the salvos for picnicing! It's a round insulated container with several compartments on top of another. One big 'tub' down the bottom, then two smaller 'plates' on top, one is divided into three sections. LOL! I can't believe I've been a closet bento-nerd.

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DD - ahhhh, OK, now I geddit! LOL.

I think it's to do with fridge space, if every kid had a lunch box this size then it makes it harder for them to store the lunches properly apparently.

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DS#1's preschool asked for small lunch boxes so I went out and bought one with a matching smaller container from K-Mart, an't think of the brand...Willow.....nah can't think of it but anyways.......every single Wednesday it is a major ask to fit his little lunch box and sometimes smaller container with fruit etc in it as all the other kids bring those cooler bags with Dora etc on them. Grrrrr - I get so mad!

LOVE the Bento idea! Cute and I bet it is great for fussy eaters. Wish they were around when I had to buy a lunch box......but having said that DS's lunch ox matches the colour of his preschool sheets he takes! lol

xxxx

I just remembered the brand - Deco!!! Wow...have a headache now. Bahahaha!!!!

You know Vix... those cooler lunchbox bags don't really benefit from being in the fridge.... I would be annoyed too!

I have a few of the really small decor boxes, I got two more last week from coles, they were meant to come in a trio, but one was missing, so I got a orange and purple one on special for $1!

I think I will enjoy making lunches more now, as they're not just lunch boxes anymore! :lol:

Why are they sticking cooler bags in the fridge? The insulated property of them will mean that the coldness of the fridge will not work on the contents. Cooler bags are for out of the fridge and if they want the items kept cold then whack in an ice block.

i am interested if any are available in real life, i'd like to see them for real.

i've looked up a few mentioned on Nappycino (BPA free), but coudln't find Aust stockists, found the original (US) sites and postage for ONE was $96 USD!!!!

anyone who has the Tupperware version, i assume it's made out of plastic?

has anyone got a BPA free one?

I'm very interested, just finding them hard to source.

Last night, i saw a Laptop type, by googling FOOGOO (i was trying to work out where to buy those thermos type toddler water bottles). I couldn't figure out how the lunchbox kept cold, is it the laptop bag that does that job? or is there room to put an icebrick in there to keep the box cold.

i've only read the first page of this thread, must go back to look at your pics, Rouge, yes, you have inspired me.

baCK AGAIN now i have seen your photos
we have the same divided container. i didn't "register" it as a bento box, cos no lids to contain "wet" foods and no layers. but we've been using the same container, in a very similar way to you are, to transport small amount snacks. but i put it in a cooler bag, with an icebrick. i've tried putting things like strawberries or frozen strawberries, but that doesn't work without the lid (for us). i wouldn't do it with cooked food without the lids either.