All posts filed under: Bento Basics

The Healthy & Balanced Bento Presentation Guide

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Packing bento without using a compartment bento box may seem strange for many of you. But the truth is that you can actually pack your bento neatly and nicely without the help of compartments. As the bento box with compartments are usually bulky and heavy, using bento box without compartment Step 1: Plan for the portions There are three main elements in bento: protein, staple, and vegetables. When preparing your bento, these elements can be seen as mains, rice, and sides. 3 Portions=vegetable: Protein: Staple=1:1:1 4 Portions= vegetable: Protein: Staple=2:1:1 I usually divide my bento into three or four portions. If it’s four portions, I would double the amount of vegetable/sides since I enjoy eating lots of vegetables and it also makes bento more colorful and balanced in nutrition. Step 2: Plan for the presentation Depends on the shape of your bento box and the food, you can plan for the presentation of the bento accordingly. Most bento can be generally categorized to these 12 presentation styles. You can also follow these patterns to arrange …

Mealprep Timeline: Cold Bento, Warm Bento, and Hot Bento

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You might have learned that bento originated in Japan as a form of packed dried rice, but do you know that even in nowadays, most Japanese people still eat bento without reheating it? Up till today, most Japanese bento makers still wake up at 4 or 5 am to cook for their loved ones or themselves, so that they can enjoy fresh and delicious bento at lunch time. As a result, most Japanese bentos don’t require reheating and can be served at room temperature. However, it’s extremely difficult to follow this traditional bento preparation schedule. I for one am a lover of delicious bento, but I also love my beauty sleep. I deal with this dilemma by: (1) Breaking up the time of mealprep and assembling bento (2) Reheating bentos based on the type of dishes Separating meal prep and assembly process brings more flexibility to my schedule. Usually I meal prep most of the ingredients and dishes in the weekend, so that during the weekdays, I can quickly bring together meals and bentos. Besides, …

3 Tips on Selecting Your Bento Box

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So, you have decided that you are starting a new life with bento. No matter it’s for you or for your loved ones or both, the first question you face will be what/which bento box you should get. There are various kinds of bento boxes with different design, material, and sizes out there. It could be quite puzzling for beginners to pick a bento box without any context. That’s why I wrote this article to help you sort out the bento box that best fits your needs. I also consolidate an easy comparison table of different bento box materials for you in the end of this article. When selecting a bento box, it’s all about your diet and lifestyle. Yeah, this sounds vague, so I break it down into three simple questions. By answering these three questions, you will have an idea of what bento box to get. Afterall, life is too short for a not fully-functional bento box. I. Do you reheat your bento?  When it comes to bento box selection, the first and …