A Bento a week...

One thing that I’d like to do this year is be healthier.

And one way to achieve that is to eat healthier! Near the end of 2009, I started making bento lunches to take to work. If you don’t know what an obento is, you’re not the only one. Many Americans have no idea what an obento is besides the overpriced box meals that are sold at many japanese restaurants. The obento that I’m referring to is defined as, “a Japanese-style packed lunch, consisting of such items as rice, vegetables, and sashimi (raw fish with condiments)”. Bentos serve a few different purposes. They are generally healthier than fast food or restaurant bought lunches. They are less expensive to make. Lastly, they help with portion control. On a bad day, I can eat a full pizza from CPK. No matter how healthy the pizza is, eating the whole thing can’t be good for me.

My plan is to start making one bento a week for lunch. Hopefully, I’ll increase that to two, or three times per week by my birthday. I already reached my goal of getting my weight down, so it’s not dieting that is driving this change. I want to live healthier, and every little bit helps. By following this plan, I can do my best to stay away from fried foods, know exactly what I’m putting into my body, save money and live better.

For those of you interested in bento, check out the Just Bento blog. There are a number of recipes and resources for those who’d like to give this a try. I highly recommend it.