late last year (for some reason it feels strange saying that in only january, but anyway) i wrote about not comprehending the whole bento craze. since then, i started making my own box lunches. there's been a lot of reasons for that:
» to help me make healthier food choices.
» consistency in when i eat while making the whole "grab something for lunch" thing easier.
» portion control is built in.
i've even picked up a bento box:
make that two:
(damn those things are small! A LOT smaller than i expected!) the first one shown is a two tier box, the second a single layer box. combined, they give me as much space as the fit & fresh i use as an alternative (and, yes, i want more boxes; so shoot me). both the fit & fresh and the bentos are small, which means they limit what i can put into them. i try to make healthy choices, and have even been trying new recipes to make lunch both healthy and interesting.
so, yes, i'm getting the whole bento thing a little now. don't necessarily turn my food into art, like this lady, but it's good food. i think about what i'm doing when i make lunch, and that's important.
i've been talking with my husband about me making his lunches when he goes back to work. the response was less than lukewarm. he doesn't want anything "cutesy", but he does want variety and we're both concerned about his cholesterol. he usually makes himself some kind of meat sandwich, takes some chips and pudding, maybe a fruit cup, and a coke. he also carries plenty of water. it's pretty much the same thing every day. he also didn't want cold rice--a complaint that's kind of hollow considering he has a mini microwave he can take to work. *rolls eyes*
so, today he finally gives it a shot. i made his lunch with mine this morning (leading me to realize that much of my lunch making would have to change to night time, even if he didn't have to be out the door at 6:15). he doesn't have a box, so everything went into tupperware. somewhere around 1:30, he finally ate it. he didn't seem impressed, but he did eat it all which told me it was good enough.
but the thing that let me know i had won? he started telling me what wouldn't work for his lunches when he's at work. easy on the rice stuff--it's too heavy and would make it hard to get back to work. fruit on top so he can have it earlier in the day. something really small and light on the bottom for a snack later in the day if he needs it.
this means i need to find some boxes that will fit into his insulated lunch box and start making things in bulk once a week or so. but that's fine. he's joining in. he's going to eat healthier lunches--more fresh stuff when we can afford it. he'll have variety without having to go to the fatty snack foods. it may not make a huge difference with his cholesterol, but it should help. even more, he's already starting to think about how to make our dinners healthier.
and, yes, i am very pleased with that.
~*~
word of the moment: fortitude
strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage.
