All in Good Food

Recently I read a post on Just Bento by Linda Rolle who is a guest poster, about how making a bento lunch is not just for nutrition but also can build a bond between a parent and a child and I can’t agree with her more. I have to admit that I am fairly new at bento making and I still have a lot to learn. I am not Japanese in nationality or Japanese American but I have embraced the idea and use of bento in my family’s lives.

I am a single mom and my daughter is now 19 years old and we all know that most teenagers don’t have the best diets. Well I admit that I was a contributing factor in her unhealthy eating habits. For several years due to stress and other factors my daughter and I ate very unhealthily and I am ashamed to say we gained a lot of weight on that path which was not good because my daughter is diabetic.

However two years ago things changed. We made the change to using bento to help change our eating habits. I decided to look up more on bento boxes and meals and what they were all about. I had seen bento meals before in Japanese movies and shows. However, I had no idea on how to buy a bento box or how to prepare food to go into it. Then I found Just Bento and I found out that I could make bento meals for my family using food that I was use to preparing as well as finding new foods to try.

So for the past two years we have been on a journey with our bento and have collectively lost over 80lbs in the process. As for my daughter’s diabetes it is under control and she feels great. My daughter and I also use our bento to spend quality time together. We will take our bento meals out somewhere and sit, eat and talk which helps me stay a part of her life. As for myself I have also spent the last two year finally earning my bachelor’s degree and making those bento meals has helped a lot because I don’t have to stop my work to make a meal for us.

I must say that Linda Rolle is right I have not just learned more about being creative with the food that I put in the bento boxes but I have opened my daughter up to new foods and being open to trying new things. When I try a new recipe she is my biggest critic and my biggest supporter.

My daughter and I own several bento boxes that we enjoy using and I have to admit that we are still buying more to add to our collection. Yes we use each and every one of them and love every minute of it.

This is just one set we own.