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The next fun thing, Pt. 2
November 02, 2007So first I talked about the various new exercise options I'm trying, to keep things interesting and fun as I continue on the journey to better health.
Now it's time for the second, and equally fun part of the equation-FOOD!
I am a regular subscriber of the Washington Post's Lean Plate Club, a weekly e-mail update with health topics, recipes and discussion boards. One time the subject was bento boxes, a Japanese tradition that I would LOVE to try.
Apparently, bento boxes are divided into five compartments. Each compartment is supposed to hold a small portion of a different color and differently prepared food. The colors are green, red, yellow, white and black/purple. The preparations are bitter, sour, sweet, hot, salty and delicate. By eating a full range of colors and preparations, your eyes are treated to a visual feast before you even begin to eat. It's fun, and it's like a game. I don't have a box(see below), but I do try to pay attention to the five colors when I cook at home. And eating those different colors means you are getting several different nutrients all in the same meal. I don't know what it is, but I always end up feeling more satisfied when I go the five-color culinary way.
I don't know if any retailers here in Wichita Falls carry bento boxes, so I started an online search to try to procure one to bring to work for lunch every day. I found several traditional bento boxes but a new take on the bento box caught my eye.
It's called Laptop Lunches, a Web site aimed at providing healthier, more appetizing lunches for kids and grown-ups. Their bento boxes are actually made of colorful plastic, and they have a couple of options for buying them, including lunch sets and bulk purchasing.
They also list several lunch ideas, including fun stuff like cucumber chains and delish-looking berry granola mixes.
The boxes I found online are a little pricey, but enterprising folks could probably come up with their own bento box from scratch. I just think the idea is fun, interesting and could be a solution to the PB and J lunchtime blues.
Posted by Stacy Horany at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
