Save Money By Making Your Own Bento Box

During tough economic times it can become necessary to batten down the financial hatches and do away with frivolous expenses. Unfortunately this often means making your own lunches rather than the luxury of buying food each day. When I had my second job (the first had food included, or should I say ‘McFood’) I used to buy ‘gormet’ sandwiches and a coffee every lunch time which cost me about an hour’s pay each day.

These days I make my own lunches most of the time but I’m getting fed up with sandwiches and bananas. That’s why the video linked below from the Guardian site caught my eye. It explains (although not in much detail) how to make Bento Boxes:

“Bentō is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento is readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops ( bentō-ya), train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend considerable time and energy producing an appealing boxed lunch.”

A Bento box can be picked up from Ebay (although it can be a struggle to find one without a Hello Kitty inspired design). A simple Tupperware box with dividers will also do the job. Some of the traditional ingredients may be harder to find depending on where you live. Japanese food can be ordered online from site such as Japanese Kitchen or Mount Fuji or from your local Japanese shop if you live in a big city.

Recipes for traditional Bento fillings can be found on Just Bento and About.com’s Japanese Food section. The Guardian’s Bento article and video can be found here.

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