Bynto Boxes

[MandCmama]

I remember reading on here, awhile back, that some of you use and like bynto boxes. I was on Zulily not too long ago, and they had them for a great price.  I quickly ordered two without reading much about them (things sell out very quickly, so you have to act fast.  Nightmare for us with impulsive tendencies  ). They are MUCH bigger than I expected...That I can deal with.  I just can't figure out how you would keep a kiddo's lunch cold.  There's nowhere to put an ice pack...

[CMdeux]

You have to bag them WITH an ice pack in an insulating bag if you have stuff that truly needs to be kept cold.

My DD is the Bento-crazy one.   

She has a single-layer square one that is ~700 mL and an oval two-tiered one that is about 680 mL with both tiers filled. 

They definitely require some skill to pack well-- definitely do some reading up on traditional and contemporary Bento.   

[twinturbo]

Bento predates refrigeration as does a lot of Japanese food so much of the art of bento packing relies on food that doesn't need temperature change. The boxes are usually made of melamine plastic these days which can be microwaved or dishwashed if desired.

I use bento boxes for the kids for the exact reason that it works around the need to cool or heat up but I don't usually pack traditional bento and when I do I don't go crazy like character bento (a.k.a., kyaraben). With girls the super cutesy character bento probably works like a charm but if you have boys who get distracted easily they might want to play with their food than eat it.

Most bento boxes will come with a couple of stickers. It should have a white background with a clear overlay on top. What this is is a (mostly) waterproof name label you affix to the box. If you don't use it or can't find it then I would HIGHLY suggest getting a name on there somehow. The box also shouldn't be more advanced than the kid using it can handle. I use one with a simple lock arm on the side rather than a double tier held together by a big rubber band. As they age I'd get a double tier or something like my husband would use like a Mr. Bento system.

Not going to go over what to pack or how to pack because there's a ton of blogs out there dedicated to that. I'd get one or two books for reference, quick bento-friendly recipes, but really the blogs are where it's at. Stay grounded in reality, the more fancy you get the more waste you're likely to generate and the more specialized equipment you'll need like punches, molds. Not judging, just sayin'.

And don't be disappointed if your kids don't appreciate the effort you make and with boys make sure they will EAT a panda shaped rice and seaweed ball or you will get your same panda rice ball back that afternoon looking very raggedy and squished because it was played with rather than eaten.

[MandCmama]

Oh goodness! I had no idea it was its own little sub culture! I got the plastic goodbyn boxes ( I guess the smaller ones are bynto) that are made for the elementary school set.I planned on packing the same stuff as usual ( cheese and crackers, sandwiches, etc). I did a little reading, and I guess if you freeze the included water bottle, that helps keep it cool.

[twinturbo]

Yep, that's what I pack now. My problem with something to heat is I don't want either DS food handled by others even if a teacher. I also don't want it put in the shared microwave to heat up out of cross- contam concerns. Also too cutesy attracts attention from other kids who might want to play with the food. One common packing method to separate within the box is to use foil cupcake liners. I put tangerine slices or strawberries in those so goldfish crackers or cheese don't get soggy from the fruit. Do what works for you and the kids but yes, although most bento is practical you might run into a bento version of a cupcake queen.

[CMdeux]

I use silicone cupcake liners-- they are reusable and dishwasher safe.  One other tip-- COCKTAIL forks.  I like the little wooden disposable ones.  They fit all the way INSIDE the Bento box, and therefore add to the safety by not having been handled by anyone but my DD.

Another cool trick is to cut cheese/fruit into shapes using metal mini-cookie cutters, which are often just an inch or two in diameter.  I have a 1.5" flower shape that I use on kiwi (or cucumber) slices, for example, and then I can mix those with mandarin oranges and spinach for DD (who is egg allergic and hates salad dressings anyway).

Yes, Bento is an entire subculture.  But it's remarkably healthy food if you do it right, it's portion controlled (so it's a way of eating which will be a good habit to have even as adults), and frankly, it puts MOST restaurant/cafeteria food to shame...  even if some of the food that goes in them is not "typical" of a North American diet.

You can pack a gluten-free, milk-free, even soy-free Bento and nobody really notices, because it's kind of intriguing anyway...

in other words, this is PERFECT for people with FA, where there is no denying that you'll be packing your own food a lot of the time... might as well make it awesome food.  KWIM?  Just don't go down the charuben rabbit-hole and start making mermaids murals out of spam and rice, okay?  LOL.

Oh, and as long as you keep the Nori sheets very dry, you can use regular craft punches with it.  Just noting that.

Yes, blogs are a great source of info-- we also like a couple of non-Bento cookbooks that focus on small/tiny portions for general reference ideas.  Those cookbooks are the "cook-it-in-a-cup" silicone cupcake "kid" cookbooks, and those intended for EZ-Bake oven cooking.     DD loves tiny portions and a wide variety.  Bento is perfect for kids like her.

[MandCmama]

Thanks for your help ladies! I'd better get studying before the fall 

[Arkadia]

this works fantastic for my kids (keeps cold, nice compartments, holds a good size lunch, reusable:

(the cold pack fits in the lid, too, for adjusting to different things, like yogurt or dessert cups):


http://www.shopfitandfresh.com/detail/TCL+700522108368

I bought mine from my grocer.


this is pretty decent, but more for show:

http://www.amazon.com/PlanetBox-Lunchbox-Carry-Magnets-Friendly/dp/B004KT23UC

[krasota]

Sometimes we pack stuff which doesn't need an icepack.  We use a Laptop Lunch system, though, and have the insulated bag + some ice packs which fit in it.  Kiddo and I often pack lunch for the two of us for the day in that thing, so we sometimes put in cold stuff.

[nameless]

I use Laptop Lunch for myself for work lunches

Bynto/Goodbyn is a brand, I didn't know that and just looked it up.

I don't put in traditional asian bento foods into my lunch. I just like the compartmentalized and compactness of using it. And yes --- portion control

With the laptop lunch, I have this kit: http://secure.laptoplunches.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=B830-PLUM&eq=&Tp=   
I got it on some sort of sale for only $25 including shipping. I can fit one of those flexible ice-sheet things under the box part and still zip that part up --- then usually a cold drink, napkins, silverware, or anything else that doesn't fit in the box in the top part. In the summer I'll toss another ice sheet in the bottom of the top part then lay a dishtowel over it, then put my other stuff in. Gets too hot here not to have icepacks, even walking 15 minutes from my car > office.

Adrienne

[nameless]

lots of menu ideas on the Laptop Lunch site:

http://www.laptoplunches.com/bento-menus/

Adrienne