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A couple of diet bentos
Aug. 25th, 2010 01:19 pmOne reason I threw myself into the bento hobby was hoping it would make dieting more enjoyable. Mostly I wanted to make healthy food more fun to eat. That worked immediately, starting with my first healthy bentos packed in plastic Chinese takeout containers.
The automatic portion control exerted by the bento box can be a great diet aid too, but there was quite a learning curve involved in that one. I have boxes that range from snack-size to humungous Tupperware lunch boxes apparently meant to help Americans maintain their edge as Biggest People On Earth. But now that I pretty much know how to use the different sizes, I can make a nice healthy 300-400 calorie meal out of practically any set of leftovers without having to think about it very deeply. I did measure the rice on the Aug24 one, though. Rice can push the carb count through the roof very quickly if you don't watch out. (I'm sure that's exactly the point of the traditional Japanese bento proportions, which are clearly aimed at a population that is a lot more active on a daily basis than most American office workers. Carbs aren't evil, but their only dietary purpose is as fuel. I don't need that much fuel.)
Anyway, I still pack a bento lunch almost every day, but only post pictures of particularly pretty ones. I thought these two looked really nice, and they sure did taste good! Of course everything tastes good when you're on a diet.
The automatic portion control exerted by the bento box can be a great diet aid too, but there was quite a learning curve involved in that one. I have boxes that range from snack-size to humungous Tupperware lunch boxes apparently meant to help Americans maintain their edge as Biggest People On Earth. But now that I pretty much know how to use the different sizes, I can make a nice healthy 300-400 calorie meal out of practically any set of leftovers without having to think about it very deeply. I did measure the rice on the Aug24 one, though. Rice can push the carb count through the roof very quickly if you don't watch out. (I'm sure that's exactly the point of the traditional Japanese bento proportions, which are clearly aimed at a population that is a lot more active on a daily basis than most American office workers. Carbs aren't evil, but their only dietary purpose is as fuel. I don't need that much fuel.)
Anyway, I still pack a bento lunch almost every day, but only post pictures of particularly pretty ones. I thought these two looked really nice, and they sure did taste good! Of course everything tastes good when you're on a diet.
 | Diet Lunch - Aug 24, 2010 (320 calories) Turkey onion patties, rice with nori stars, steamed carrots and broccoli, grape tomatoes. Delicious. |
 | Luscious leftovers - Aug 25, 2010 (300 calories) Beef and veggie stir-fry, cottage cheese, cheese-stuffed broiled mushrooms, whole wheat mini-pitas, grape tomatoes. Stir fry veggies seem to be: broccoli, carrots, onions, kohlrabi, and a little spinach seasoned with hoisin sauce and soy sauce (I didn't make it, so I'm reverse engineering the recipe). I heated up the little cup of mushrooms, just to have something warm with the meal. |
