Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches to Go

I really enjoyed this cookbook for bento box lunches and it was refreshing to see one devoted to entirely do=able American lunch staples for kids. All of the lunches are healthy (ingredients can be traded out so you can customize things for your child) and adorable with most requiring minimal effort. Some do require a little more planning but i was happy to see that even the most busy parent would be able to put this together either the night before or early in the morning with little effort. It's kind of a wonderful thing to take the time to do this for your kid because they will remember it for their entire lives - how much love you gave them in a simple way. This book is terrific because she never goes overboard or offers anything too fussy and fiddly (like Nigella Lawson says). The photos are excellent too. I really enjoyed this and found myself reading it twice in a row because I loved the ideas and referred back to them almost immediately. I make lunches for myself and my Mom and was happy to see that there were adult lunches also in the book and most could be easily adapted to bigger appetites. This is one of the best bento box cookbooks for an American audience because everything is readily available at your local grocery store and even though it depends a bit on convenience foods, like I said these can be switched out to essentially whatever you like. so even health food store patron can use this book! Well done!

I'll be honest, I love bento and I don't pack lunches for kids. This book is a great resource for adults, too! I especially like the Idea List and the Foods by Color section - what a great way to quick-pick a lunch! The list includes things I usually already have in the refrigerator and pantry. Even if you don't have a supply of bento boxes, you'll see great examples of how to add a little flair to your lunch with the basics, too.The pictures are fun and descriptions are easy to follow, and the ingredients and equipment list make it easy to take a quick glance at what you'll need. What I find the most, though, is inspiration - following a few basic techniques (pack it tightly and neatly) and flipping through the pictures, I am ready to spruce up boring work lunches! A few items I'm definitely making: a rose from sliced deli meat, antipasti bento, radish roses, and strawberry hearts.I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to add interest to their own lunches (or for the kids, too, sure!). You'll learn how to make packing a bento quick and easy, find a wide variety of examples, and you'll probably think of some of your own ideas.

It's really cute, but I was hoping for more practical tips. I find as an American it's hard to do the bento thing, didn't find it helpful in that way.

I love this book because it takes everyday foods like bread, lunchmeat, fruits and veggies and shows you how to make a beautiful bento. I bought this as a gift for my daughter who is a very selective eater. She is 13, makes her own lunches and the directions in this book are easy to follow. The book does recommend a lot of accessories (like shaped cutters and molds) but that is part of what makes a bento box so beautiful. I purchased this in addition to bento accessories and found it to be a lovely accompaniment. This book is appropriate for a child about age 10 to adult. What a wonderful and creative way to get finicky eaters more interested in a larger variety of foods.

I am a grandmother of four and find this book a great resource for having fun while not sacrificing all good sense about what the kids eat when they are with me. The cute factor for each lunch is high but the ideas are simple enough for beginners to make. I loved the photo illustrations and clear directions for making each lunch. There are plenty of ideas that I can make along with my grandchildren and I plan to use the illustrations to let them "shop" for foods they'd like to try. This is one of the most creative and healthy food books I've seen in a long time.