The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches To Go

I bought a bento box with the idea of portion control and needed help on how to use it. This book offered more than I expected in the following ways. First of all the pictured ideas are so appealing I couldn't wait to pack my first lunch. I was delighted that some ideas are things I wouldn't have thought of and that while visually attractive, are not labor intensive. You do have to prepare the food of course, but the included timelines and tips for make-ahead items seem to simplify the process considerably.The foods to include and recipes in the book were really a springboard for me. Once I started thinking outside the box (or inside :), I could see a whole range of things that would work and give me lots of variety. Although my first attempts included a chopped salad in the largest tray of my box, I did pack some rice, which I usually don't include in my meals all that much. What a pleasant surprise to find it so filling and satisfying in this context.Seeing how the boxes were packed was another eye-opener. I really liked the little silicone cups to divide the space and the containers to hold sauce. I couldn't find the ones pictured but did find a couple of others that are working well. The frilly lettuce dividers explained those little green pointy papers in sushi packs from the store.There is no question that the quantities are smaller than many Americans are accustomed to, but that in itself was a good lesson for me, and in my first few days of eating my bento lunch, I find I am completely satisfied. I think it is partly because of the variety of tastes and textures of foods included. The bright flavors make a few bites seem like more and each item is savored and appreciated from the first view upon opening the box to the last tasty morsel. I felt I'd had a more complete meal than the standard American box lunch of a sandwich, piece of fruit and chips. Speaking of sandwiches, I'm trying to cut down on gluten too and the rice works well instead of bread. When I choose to include a sandwich in the future, I'll put in just one trimmed half as it fits the theme better and already a full sandwich seems like too much.Another thing I really liked about this book was that a variety of bento boxes are shown as containers so regardless of which kind you have you can see the possibilities. I bought a Lock & Lock set--plebeian compared to the graceful Japanese boxes, but functional and I'm pleased with it.I'm so happy with this book, I immediately bought another for my daughter for her family. Highly recommended.

I recently purchased a bento ( Zojirushi SL-JAE14 Mr. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar, Silver ) and my search for easy to make and healthy recipes brought me to this book. At first glance it is a little intimidating but once you read it, you realize that it is very easy and uses a wide range of ingredients backed with great instructions to help you. It also offers great time lines so you know what you need to make in order to save you a lot of time.What this book is:It is a great recipe book that focuses on the food and offers useful tips on fresh items as well as leftovers as bento fare. It also includes a lit of foods that should not be included in the bento as well as ideas for which bento would be right for you (all of which are available on Amazon). The author uses a mix of Asian and American ingredients to make the recipes included. The book also offers substitutes should some of the ingredients used prove impossible to find in your area.Beautiful photos and instructions on how to pack each bento are included so you don't have to panic to make everything fit in your bento. I've found all the recipes easy to follow and not that intimidating.The website addresses included inside the book lead to very helpful sites geared towards bento enthusiasts and have given me many great ideas on new foods to try for my bento.What this book isn't:This book is not geared to making cute character bento that are famous overseas. While a few ideas are given on how to use color and simple shapes to make the meal look better, this book focuses more on the food and preparation and less on the looks.Some of the ingredients may prove a little hard to find but one of the ideas behind the use of bento is improvisation. I've been able to find most of the ingredients used in this book at the grocery store as well as health food stores.Note: Most, if not all of the ingredients are available on Amazon at very good prices.Overall:I would highly suggest this book to anyone who is getting into the idea of using a bento and looking for great meal ideas. My family quickly adopted the bento and has enjoyed may great foods from this book.

I bought this to bring some inspiration to my lunches and also to help me and my husband eat healthier, all those shop bought sandwiches are expensive and not all that good for you! This book is easy to understand, has been written with healthy in mine andhas everything you need to know to get started (especially for a novice like me); Makiko's time lines are fantastic for helping to speed up making everything first thing in the morning. She also has some really handy preparation tips too, those are invaluable for time saving.I would recommend this to anyone looking to spice up their lunchtime, I personally cannot wait for lunch now I know I have something delicious and beautiful waiting for me! It takes some practice to be super speedy at making everything, but once you have done it a few times you get a great routine going.

This book it is great. A good selection of lunch suggestions, with easy to make recipes.This will take longer than making a sandwich, but that is part of the point. We aim to have a bento lunch once a week and everyone always comments when I do.The book generally suggests making lunch in the morning but I don't have time so generally make it the night before but it has all been good. I do have a bento box from Japan but often pack the lunch into Tupperware depending on what it is.I have tried quite a few of the lunches now, and my presentation is not always as good, straightening prawns takes a long time and did not really work out for me, but they have all tasted great and are healthy as well. Each dish is very quick and easy but the idea is you have three or four things in each lunch.If you like this book also check out the justbento website, it is the same author and has hundreds of bento lunch suggestions.I have a couple of other bento lunch books but this is my favourite. If you want lovely lunches and are happy to spend a little time to have them you will not regret this book,

I bought Just Bento from the seller "world of books" on amazon and the product page doesn't say anywhere that its pre-owned. The copy I received isn't fit to be sold pre-owned, let alone as if it's brand new. It's clearly several years old (2010 edition), the outside is covered in stains and bits of food, and a lot of the pages have stains and rips in them as well, or are just stuck together. I bought this to be a gift and the state it arrived in is honestly a bit gross, I can't believe someone would think it's ok to sell this.

This book is perfect for those who are starting out with Bento boxes in Europe and western cultures that can't easily find unknown ingredients that are in abundance in Japan. This book has another section for more easier Bento boxes along with a load of hints and tips of how to keep your ingredients fresh and delicious.I would totally recommend this book for recipes and tips as it was brilliant and easy to find all the ingredients in my local supermarket and it gave me idea's how to create my own bento boxes. Also its a great way of reducing uneeded fatty carbs in the diet! losing weight all the time now

Fantastic book. Tried sushi for the first time using the recipe from this book and turned out really well first time. Inspiring little recipes to liven up your lunchbox as sandwiches bore me to tears. Author provides guidance for every recipe so if your not a knowledgable cook like myself you feel like you're in safe hands. Plus alternatives are provided if some of the ingredients don't match your tastes.Would definitely recommend this little treasure to anyone who enjoys jananese food. All ingredients are accessible to the Western buyer as i find many of my previous japanese cookery books require you to spend a fortune on specialist ingredients.