I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Weekly kid bento round-up
Contents of Wednesday preschooler bento lunch: Mini frittata with spinach and mushrooms (recipe and tutorial here), fried rice, pineapple sausage, and organic strawberries. On the advice of Consumer Reports, I do make an effort to buy organic strawberries and spinach for Bug as they’re on the “dirty dozen” list of fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of residual pesticides (see their article “When buying organic pays (and doesn’t)”).
Morning prep time: 13 minutes, using leftover fried rice. In the morning I quickly nuked the sliced sausage and made the speedy stovetop mini frittata in an extra-thick foil baking cup (or you can just double up two regular foil baking cups for the same effect). For the mini frittata, just saute or microwave some spinach and a sliced mushroom first, combine with the egg, and cook, adding splash of water to the pan before covering so steam speeds up the cooking of the top. (Click any photo for a larger view.)
Packing: I nestled the sausage down next to the fried rice without a food divider as the flavors are complimentary and Bug doesn’t mind. I was concerned that the fried rice might jump the divider and spill onto the frittata, though, so I laid an antibacterial bento sheet right on top of the rice and sausage half to keep everything in place. I described these little antibacterial sheets in my post on bento lunch food safety; they’ve got a flavorless wasabi-based coating that retards bacterial grown on food that it touches directly. Lunch packed in a 360ml Disney Cars bento box with one sub-container removed.
Verdict: Huge success. Bug polished off everything at preschool, no leftovers.
Contents of Thursday preschooler bento lunch: Pork asado siopao (Filipino version three times the size of baozi Chinese steamed buns or mantou), grapes, grape tomatoes, and zucchini and mushrooms tossed in bottled Korean barbecue sauce.
Morning prep time: 8 minutes, using frozen siopao. In the morning I microwaved the siopao and then the zucchini/mushrooms in my microwave steamer.
Packing: I put the sauced and drained mushrooms and zucchini in a reusable silicone baking cup to keep the Korean barbecue sauce away from the tomatoes and grapes. Lunch packed in a 320ml Clickety Clack dessert container and one 280ml tier of a 4-tier Thomas the Tank Engine nesting/stacking bento box set.
Verdict: This was too large for 3-year-old Bug; he left half of the siopao and the grapes and tomatoes during school. He asked to eat the rest of the siopao after preschool, but wasn’t interested in the grapes and tomatoes at all. Some days he’ll gobble them up, other days not. The eating “rules” of children are ever-shifting!
READ MORE:
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Packed lunch food safety
November 6th, 2007 | Categories: bento, dumplings or buns, lactose free, meat, onigiri or sushi | 
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November 6th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Hey Biggie!
I just wanted to say thanks to you! I discovered your bolg on Yahoo! picks and got totally inspired. I bought a Snoopy bento for my 5yo to pack his lunch in. He loves it and his teachers always complement me on his cute and healthy lunches. The bento has really gotten me to think out of the box and get creative with the contents of his lunch. I love the fact that there is no waste from baggies and packaging. I just wanted to let you know that you reached someone all the way in Memphis, TN. with your wonderful little blog. I will continue to read and enjoy!
Thanks again,
Kristie
November 7th, 2007 at 3:39 am
[...] Two preschooler bento lunches are featured at Lunch in a [...]
November 7th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
hi biggie!
fancy siopao shape…which flavor/filling did you get?
there are two main versions for filipino siopao…asado (sweet-style barbecued pork) or bola-bola (whole meatball with salted duck egg)…
November 8th, 2007 at 5:13 am
@1 from Kristie: Thanks so much for the kind comment; bentos definitely encourage me to be more creative with lunches than I would be otherwise. The green aspect is an added benefit!
November 8th, 2007 at 5:15 am
@3 from kat: I got pork asado siopao — I enjoyed the slightly sweet gravy with the savory pork; interesting combo. I’ll have to seek out bola-bola next time I’m at the market; thanks for the tip!
November 8th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
biggie! you’re very much welcome.
enjoy your asado siopao.
ive tried the original chinese versions of siopao, charsiu bun…it just isnt the same, sweet, anise-y taste.