I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Do you have a packed lunch blog?
When I started this blog it seemed like there weren’t that many active packed lunch blogs, but lately I’m seeing all kinds of new ones and I haven’t been able to keep up. I’d like to put together a full, organized list of packed lunch blogs to update my Link list, so I’m throwing it open to all of you. Do you have a current blog that’s mostly focused on packed lunches? It doesn’t matter if you use bento boxes, Laptop Lunchboxes, Mr. Bento-style thermal lunch jars
Comment here or e-mail me at lunchinabox (AT) gmail (DOT) com with the following:
- The name and URL of your blog
- Any special focus you have. Vegetarian? Gluten-free? Lactose-free? Diet? Food art? Regional food? One particular style of container (Mr. Bento or Laptop Lunchbox)?
- Are the lunches made for children, adults, or both?
- The language of your blog, if it’s not English.
In the meantime, here are a couple of bento blogs I’m taken with.
LJ user commoi has created a quirky bento blog with intelligent anthropological commentary, striking photos, and fun drawings.
An American mom born and raised in Japan makes adorable “kyara-ben” or food art character bentos for her children. Back in Tokyo and blogging again after a one-year hiatus, she sheds light on how to create cute food art and comments on bento-making in Japan.
January 31st, 2008 | Categories: admin | 
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January 31st, 2008 at 2:31 am
My bento boxes have been on a bit of a hiatus for the last two months but will start again with me starting a new job on monday
In the meanwhile, I was keeping busy on other cooking stuff.
http://wererabbits.wordpress.com/
January 31st, 2008 at 3:10 am
Hi! Me and my friend Liza are in the process of starting our bentoblog in Swedish as we found there was none and we are trying to fill that hole. We are aiming mostly for beginners and giving tips since the swedish are largely oblivios to the whole bentoscene.
http://svenskbento.blogspot.com
January 31st, 2008 at 4:31 am
What a great idea, i’m french and i have a bento blog.
I’m packing bento for my self, and i’m a vegetarian girl. The adress : http://cromeuhnione.free.fr/news
January 31st, 2008 at 4:56 am
Hi Biggie! I started my blog to keep myself motivated to bento. I’m not only new to bento, but I’m new to cooking as well. I bento for health reasons and because it’s cheaper than fast food & take out! My blog records the bentos I make each day, the recipes I’ve found to use, and what I’ve learned so far.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:58 am
Oops. Can you tell I’m new to blogging? I thought that typing in my website in that box up there /\ would automically list the site in my post. Here it is:
http://www.notexactlybento.com
Sorry for the 2nd post.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:38 am
You have a great list already! My blog includes bento, but crafts and other things too. If you’d like to include me (not offended if you don’t) you could use the link straight to the bento tag.
http://kawaiikiki.livejournal.com/tag/bento
All of my bento are vegetarian and made for adults.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:45 am
HI. I dont have a bento blog but I have been lurking your for the last couple of days. I have a 4 yr old who goes to preschool during the day. I decided to go with Bento lunches becuase he gets a variety and it is healthier and cheaper than the ol’ school lunches! He is a very picky eater so I pack mainly foods that he eats quite often. I would never pack some of the stuff your little boy eats ( I wouldnt dare!).
I do have a question about something I read in your blog…the scrambled egg baskets…does your son eat them cold? Does he complain? I think that my son may like theese but still wondering if he would like egg cold? Thanks
January 31st, 2008 at 7:57 am
Hello!
1. Name: La petite biscotte
URL: http://petitebiscotte.blogspot.com
2. I mostly cook vegetarian if possible, but it’s not always the case.
3. Lunches are made for adults rather.
4. Language is English, when I have the time I translate to French.
Great idea btw, I’ll make sure to link to the list on my blog
January 31st, 2008 at 9:33 am
http://www.applesntwigs.blogspot.com
My blog is vegan, not totally focused on bento but I do at least 1-2 bento-themed posts a month.
I usually pack for myself- so an adult bento blog, but occasionally for kids, as well.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:05 am
http://namesofthedead.blogspot.com/search/label/cooking
It’s not 100% a food and bento blog but if you use the link above it will filter to all of the cooking posts.
January 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Hello! I have been reading your site for a while now and LOVE it! I am part of the LJ bento Lunch Community and have been using Bento lunches as part of my weight loss effort. My blog is not 100% food but like the previous post, here is my link with a filter to all my Bentos. Thanks for your site and wonderful tips & recipes!
Jennifer
http://jenann713.blogspot.com/search/label/Bento
January 31st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
1. skirtin_a_smile.livejournal
Has no special title. How about “Hillbilly Bento?” Ha ha, just kidding. (Or am I?)
1. Soon to be converted into a weight loss /bento journal.
3. Adult bento.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
The Vegetarian Bento, http://veggie-bento.blogspot.com/ (link above as well)
Um, obviously vegetarian. I just started this blog (and making bentos) so it’s really a log of my journey at this point.
All lunches are made for adults.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Hi, I’m started a blog on the 30th of december. It is written in French.
I’m flexitarian, pack lunch for me at work most of the time but sometimes for my children who like to eat funny thing or in funny places: we sometimes picnic on the floor inside or outside.
I love cooking with foreign cultures (japonese, english, chinese, italian….)
And I love you’re website.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Thanks for the shout-out, Biggie!
I’ve never seen Bento Corner before, but I’m glad that you mentioned it. It’s such an informative and amusing blog to read.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I’m just starting a blog about having a healthy lifestyle. Brand new, so not yet too interesting (hopefully it will come!!)
But just wanted to say THANK YOU for the shout out. I’m all of a suddent having to pack lunch for the first time, and was very interested in bentos.
I’m a newbie, but this is enormously helpfull!
Will~
http://willowslifestyle.blogspot.com/
January 31st, 2008 at 6:15 pm
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January 31st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
hi biggie! i just started my bento blog 3 weeks ago, but before them was an avid reader of your blog! your list of links also helps with inspiration on new ideas.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I’ll look for your lunch blog list!
I don’t think my blog qualifies since I don’t primarily post about my bento-style lunches but I sprinkle them in a bit here and there (I usually save most of my Bento ramblings for Flickr).
**My blog is Berlin’s Whimsy at http://berlinswhimsy.typepad.com
**Currently, I pack bentos in my children’s Laptop Lunchboxes but when I’m out and about I use my Mr. Bento.
I am an avid cook and love Japanese and international cuisine—-I’m always experimenting, much to my children’s chagrin! I think I’d characterize my Bento as what I’ve heard termed, ‘Mom’s Bento.’ I worked for the school lunch program at my children’s public school one year and from then on, my focus on healthy food choices for my children was set in stone!
Anyhow, your blog has been a great inspiration for me while I become more familiar with Bento.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:49 am
1. Oh! Bento http://nekonoai.mine.nu/ohbento
2. Don’t really have that much of a special focus most of the time, except for trying to use leftovers creatively. I’m still fairly new to the whole bento-making process, but I’m learning a lot every day through trial and error. I do try to take my stepfather’s diabetes into account when packing lunches for him, which I do a lot of the time.
3. Most of the lunches posted thus far have been for adults. Mainly me, my stepfather and sometimes my mom.
I’ve had you as top billing on my links list of my blog since the start! You are a great inspiration!
February 1st, 2008 at 6:08 am
You know it!
1 “My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch,” http://mylunch.livejournal.com This is part of the site “My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch,” http://www.c4vct.com/kym/bento .
2) No special focus. It’s what I eat for lunch, and I’m pretty omnivorous.
3) These are my lunches, and I’m an adult… chronologically speaking, anyway.
4) English. I’m thinking of offering a Pig Latin alternative.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:05 am
Oops, there I go, never being able to finish what I start. The url is http://skirtin_a_smile.livejournal.com
February 1st, 2008 at 8:55 am
Often lurk and seldon comment and don’t have a blog (not yet anyway), but found this new lunch box and thought this was the best place to let people know about it. The best thing is that you can by it at Target. It is a Fit and Fresh lunch container that has a two compartment main container and a separate small container (1 cup) for side dishes or a dressing/sauce. The lid also contains storage for utensils or a snack. It has an optional ice pack as well. The link to the manufacturer website is below.
http://www.fit-fresh.com/products/transportation/deluxelunchchiller.php
It would be great for someone just starting into the bento lunch idea and doesn’t want to spend a lot of money or mail order from Ebay.
February 1st, 2008 at 11:35 am
I have one! It has an emphasis on packing lunches and snacks which are allergy-safe.
http://allergic-gourmet.blogspot.com/
February 1st, 2008 at 11:47 am
Wow, everyone! What great links you’ve left! I’ll get to work updating my link list to share the link love…
February 1st, 2008 at 11:49 am
@7 from Jolene: My son does eat the egg baskets at room temperature — I find that putting Lizano sauce on them just before eating gives them a nice flavor boost (plus it’s like magic sauce for my son, will get him to eat most anything).
February 1st, 2008 at 11:51 am
@15 from commoi: My pleasure, commoi! I enjoy your perspective on bento (and LOVE the fun illustrations and nice, clear photos).
February 1st, 2008 at 12:07 pm
@23 from Janell: Thanks for the link to the new Fit & Fresh container. I like their built-in ice packs for food safety, but often find their containers to be a bit bulky to shove into a bag. Do you have this product? What do you think so far? The website says it holds up to 4 cups of food (960ml?); do you find that to be a bit big, or just right for bulkier items? Love to hear more…
February 1st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
@16 from Willow: Thanks for the info on your new healthy food site. If it takes on a packed-lunch focus, please let me know and I’ll add it to the list!
February 1st, 2008 at 1:43 pm
@17 from tokiwa: D’oh! Read your comment too quickly — my pleasure to mention you! I see that you were in San Francisco and your kids went to Japanese-immersion preschool here (hey, that’s one of the two preschools, right?). I bet we know people in common…
February 1st, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Not totally dedicated to bento, but mostly so at the moment…
http://silverkeys.wordpress.com
[i am thinking about giving up bento for lent
so my blog might not be the most useful to you…]
February 1st, 2008 at 6:15 pm
@19 from Amber: I linked to your entries tagged “lunch” — let me know if there’s a better tag to link to. Thanks for the kind words!
February 1st, 2008 at 6:39 pm
@31 from silverkeys: If you used a “bento” tag that would pull up only your bento-related entries, I’d be happy to put a link up. I clicked on the bento tag you use now, but that brings up all WordPress blog entries with that Wordpress tag (not what we’re looking for, I think). Let me know.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:06 pm
My blog isn’t updated on a regular basis but it’s still here.
1. Oh, Bento http://ohbento.blogspot.com
2. I don’t have any specific focus. Just trying to get by on a packed lunch.
3. I pack lunch for myself, my brothers, and my Mom and Dad.
February 2nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
@ 28 No, I don’t have it and actually just saw it today in Target. It doesn’t
seem that big in the box, so it should fit into a bag fairly easy. I
actually thought of my fiancé when I saw it in the store and he may get one.
I already have a Tiffin from ToGoWare and am not working at the moment, so I
don’t really need another one. I did notice at the site though that they
have a few that are smaller, this is seemed to be the biggest one, so
someone could also look at them. The smaller ones are also a divided base,
with the lid and ice pack, but don’t have the space for the utensils.
I checked the site again, but no dimensions are listed. From seeing it in
Target, it seems to be about the same size as most adult bento boxes are up
on EBay (Urara and etc.), so it should easily fit in most bags. I have a
BYO lunch bag and it would most likely fit in that.
If we get one for my fiancé I will let you know what we think of it.
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Hi, Biggie,
I think in SF there’s Little Friends, Little Angels, and ABC. I have a friend who teaches at ABC and a girlfriend who sends her daughter to Little Angels. My daughter went to a school in San Bruno.
If your son goes to Little Angels or ABC then indeed we may know some of the same people! :o)
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
@36 from tokiwa: Ha, those are familiar! I’ll send you private e-mail and we can play the name game…
February 4th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Hullo,
Per request, I’ve fixed my blog to include a bento-specific tag category:
http://silverkeys.wordpress.com/category/bento/
Thanks. ^_^
February 4th, 2008 at 1:47 am
btw, I realized I never included this info earlier:
- my blog has no particular focus (in fact, although it’s framed as a writing blog, it’s largely just a repository for my random creative output…of which bento has been a large part recently). i only have one “real” box (a blue happy balloon 2-tier from Daiso), but i also sometimes use a small round Good Cooks tupperware container with some frequency.
- my lunches are adult-sized (although i have some snack bentos posted too)
February 4th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Hi Biggie!
I’ve been a long time lurker on your site and love all your tips.
My blog is called One Bite at a Time and the url is
http://www.one-bite-at-a-time.blogspot.com
The majority of my posts are bento or recipe related. I don’t have any particular focus on my bento, just as long as it looks yummy. As for recipes, I’ll probably do more South Asian type recipes but I like to experiment with most cuisines.
Oh and the lunches are for me and it’s all in English!
February 6th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Hi!
That’s a great idea … lots of new blogs to visit!
1. Name of my blog: “La dinette de Nam”
http://namcuisine.wordpress.com
2. My lunch boxes are vegetarian. I use a bento box
3. For adults
4. Blog in French!
February 7th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Heya Biggie~!
Been lurking around on your site for way too long without leaving a comment. Great site~!
I recently decided to start a bento-blog to post pictures, give recipes etc.
1) the name of my blog is “Bento Bento”
http://bentobento.wordpress.com/
2) there is no special focus, but since I am a student, I try to make them cheap, and since I’m lazy I like to make them as fast as possible.
3) I make them for me and my boyfriend, though I do like my apple rabbit every now and then
and my boyfriend doesn’t object to the occasional hello kitty sauce container…
4) Though I’m from the Netherlands, the blog is in English.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:18 am
My blog FrenchBento is 6 months-old. When I started, I was the only one in France/ French.
Now I count like 20 + French Blog about bento.
Amazing
http://frenchbento.canalblog.com
english version available on the left column
cheers
February 9th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I just started doing bentos. My blog is mostly bento related and a tiny bit school related (i’m a teacher) My blog is http://thebentogirl.blogspot.com I LOVE your website !
February 10th, 2008 at 7:15 am
@38 from silverkeys: Thanks for making the bento tag! You’re up on the Links page now, as is everyone else (updated).
February 10th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Hey great idea to put together a one stop spot for finding bento pages! I have a blog and a website related to my bento inspired weight loss journey. I’m a little behind on keeping up my site, because of computer/camera problems, but I will be adding new content soon. Anyway, here are my links.
http://www.mybentodiet.com
http://www.theoriginalmybentodiet.blogspot.com
February 11th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hello again!
I’ve finally got my bento blog going.
http://willowsbentobox.blogspot.com/
Let me know what you think guys!
Will~
February 12th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Hi Biggie! There is a moderately active bento group on Vox:
http://bento.groups.vox.com/
I’m not a member but i’ve seen in my referer logs fairly often.
Also, I have a user-contributed listing (or several listings) of Japanese and Asian grocery stores and mailorder sources on my general food blog, which could be interesting for people who want to pack Japanese-style lunches:
http://www.justhungry.com/handbook/just-hungry-handbooks/japanese-grocery-store-list
February 13th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
@48 from maki: Thanks for the heads up on the Vox group and your Japanese grocery store list — great idea!!!
February 19th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hi!
Sorry I am late to jump on the bandwagon, but here is the link to my fairly new bento blog: http://bentocentric.blogdrive.com/
I am a college student, so it is mostly school lunches and what not…:)
February 25th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Ahh I’ve been missing for quite a while and my blog is not the greatest looking, but now that I’m back, here it is:
å¼å½“ã®ã‚¤ãƒ“ー　bentonoibii
http://bentonoibii.livejournal.com
I’ve been trying to make kyaraben lately but most of them are just regular lunches. More focus on kyaraben now though. For adults and in English
February 26th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I’ve also got one…but its also kinda of a foodie blog too. It’s new. Just started it earlier this month.
http://piecesofearthfoods.wordpress.com/
February 27th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hi! My blog ventures off into other food topics as well, but bento is a main topic.
1. It is called “Playing With My Food”…
http://playingwithmyfood.blogspot.com/
2. It is necessarily milk-free because of my allergy.
3. The lunches are made for myself and my husband.
Thanks for the list you’ve compiled. It’s a great resource! :0)
February 28th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Hi Biggie, I love your site! I’ve used your tips several times (like freezing portions of spaghetti with sauce).
I’m just getting back to bento-ing after moving to a new house and getting married last year. My site is http://thislittlebento.blogspot.com
The bentos I make for myself are ovo-lacto vegetarian. The bentos I make for my husband sometimes include meat.
Thanks for compiling this list!
February 28th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Biggie:
In your list of packed lunch blogs, you list under communities, “It’s Bento, B**ch.” The forum has just changed it’s name to Happy Good Bento to be a bit more “user-friendly,” so to speak. The web address is still the same.
February 29th, 2008 at 2:53 am
The main focus of my blog is not on bento. But I document my bentos. Please excuse the lack of material since I’ve only started.
http://messmor.wordpress.com/
The lunches are for me & my sambo.
There are some entries that are in Swedish.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Thanks for the mail, here are my details.
Cooking 4 all Seasons
http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/search/label/Lunch%20Box%20Recipes
My Lunch Boxes are authentic Vegetarian Indian Dishes
Mainly for Adults
March 13th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Thanks so much for including a link to my blog Biggie! Recently I changed to a hosted solution for my blog with its own domain, could you maybe update the url in your link section? That would be awesome!
Name: La petite biscotte
URL: http://www.petitebiscotte.com
March 14th, 2008 at 4:42 am
I’ve updated the list with everything above, so it should be current. If I’ve missed someone please let me know.
- Biggie
April 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Hi! I just started to blog, and I’ve referenced your site a few times, so I figured i’d better let you know where! Its cooking, recipies, and bento where I cook for myself (a veggie) and my parter (a carnivore).
http://madwomanwithshallot.wordpress.com/
May 5th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Morning Biggie! I started my Bento Blog on May 1st, so it’s sparkling and new.
http://obentobaby.blogspot.com
It had lunches for adults and children, and will have some egg-free/milk free recipes for my daughter who has food allergies. It will hopefully show where one can go wrong as well as I blog the mistakes, worries and FUBARs too.
I have you linked already *wink*
May 6th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hi Biggie! I’m back on the bandwagon with a renewed energy for bento.
I’m at http://kastinkerbento.livejournal.com
I’m focusing on adult lunches on healthy eating plan (through http://www.sparkpeople.com). I’m now providing basic nutritional information for my lunches.
I also usually prepare a similar lunch for my husband, but his is generally prepared in a lock ‘n’ lock and isn’t so cutesy. So, kind of a masculine.
Oh, and I stumbled across a speedy tip that you might be interested in the other day: “cooking” couscous directly in the bento container. Super sweet.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I’ve updated the Lunch Links page with the latest blogs above, BTW.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Hi Biggie — I have a blog where I post about the bentos I make for my preschooler. It’s not exclusively focused on bento, but that’s by far and away the most active category.
Wendolonia - http://www.wendolonia.com/blog
I feature kids lunches, but sometimes will show pictures of my own Mr. Bento lunches
Thanks!
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hi Biggie! I’m very new to bento blog scene. Bento is the anchor for my blog. I’ll share my creations and inspirations. I will also talk about all the things I love about Japan.
Thanks for creating such a fabulous site!
Fern
June 25th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Biggie:
I’ve become bento-obsessed thanks to your blog
My older son loves his bentos–hubby isn’t quite so sure about the cute little sauce containers but he’s such a linear thinker, the asthetics of compartmentalized food really work for him!
I will be writing about my bento-ing on my blog so please check it out!(I’ll be tagging the individual entries “Bento”
June 25th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Argh! Forgot the blog info!!
Multicultural Mama
June 30th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Bento Fettish got deleted by accident! And now I can’t get it back under the same link. If you could remove that one, It’d be great… sorry about this. I’m working on maybe fixing another blog soon, so I’ll get back to you.
July 1st, 2008 at 6:29 am
I’ve been reading your blog for a few months and only just noticed this section! My food blog is about my kids’ vegan bento lunches & snacks, family meals, and local healthy food finds.
http://disposableaardvarksinc.blogspot.com/
August 9th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Biggie, I love your blog! You have the best ideas and such great tips for making speedy foods!
Compliments aside, I have a bento (and food) blog that I think would be a good addition for your link list. While the primary focus is bento, it also incorporates easy-to-make foods and college-appropriate commentary.
1. Bento Food Bear (yeah, it’s a little silly) http://bentofoodbear.blogspot.com/
2. College-age (health, time, and money conscious) focus. A lot of the posts also incorporate vegetarian meal ideas and environmental food concerns.
3. Lunches made for a recent grad and my picky fiancee. The writer is moving from Penn State to L.A., and the food region is getting ready to become really regionally focused.