Lunch Box
One of my goals for myself after returning for the summer is to get back into the habit of carrying my lunch to work everyday rather than buying it. I figured out about this time last year that my share of the a grocery could feed both Kid Flash and myself both lunch and dinner 5 days a week for about the same as what I was paying for lunch.
One of the things that makes that doable is my nifty Japanese Bento box. Here it all, all packed up with tomorrow's feast:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WUrjEZQUMfu4090I3nt554Ibr6LUNl8FCTwIc-bSXjV5UqvFD0IIdQ1s5jwMFJzZ48UY4O0TS-N6bSb4dLs5BlR1p_wJzIlelUJJF63R9Z5QUJc0R3WtJ1ETCk7malaKTM9T/s320/Lunch1.jpg)
It is pretty small, about 8"x3"x4", but it holds an enormous amount of food, far more than it looks like it would. (Tomorrow I'm having some samosa, grilled artichoke hearts, baba ganouj, and a yellow lentil spread with pistachios.) If I want to pack less I can skip the second tray.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFJMKm1IIQWnmdHsZEPo0G9Qj-x3LK4alO_abrdRcY48hsOHA_POwuvA0_CgevWP77lIs3xMp5qJtDHjIWfGZcP4G-wMZyaJ54_RPNV6R4E27VWV9Ut8_9J8Cf4_5tb_ICTsm/s320/Lunch2.jpg)
My favorite part about it though is that it packs up tall and square. Most American alternatives that I tried in years past when I tried to pack lunches were dish shaped. While I carry a bag every day, a dish shaped thing doesn't fit in it, nor does a dish shaped container keep the food well. They tend to get all mixed up, and slosh around, and you end up with a big plate of mess.
All packed up this provides a self contained, airtight container that fits down in my messenger bag perfectly and keeps my food well because it sits in the bag upright! On the return trip it packs up even smaller since the second tray nestles inside the first. There is even a little slot on the top to contain chopsticks, although I don't actually use that. More reasons to love the Japanese!
One of the things that makes that doable is my nifty Japanese Bento box. Here it all, all packed up with tomorrow's feast:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WUrjEZQUMfu4090I3nt554Ibr6LUNl8FCTwIc-bSXjV5UqvFD0IIdQ1s5jwMFJzZ48UY4O0TS-N6bSb4dLs5BlR1p_wJzIlelUJJF63R9Z5QUJc0R3WtJ1ETCk7malaKTM9T/s320/Lunch1.jpg)
It is pretty small, about 8"x3"x4", but it holds an enormous amount of food, far more than it looks like it would. (Tomorrow I'm having some samosa, grilled artichoke hearts, baba ganouj, and a yellow lentil spread with pistachios.) If I want to pack less I can skip the second tray.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFJMKm1IIQWnmdHsZEPo0G9Qj-x3LK4alO_abrdRcY48hsOHA_POwuvA0_CgevWP77lIs3xMp5qJtDHjIWfGZcP4G-wMZyaJ54_RPNV6R4E27VWV9Ut8_9J8Cf4_5tb_ICTsm/s320/Lunch2.jpg)
My favorite part about it though is that it packs up tall and square. Most American alternatives that I tried in years past when I tried to pack lunches were dish shaped. While I carry a bag every day, a dish shaped thing doesn't fit in it, nor does a dish shaped container keep the food well. They tend to get all mixed up, and slosh around, and you end up with a big plate of mess.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaZ8EGinkU89EHRf16OZjthwEIIgGAOigEXv-_RA2lwcBEvZbFH8ZPxeMfabH8K8EhBmwQGVj07FFyOMav4687Uuhzm86SWWAN2uTaHOwlwedjkBGBMbNujaaCmeum51Vyb2F/s320/Lunch3.jpg)
Beautiful bento! Did you get the technical chopsticks I sent to KF for you?
I should find out if ours fit under the lid of Allium's bento box. There's just something so right about using chopsticks with bento - not to mention how much more compact they are than forks/sporks/spoons.