I’m not going to be posting these every day. Just on the days I remember to take a picture. And, let’s be honest, with bento it’s got to look the part, as well as taste good. Some days I will miserably fail at the former depending on how much time I had to make my lunch, and if I deem it to be a Fail Day, I won’t subject you to the outcome. Click the picture for notes on what’s what.
Favorite item today happens to be a leftover from Easter – Coffee and Brown Sugar Duck Breast. It’s a recipe I may post some day if I remember to take pictures while I’m making it.
I usually limit the contents of my lunch to that-which-does-not-need-heating since I’m usually just grabbing it from the fridge and heading back to my office for a “working lunch”. I also construct the insides with color in mind. I mentioned to someone else that I try to include something from the greens, reds, and even blues and purples. I like rice and noodles as much as the next person, but if they filled my bento it’d be all dull earth tones. Might as well just strap on a feedbag. Taste the rainbow, I say.
Here are some tips for a few color groups. This is by no means a complete list. But it does showcase the kind of variety you can achieve in your lunches, bento or brown bag. You’ll also notice that aside from the bbq, I don’t include anything artificially colored or processed. Doesn’t mean you can’t. I just try to keep nutrition in mind; otherwise I’d start packing lunches according to the Candy Bar group and the Fried group. On average, my lunches are usually ½ to ¾ veggies and fruits, with the other ½ to ¼ being protein and/or grains of some ilk. Maybe some cheese. Keeps it from getting boring and I find myself looking forward to new seasonal color options at the market.
Reds/Oranges:
Most tomatoes
Cherries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Peaches
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Winter squashes
Yams
Red bell peppers
Carrots
Beets
Pretty much all citrus
Some apples
Some plums
Some cheeses
Some melons
Papaya/Mango
Salmon
Anything tandoori/bbq
Greens:
Anything leafy
Peas
Edamame
Celery
Cucumbers
Lima/Fava/Green beans
Herbs
Scallions
Zucchini
Broccoli
Artichokes
Asparagus
Some apples
Some melons
Some pears
Some grapes
Kiwi
Avocado
Seaweed
Blues/Purples:
Grapes
Some radishes
Some beets
Some plums
Blackberries
Blueberries
Some leafy veggies
Some tomatoes
Yellows/Whites:
Jicama
Some melons
Some radishes
Some cherries
Some yams
Some carrots
Some wax beans
Lemons
Celeriac
Leeks
Sprouts
Pears
Blonde fruits (raspberries, pomegranates, etc.)
Star fruit
Pineapple
Lychee
March 29, 2008 at 5:01 pm
[...] is a Dear Label bento box lunch kit. It’s a larger, flatter model than the one you’ve seen me use. It’s accompanied by a rice mold, come foil cups, some sauce bottles, some green plastic [...]