As many of us remember from our childhood days, one of the best parts of our day was opening our lunchbox and diving into the array of goodies mom and or dad had packed for us that morning; Fast forward to current day and busy parents struggling to invent nutritious and delicious daily lunches for not only their children, but themselves as well. Solution? Bento!

A Bit about Bento, or packed lunches, can be traced back as far as the fifth century, when Japanese leaving their homes to till their fields, hunt, fish, or even wage war carried food with them to eat on the go.  These portable meals typically contained staples, such as white rice, rice mixed with millet, or potatoes.

In today’s world, Bento remain a common sight at schools and work. More working mothers purchase ready-made bento and are increasingly sold at convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores, and restaurants.

I believe in many ways that the Japanese’s invention of the Bento Box is ingenious! In the weeks to come, we will explore many scrumptious and wholesome options fashioned after the famed Bento to carry with you wherever you and your children go. Keeping us away from ghastly fast foods and feeling great about packed lunches again; sending and consuming them! Get ready because we are about to revisit, rearrange and invent our own version of the resourceful and imaginative; Bento!