Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches to Go

by Wendy Thorpe Copley

Your kids will look forward to lunch every single day with the delightful collection of recipes in Everyday Bento!

The bento food movement teaches us that foods can be attractive, nutritious, fun and delicious all at the same time. Kids love to try foods that bring a smile to their faces, and will often eat things they wouldn't otherwise try. For example, they'll love an adorable bear cub made from brown bread, peanut butter and jelly nestled on a bed of blueberries. Cut watermelon into hearts, and tuck them next to a ham sandwich shaped like ballet slippers for your budding ballerina. Create building bricks from healthy cheese, carrots and cucumbers—or a hot dog octopus, swimming across a sea of cucumber. Picky eaters or not, they'll try it!

Wendy Thorpe Copley writes the popular bento blog Wendolonia, which takes the traditional Japanese concept of bento—a single meal packed at home in a reusable container—and Americanizes it. Using simple ingredients found in any grocery store, Wendy creates entertaining meals that are sure to delight even the most finicky eater. Some of the fun and easy bento creations here include:

Princess Bento
Rock and Roll Bento
Snowman Bento
Butterfly Bento
Farm Yard Animals Bento

Besides being great fun to look at, bento lunches are a healthy way to enjoy food while keeping portions in check. Freshly-prepared lunches packed in portable, reusable boxes are also kind to the environment and easy on the wallet—very important in today's economy. Everyday Bento teaches you a few simple techniques to make creative lunches, all in a reasonable time-frame for busy working parents.

The 50 bento meals in this cookbook feature familiar foods with fun themes that will appeal to children and adults alike. Follow the easy step-by-step instructions to recreate each bento box, or mix and match different elements from the book to make your own unique creations. Make lunch fun again with Everyday Bento!

Genres: Cooking, Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Parenting

120 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2014

Reviews

[Penmouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Wendy Thorpe Copley has written a truly lovely book called Everyday Bento. Her artistic recipes are lovingly illustrated with beautiful color photographs. The recipes themselves are very creative and beautiful. What I like most is how Copley used everyday ingredients found in American grocery stores to create her Bento box meals.

To highlight the positives:

*Creative lunch ideas
*Beautiful lunches that will pique the palette for both children and adults as you'll find recipes for both age groups.
*Use of common everyday ingredients to create works of art.
*A listing of sources where you can find Bento products.

To highlight the negatives:

*The amount of work required to create the lunches. For harried parents who are trying to get the kids ready for school, this book might not be the best choice for a daily lunch routine.
*Lack of food safety information. The author does mention how some Bento boxes are sold as a "thermal lunch bag" or inclusion of an ice pack, she does not mention how to keep lunch box foodstuffs safe. The USDA recommends "insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold, but pack at least two ice sources with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box you use." Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/f...

I would recommend this book with the caveats given above.

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I even start this review, let's just be clear. When looking at these absolutely adorable cookie-cutter'ed, carved, kebabed, and all around manipulated food stuffs, this was all I could think about:



Rachel Flax was clearly so ahead of her time.

This book is so awesome, y'all. I have such a love for adorable themed bento box lunches. Alyson Hannigan was, at one point, posting pictures of her daughter's lunch box. She has the egg molds, as well as vegetable cutters she bought in Japan that basically turn food into a puzzle to be put together.



See? So freaking cute.

I don't even have kids. And I want to make someone's children the boxes described in this book. I want to make everyone's kids these boxes. Please, let me come to your home and build your child's lunch for you. Er, you have to supply the egg molds and actual food stuff, though. But I'll put them together!

Yes, sure, there's an entire section for adult Bento boxes, but forget that. What fun is that? I want to make Yoda sandwiches and Lego-shaped fruit.

I want this book. And I want to buy it for everyone I know who has a child. Because even if you don't have the fancy shmancy boxes she suggests, and even if you don't have the ingredients, or the cutters, there is so much inspiration here. The book is exploding with ideas for ways to make your child's entire day just by having them open their lunch box.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches to Go offers a lot of great ideas for creating fun and healthy packed lunches. The lunches included in this book are mostly geared toward kids, but they are easy enough to adapt for people who don't have kids and simply want ideas for preparing quick and healthy lunches. Indeed, in addition to an introduction to bento box basics (such as what kind of equipment and tools you can use) a list of ingredients is also provided (sorted by food group and colour) to help generate ideas for your lunches.

The book is beautifully presented with lots of helpful pictures to accompany the instructions. There are also various tips offered throughout the book, such as how to prevent fruit from browning and how to cook a sweet potato in the microwave. The Bentos for Grown-ups section offers several great lunch ideas for grown-ups, but I would have loved to see more! Overall, this is a great book on making your own bento box lunches.

(I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.)

[Venia Conte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider myself a lunch packing pro, and I still came away with new tricks and fresh takes on how to add fun and varied nutrition to my daughter's lunch box. Lego blocks? Brilliant technique!

For someone just starting out or the packer that's hit the lunchroom wall, this book is a life saver. Each lunch is laid out on two facing pages making it easy for a bleary eyed parent or newbie tween to follow along. The ideas include an ingredient list, but are easily adapted to cover any diet. I love the salami spines on the dino-sandwich...but, we can easily switch that out for cheese to accommodate our vegetarian lifestyle. The photos are clear and the instructions simple and concise. I appreciated the idea lists in the front, and the tool box inventory with accompanying photos is fab! With ideas that span from Preschool to workplace...lunch box to party table, this is a great buy for anyone that has (or wishes they could have) fun in the kitchen!

I'm thrilled to add this to my cookbook collection, and will be gifting copies to friends with toddlers, kids entering Kindergarten, tweens starting to brave the kitchen, and adults looking for fun ideas to pack for lunch. How cute would a copy be all wrapped with a cookie cutter tied on top!?! Bravo, Wendy!

[Sarah Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for anyone who makes their kids or themselves lunches and wants to break from the monotony. It offers clear steps for quickly and cheaply getting into packing bento style lunches. Guides on what tools to use and where to get them. Food lists for when you are stuck for ideas and beautiful photography of step by step instructions to recreate 50 very cute and yummy lunches.

I have already tried a couple of ideas and my kids loved them. The steps are easy to follow and have pictures to guide you.

It is also a great book to give to a picky eater to look through you may be surprised at what they want to try when it's presented in such a fun and colorful way. My kids looked through and asked for several lunches right away that I would not have thought they would touch!

All in all a wonderful book and I look forward to making more of the lunches.

I received this copy gratis as a early reviewer all thoughts are my own.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has some cute ideas, and while of course the "kid-centric" boxes run a little small, I can see making some of them for myself --which kind of left me feeling the adult lunch suggestions were a little uninspired. Maybe because I'm a geek --I would totally take that Star Wars lunch into work with me to make my co-workers jealous (well, okay, maybe not, but still...). However, all the food looks pretty tasty, and there are a few recipes, particularly in the adult lunches (like curried cream cheese and Savory Bread Pudding). Looking forward to trying my hand at some of these.

[Erin Triplett · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were very few lunches in here that did not require specialized pieces or equipment to make them "cutesy". These special bits were different in every case. This would have been a much more effective book if they'd picked a couple of shapes and shown many different ways to use them instead of fifty pictures of a fifty different things. I don't know anyone who can afford to spend that much money for cute lunch things they'll only ever use once, or even in just one way, let alone find places to store all of those things.

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh, Bento Lunches. I fancy myself someone who could easily make this a hobby, but I have yet to find proper inspiration. I enjoyed this book because it showed me how easy it can be to make bento boxes. Other books I've looked at often involved traditional Japanese techniques (as they should), but it makes me a bit more challenging for me to feel like I can easily adapt that to my lifestyle. While I don't have any kids yet, I feel like I should get my practice in now and start coming up with all sorts of fascinating little things. Here goes!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many ways can one say ADORABLE? Ms. Copley brings together numerous lunches to make the little ones have fun with lunch. Although most require special tools, it is worth it to make lunch special. There are options for adults to. I feel that most will require a bit extra prep than a regular lunch, but they weren't extreme in the design and step by step instructions were given.

What was one of the best things about it? All ingredients are easy to find in American stores.

I have a couple of Christmas lists that this book will be on.

Reviewed for publisher through Netgalley

[La La · Rating 5 out of 5]

This step-by-step tutorial book is brilliant! The accompanying color photographs are wonderful, and not only show you the finished product, but also construction and prep steps. Photos of different types of bento boxes and kitchen tools you need are included. The written instructions are easy to follow, and there are hints and tips about creating your own bento box food designs. I was approved for a complimentary copy via Edelweiss in return for an honest review. I will be featuring this title on my Children's book blog in the future.

[Kme_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to recive this in first reads. It was so much fun just to look at. I could not help but smile at this fun corlful book. This book gives step by step directions to making some very cute and deliciouslooking bento boxes. A great read if you are looking for something different to do to your lunch or to your childeren lunch box.

[Jennifer Goins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to give this a 5 star rating. this book is so cool when my sister brings her kids home we make the different things in this book and the kids like making thing with their sandwiches thank you for the book.

[Rachael Ruelas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute ideas and some very clever arrangements, but I feel like this kind of book is less relevant in the time of Pinterest. I liked it, but I was glad to have borrowed rather than purchased this one.

[Just · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of very cute ideas for spicing up kids lunchboxes from the simple sandwich, piece of fruit, and poppa we all grew up on! Don't know if I'd be crafty enough to make it work though!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Calling any of these "everyday" is a big, big stretch. Most of the meals require a ton of specialized tools (and even ingredients) to come close to the visuals provided. A couple of interesting recipes in the bentos for grownups section but the kids ones are all leaning heavily on special cookie cutters, etc and don't offer much useful info. My main takeaway is I should get out my silicone cupcake liners for DIY lunchbox dividers.

[Ella De · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most relevant word in the title is "cute". This is another book about kawaii bento. The emphesis is on shaping food into cute things and not on cooking.
You need foodcutters, colouring, etc to recreate the themed bento boxes presented in this book.
The author has some nice ideas but focuses on cute boxes for kids. The adult section is pretty short.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

so cute - but feel like they are a bit out of my skill zone. some interesting ideas although I am at a much more basic level - I am slightly inspired to up my game from being happy to just get something in the lunch box to think more about presentation and variety.

[Ericka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple recipes, good for a beginner looking to make themed bento for their kids. There are a few grown up recipes, but mostly these bento are made with elementary school kids in mind.

[Cati · Rating 3 out of 5]

People really have time to do this every day?!

[JC Cornell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some interesting recipes, but nothing that I wanted to cook.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute ideas for fun lunches.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some cool ideas and hints, but also has some weak suggestions. You do need some equipment for a bunch of the ideas, but food coloring magic markers are cheap and useful.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I must have read a entirely different book, because I don't agree with the mass of other reviewers saying that the bentos in this book are practical and utilize everyday ingredients and materials (so many of them were specialized). This book was not helpful for me because of those reasons. Then again, I do not have kids and am not making bentos for children. I guess if that is your purpose, and your goal is to make cute meals for your children, then you may love this book. Although, I honestly didn't find the bentos/designs to be easy to make, not by a long shot. They were so involved (although the instructions were clear). I'm not sure what mother would have that kind of free time (but you never can underestimate mothers' time-management and multitasking skills).

I was also disappointed in how the author utilized space. Bentos are supposed to utilize as much space as possible in creative ways. The majority of these bentos (even the adult ones) had so much empty space. Which leads me into my next complaint that the meals weren't very well-rounded. There were many that were just one food group and that was it. And a lot that had cheese and crackers as its base. Again, this probably has something to do with the fact that this book seemed to be more geared towards making cutesy kids meals, not substantial meals for everyone.

Conclusion: great if you're making meals that your children will find appealing and therefore eat; not great if you're making meals for yourself.

[Crystal McClean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bento lunches are common in Japan, and I admired all of the work that women would put into making them for their children, husbands, and others. It was always interesting to see what my co-workers had in their bento. They are generally very healthy, balanced meals.

If your child has allergies or special dietary requirements, bento are perfect. You will know what is going into the lunch, and your child will feel special for having such a beautiful lunch instead of feeling left out because they can’t have the same as everyone else.

Everyday Bento is packed full of colour photos on every page, and the instructions are very clear. If I can follow along with them, anyone can!

If you’re a complete novice to the world of bento, you’ll find out about the basic techniques, equipment, and tools at the front of the book. There are also handy lists for food ideas by food group, as well as by food colour.

The book is divided up into four sections:
-Bentos for Busy Mornings
-Extra-Special Bentos
-Bentos for All Seasons
-Bentos forGrown-ups

I’ve been so inspired that I’m asking for my own 2-layer bento box for my upcoming birthday. And I have my eye on a couple of inexpensive ones for the children that would fit nicely into their backpacks for our nature excursions.

[Andréa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to checking this book out for awhile now, because I love browsing creative bento lunches online. Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit disppointing. The bento boxes aren't nearly as creative and original as some I've seen online (and therefore don't have as much "wow" factor), but they're also not lunches that I would consider feasible to put together on a "busy morning", as one of the sections is titled. These ideas are probably best for the parents who have some extra time and energy to spend on lunches but who aren't creative or skilled enough to accomplish the really elaborate and unique bento boxes that achieve internet fame.

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

While these are very cute, I was originally expecting a little more Japanese style lunches instead of an Americanized version. They require a lot of different punchouts but kids will love these because of the different shapes and characters. I like the tutorial in the beginning but it takes up almost a third of the book. Also the tip about keeping the lunch snug is important when making these lunches.

Overall this was a good book for lunch ideas and a way to add variety while not taking too much extra time to prepare.

I received this advanced copy from Tuttle Publishing through Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always admired how cute and creative bento-makers get with their lunches, but, you know, who's got the time? That's why this book is so great: Wendy's examples are mostly practical, no-fuss ideas that can be put together in minutes on a busy morning. She shows you how to get more involved and creative with it if you want, but her approach is very much geared to ordinary families rather than serious artistes. She also has a section of "bentos for grown-ups" that are all excellent alternatives to a fat-and-sodium larded restaurant meal. Five stars for being adorable AND practical!

[Muchandquick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic recipes with colorful examples of bento-style presentation. Looks like the target audience is parents preparing lunches for their elementary-school aged children. I think this would be a good book for a person that is not comfortable in a kitchen but wants to step beyond the realm of pre-made Lunchables and into more healthy lunch options for kids.

I found the recipes to be lacking. A pasta salad recipes is as follows:

Leftover Pasta
Diced Bell Peppers
Bottled Vinaigrette

...that's it, that's the whole thing.

[Emery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some genuinely brilliant ideas, some unimpressive ones but overall solid. Detracting points for lack of actual Japanese influence and authenticity (it's more of a cutesy kid's lunch box book), actual amount of healthy and filling in the lunch (better than some could be better), and finally the needless amount of tools the author uses making this a game of money v. Creativity. Still decent but could have been way better.

[Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is full of amazing and easy lunch ideas, recipes and beautiful photographs. The step by step directions are clear and easy to follow.

This is a great read for anyone looking to pack bento, beginner or pro. My kids have also enjoyed reading the book and recreating some of the bentos.