I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Giveaway: Laptop Lunchbox Set
(Dec. 16 UPDATE: The Laptop Lunchbox giveaway is now closed; see the announcement of the winners here.)
Looking for a lunch-packing gift for a friend, or just want to spoil yourself? To celebrate the holiday season, the folks over at Laptop Lunches have offered a free Laptop Lunchbox kit to one lucky Lunch in a Box reader anywhere in the world (not just U.S.).
Bonus: If you don’t win the giveaway and want to order one on your own, they’re also running a Holiday Discount for 20% off items purchased from their website through December 16, 2008 (coupon code is holiday2008). The coupon code temporarily brings their website prices below those of Laptop Lunchboxes on Reusable Bags or Amazon
To enter, leave one comment below with the ideal meal you’d like to pack in the Laptop Lunchbox. Entries will be accepted until midnight on Monday, December 15, 2008, and I’ll choose one comment at random on December 16 using the random.org random number generator. The winner will receive the Laptop Lunch Bento Box with all inner containers and utensils, a water bottle, the Laptop Lunch insulated carrying case, and one copy of The Laptop Lunch User’s Guide with lunch making ideas. The whole thing is a US$38 value, shown in detail here on the Laptop Lunchbox website. The winner can choose what color inner containers they’d like, either primary colors, red/black, pink, periwinkle, or “whimsical”. One comment per reader, please, and comments without meal details will not be considered.
For ideas on what to pack in the Laptop Lunchbox, check out the thousands of lunch photos in the Laptop Lunch group on Flickr. Facebook users might be also interested in the Laptop Lunchbox page on Facebook (in addition to the Lunch in a Box page on FB, of course!).
FURTHER READING:
- Laptop Lunchbox meal planning worksheet and DooF-a-Palooza event (many good reader comments about their experiences with the Laptop Lunchbox)
- All lunches packed in Laptop Lunchboxes on Lunch in a Box
- How to care for your Laptop Lunchbox and other bento supplies
- All giveaway posts on Lunch in a Box
- Bento FAQ and Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and reviews
December 10th, 2008 | Categories: Laptop Lunchbox, giveaway, shopping | 
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December 10th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Oooo, I always like to pack a cold noodle stir-fry in bento. I’d put that in 1 of the large compartments, some steamed veg in the other compartment. Some hummus in the small pot with crudites in the other 2 small boxes. Yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Egg sandwiches and sushi in the main compartments. Fried wonton and grapes in the side compartments.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Hi !
I’d put some inarizushi in one container, some stir-fried vegetables with soy sauce (and garlic/ginger/onion).
Cucumber with wakame in a smaller container, and some tangerine in another one.
(I’m hungry now ;))
December 10th, 2008 at 1:31 am
My ideal meal (what I usually do here in Italy, usually when I go to the beach, even in winter): 2 “cubes” of spinach pie (ricotta, ham, mozzarella, spinach, egg, parmesan on a soft crust; after baking and cooling it sets quite firm and can be squared off), 2 boiled and peeled quail eggs, little plum tomatoes and broccoli (sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds) to fill the gaps. 1 small bottle of soy sauce. 4 round rice crackers my kids love, and for fruit 1 or 2 medium mandarin oranges, peeled (well, if I had the time I would dip one end of the segments in melted chocolate, yummy!)
thanks Biggie for all your useful posts!
December 10th, 2008 at 1:48 am
mmm plain steamed rice in one main compartment and a meat/veg dish in the other main. Something with a thick savory sauce that would go well with rice. Something like the chicken chilli jam stir-fry my favorite Thai shop makes, with broccoli florets and strips of red and green capsicums and sliced onions.
As for the other two containers… one would be dessert. Jelly with pieces of fruit? Or a fruit salad.
And the other container would have the makings for a fast, cheater’s miso soup! Miso paste, some stock powder, some cubes of tofu and seaweed. Come food time, just add hot water and let sit for a while.
And after all that, plain water is the best for downing it all
December 10th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Oh! I would pack the typical Singaporean dish - Fried Kway Teow! What’s not to love about smooth flat rice noodles fried with egg, cockles, chilli, sweet black sauce, beansprouts and of course, lots of “Lup Cheong” (chinese sausage). YUM!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:06 am
Mmmm.. i think i would pack an italian lunch anyway.. as i don’t know other world cooking recipes: Some pasta with aubergines and mozzarella and parmigiano cheese, some meatballs in another container, and some simple fruits
December 10th, 2008 at 2:08 am
fruit compartment
salad compartment
grilled cheese
edamame and corn salad in the other!!!
heyo!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Chocolate pudding in one of the small containers. Since they have lids it’d be perfect to bring one. Decorated with fresh berries!
Salad in one of the big boxes, with dressing, croutons and other condiments packed in one of the small boxes.
And delicious Halloumi and couscous with stir-fried veggies in the last box!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:14 am
For me the best lunch ist stir-fried rice with veggie and eggs, sweet sour pork chop. Desserts are fruits and one piece cake. So much kcal I need
December 10th, 2008 at 2:17 am
wow hmmm.. i’d put spiced humus + egg sandwiches in one of the larger compartments, carrots, celery and cucumber sticks in the other.
fruit in the other compartments(preferably grapes, cherries, clementine, but i love all fruit). and probably a chocolate biscuit
for drink, strawberrymilk!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Have to go Japanese all the way - perhaps some multigrain shortgrain rice, shioyaki salmon, some Japanese spinach with goma (sesame), tamago (rolled omelette), something pickle-y and some fresh fruit for dessert. Oh…and a Japanese kit kat
December 10th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Oh, a ochazoba (soba made of green tea) wth nori and a bottle of shoyuu. Then some takoyaki flavoured nigiri (they sell delicious furikake where I live). Some veggies like carrot or cabbaged chopped on the side and some sweet okazu. Probably a couple of candies like lichi, melon or sakuranbo flavour and a small kid-size yoghurt. Yey for bentos.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:34 am
I think I’d pack a cold noodle salad, with some kind of protein added, and a small green salad (with dressing in the small container).
December 10th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Thanks for arranging this giveaway, Biggie!
My lunch idea would be:
big compartment: bulgur with italian tomato sauce and a bit of cheese, to warm up in the microwave at work.
second big compartment: cucumber, bell pepper and carrot slices, with a yoghurt dip in the small container
in the two little ones: orange slices and a chocolate cookie as a treat.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Ooh, I like the periwinkle and red ones.
My meal would have to be mixed cuisine for this one. Terriyaki-chicken stuffed gyoza in one of the big containers, with that bitty sauce container tucked into a corner (I’d probably use it for raisins. I like a few raisins with a meal, but not a lot.). Rice cubes (made with the tiny cube mold from Ichibankan) or boiled potato cubes, with my sauteed mushrooms/spinach/onions/green beans dish on the side would fit in the other large container. Apple cubes dipped in a water/lemon juice solution in would go in one of the small containers, and steamed broccoli in the other. For dividers, I think I’d use Multigrain and Flaxseed water crackers from Trader Joes, broken in half. Space fillers would be grapes and grape tomatoes. Oh, and a Dove ‘promise’ square for dessert. ^_^
December 10th, 2008 at 2:39 am
fried rice in the first large container
sandwich rolls in the second large container
cupcake or cookies in a small container
tortilla chips as filler outside these containers
salsa in the dip container
December 10th, 2008 at 2:49 am
I’d try to go for a traditional German dish: borecole in one of the large containers, potatoes in the other.
The two small ones would be for dessert: youghurt, fruits and some crunchy stuff.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:49 am
Large container: mirin rice with a bit of paprika on top, honey baked chicken, and a couple of pieces of shrimp
Large container #2: mixed greens salad & dressing in the condiment container
Small container: frozen grapes or nectarine or tangelo or some other kind of fruit
Small container #2: honey-roasted peanuts, a Babybel, and maybe a cookie or cranberry bread or some other sweet treat
We’ve been trying to use bentos to eat healthier, so I try for a protein, a grain, a vegie, and a fruit in each one. I also try for some kind of dairy, but the husband isn’t always into it.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:55 am
Ooooh! Laptop lunches! I don’t own one of these yet, hope I win it. :3
December 10th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Honestly, I’m dreaming of a good way to pack up leftovers. The big container looks just the right size for a slice of lasagna, for instance. Maybe some green beans with lemon juice in the other big container, and some roasted beets in a small container. Oh, and chocolate.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Celery with strawberry cream cheese spread topped with raisins (in replacement of peanut butter because my son has allergy-related eczema) with a turkey or
a tuna sandwich: solid white tuna in water (drained), basil leaves, sliced roma tomatoes, chopped onions, s&p, slices of provalone or fresh grated Parm or mozzarella cheese, on french/italian bread loaf
some sweets such as cookie or brownie, I like the vegan brownies from Allrecipe.com because of no eggs (again, my son has nuts and eggs allergy)
December 10th, 2008 at 3:02 am
I would go for a typical indian type lunch. With rice and rotis in the large containers, and in one of the smaller containers would contain carrot and peas, and in another some lentil soup. and then a small sweet piece of choclate afterwords.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Since the box would be for my husband’s lunches, I should list his ideal lunch. He would want leftover beef and noodles, steamed broccoli, strawberries and grapes and, of course, the ubiquitous chocolate bar. He would also want some sort of sports drink in his drink bottle, too.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:14 am
I guess it would depend on what mood I am in. I think today I would go slightly Greek. Maybe some homemade pita bread with pork souvlaki all yummy and lemony with a side of feta, tomatoes, kalamata olives, some side containers of tzatziki and hummus (roasted red pepper of course) and some yummy lemony rice.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Mac & Cheese
Tomato Soup
Pom seeds
Jello
December 10th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Aw, I like them so much and don’t have one, so it’s worth to try
Pretty multi-kitchen-cultural as I like!
I’d have plain rice and curry chicken in the two bigger boxes, greek yogurt and green apple in the smaller ones. I can nearly see it
BTW, Biggie, you do a great job with your site! :-))
December 10th, 2008 at 3:28 am
I love my Laptop Lunchbox. It would be nice to have a second one for the husband.
Smaller container: Fage
Smallest container: Honey for the Fage
Smaller container: Mission Figs cut to fit
Large uncover container: mini corn dog muffins (corn muffins baked with cut up hot dogs)
Large covered container: Veggie stirfry
December 10th, 2008 at 3:39 am
Since this box has one large container with a lid, I would put pasta sauce in it. I make my own, with sausage and lots of veggies The large uncovered box would hold pasta or polenta, depending on my mood. The smaller side containers, one would hold more veggies, probably broccoli, and the last one would have cheese for the main dish in it.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:43 am
My ideal meal would be a turkey artichoke panni with german potato salad as a side.
Love your site.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:51 am
Gosh, what wouldn’t I pack in it? I’d use this for my son’s lunch, so spaghetti, meatballs, with grapes and red bell pepper and a little bit of ranch dip. Or whatever leftovers are around.
Thanks for the giveaway - I love all your tips and suggestions!
December 10th, 2008 at 3:51 am
I’m only getting started with meals in a box. I found your site as I was looking for something besides peanut butter and jelly to pack in my son’s school lunches. I’m not that creative yet in the lunch-packing department, so I’d probably start with leftovers from dinner the night before. I’d also be interested in trying a few ideas from the included Laptop Lunch User’s Guide. Thanks for the chance to win!
December 10th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Anything deconstructed… Maybe a taco salad or lettuce wraps. With all those little compartments, I could keep each component separate.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I’d love to win one of these!
I honestly don’t have one particular lunch idea- we do leftovers for lunch.
Actually, I need some EASY ideas for lunches to pack for kids (that they’ll actually eat). I’ll be checking back here for ideas!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:00 am
My first lunch in the Laptop Lunch Set would be a seasonal feast.
Large Container: Christmas Eve style Baccala (cod with tomato, oil cured olives, capers and pine nuts)
Salad with romaine, radicchio, shaved fennel, lemon and olive oil
Small container: clementine ‘boats, figs stuffed with walnuts and dates with almonds
Small container: Slice of panettone
December 10th, 2008 at 4:02 am
I’d fill one compartment with some lovely Ikura on top of salmon-flavored rice, another compartment would have some crab meat, the last would have some scallops braised in butter (complete with fringe).
This is exactly the same lunch I bought in Japan to have on a Shinkansen ride. Pretty much unobtainable in the US, but that’s my IDEAL lunch to pack in my new lunch set!
– Darryl
December 10th, 2008 at 4:05 am
Since it is winter, I’d pack an orange and pomegranate salad with a small container of dressing. I’d also pack some sweet potato and chicken curry with a small container of rice. Then I’d finish off with a small piece of dark chocolate.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Hm. Winter here, so beef stew in one main, brown rice or quinoa in the other, combined at mealtime.
Mini oatmeal cookies in one side, maple vanilla yogurt in the other, for dipping. Mm.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:22 am
Pizza strips, a clementine, carrot sticks, pretzels and dip! Yummy!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:22 am
Oh we could really use this!
I would pack: gfcf lunch meat on one container, gf pasta with tomato sauce in another, grapes in one of the small containers, and Enjoy Life cookies in the other small container. Not very imaginative, but all safe for my sons allergies and all the things he loves.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:25 am
My daughter’s favorite lunch in a laptop lunchbox is sweet peppers with homemade ranch dressing, leftover tuna casserole, tart dried cherries, almonds, and raisings, and some cookies…
December 10th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Yummy!
This is a neat promotion! I think if I could, I’d pack honey garlic chicken in the small container, with some yummy mini-white rice balls, or some simple noodles with garlic in one of the bigger containers. Maybe decorated with some carrot shapes, or a babybel cheese round for a bit of color. Definitely a big container full of my favorite fruits – pomegranate seeds or grapes and yummy pineapple (I’m HUGE on fruit), and a little container of pirate skull-and-crossbones blue-raspberry jello. Maybe some Cran-raspberry juice for dessert!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Japanese ofcourse
Miso, Edemame,Tuna Sashimi, Kani Sunomono,Beef/chicken/tofu Teriyaki Donburi,una ju,ten don
rice
whatever I am in the mood for that day.
It would be extra yummy in my Laptop Lunchbox while I am working on my laptop at lunch… !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Mmmm, tamago, rice with furikake, a whole bunch of blueberries, and just to be slightly strange, caesar salad. OISHII!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:32 am
I’d make an old fashioned American picnic bento box. Big Boxes: Chicken Salad sandwich on multi-grain bread and Ants on a Log (celery stalks filled with fresh chunky peanut butter with raisins arranged on top like they are walking through the peanut butter). Small Boxes: Deviled Eggs and a slice of red velvet cake topped with cream cheese icing. Yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Sushi!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:46 am
okay, here goes:
macaroni and cheese
cucumbers and carrots
2 cookies
cut-up fruit
a little ranch dressing on the side.
ooh i hope i win….thanks!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Those seem really roomy! I usually have to use 2 small bento boxes to get the job done, or partially fill one of those picnic-sized ones. I graze all day at work from 8am until 6pm, so I need a lot of food.
Large Container 1: Leftover vegetarian curry (baby corn, fresh bamboo shoots, baby Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, baby green peas) over steamed brown rice.
Teeny Container: Fukujinzuke for the curry.
Large Container 2: 6-8 small “nests” of buckwheat soba noodles. (I know it’s not summer, and my grandmother always protests my consumption of zaru soba if it’s not hot outside, but I love it so much!) with a jewelry baggie (1″ x 2″ sized) filled with shredded nori so it won’t get soggy.
Small Container 1: Dipping sauce for soba (soy sauce, dashi, mirin, extra mushrooms, wasabi)
Small Container 2: Since this is a “dream lunch”, I’d fill this container with champagne grapes. They’re not in season right now, so that’s currently impossible. In reality, I’d fill it with some other fruit: sliced, pitted cherries intermingled with slices of Japanese persimmon.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:49 am
I’d use it as a more organized way to bring my food to work and maybe plan a little better:
yogurt with fresh fruit (berries and bananas)
oranges or clementines
celery with peanut butter
homemade raspberry or blackberry muffin
small salad with sliced hard boiled egg and shredded pepper jack cheese.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:50 am
my son loves the onigiri i make. i mix in the furikake and spam or sausage into the rice before forming it into shapes. he especially likes the teddy bear head and star shapes (^_^) so that goes into one of the big containers. tako shaped hotdogs are always fun so that will be in the other big container. in the smaller container i would put some sliced nori coz sometimes he’d like nori with his onigiri, sometimes not. and in the other smaller container would be some fresh fruit.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:58 am
I would pack an actual sandwich since none of my currently bentos can accommodate something like that. Then sliced applies with peanut butter, asparagus with soy and orange juice sauce, and those jello cheesecake cups. yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:03 am
mine would consist of slow cooker kalua pork, steamed spinach seasoned with soy sauce and ground sesame seeds, brown rice, and fruit!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:06 am
My son likes simple. tortillia roll ups, sunbutter and pretzel sticks to dip, always fruit in one of the large containers (the boy loves fruit!), carrots and cucumbers…. He loves it when I put in a surprise like a rice candy or a small piece of chocolate too.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Ooooh. I would love a good old fashioned picnic lunch. Cold fried chicken, bean salad and potato salad. Apple pie for dessert.
I know it’s not a traditional bento lunch, but that is what I want!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:09 am
Oh wow, decisions decisions!
I’d have some leftover Hamburger Helper dinner the boyfriend cooked for me the evening before, with some rice and a side salad would be good. Then in the smaller containers, perhaps some veggies or fruit pieces, with a dipping sauce, for when I get attacked by the 3 o’clock munchies.
Now I’m hungry!!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:13 am
There are so many possibilities for this box! I saw it at a church sale and am kicking myself for not buying them then, though they only had the primary colors. The red & black looks really classy!
Anyway, on to the menu!
I would probably make some homemade chicken gyoza for the large section, with dipping sauce in the smallest lidded container.
The other large container would have a salad with a little bottle of asian ginger dressing.
The two smaller sections would have fruit salad, and I would most likely use those for morning/afternoon snack, as the gyoza and salad would most likely fill me completely at lunch time.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:17 am
My ideal meal would be a nice homemade ginger pork with rice with sesame spinach, some fresh fruit and maybe a homemade cookie tucked in their for desert!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:19 am
I use my laptop lunch almost everyday. I usually pack a bean or pasta salad in the large lidded container. Cold cereal in the other large container, which I eat for my breakfast once I get to the office where I keep a soya milk in the fridge. In one small container will be fruits, and in the other will be yogurt topped with granola. Yummy!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Oooo, Laptop Lunch Boxes!
I’d do mini-meatballs, rice, grape tomatoes, grapes and some goldfish crackers!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:22 am
My ideal lunch would include hard boiled quail eggs and a nice spicy kimchi… mmmm… I can hear co-workers complaining about the smell already…
December 10th, 2008 at 5:25 am
I’d have to take advantage of the fact that the containers seal! I’d do spaghetti with sauce, salad, grapes and pudding in the four containers.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Mini quiche with asparagus and swiss cheese, broccolini sauted with garlic, smoked turkey cubes, dried fruit.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:28 am
I would pack yogurt with fresh fruit, salad, and a few cookies with almonds in the small container. I love to look for lunch ideas on the Laptop Lunch Flickr group!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:28 am
I would have some kimchi in one of the containers/apartments. And in the others I would have some kimchi beef or tofu and spicy chili sauce. And of course rice in the other. I really want some of dat now!!!!!!!!! i do luv my korean food!! hehehehehe
December 10th, 2008 at 5:31 am
My ideal food? Anything packed by someone else… just once. Preferably something spicy and refreshing.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:37 am
onigiri couscous dusted with seaweed with pickled beets, marinated tofu, squeezed together with avacado tibits..in a little squeeze bottle shaped like a cat i would have an orange ginger soy dipping sauce. and for dessert!..a sweet potato pie tartlett! with persimmon wedges. mmmomy.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Mmm. How about:
* mexi wraps (refried beans and nacho cheese dip spread on a tortilla with lettuce and avocado)
* yogurt w/ granola
* mandarin orange (it’s that time of year!)
* carrots w/ hummus dip
:9
December 10th, 2008 at 5:45 am
I am new to the Bento box lunch idea but I would have some grapes and oranges, some broccoli florets with a little dressing, turkey rolls amd cheese cubes. And maybe a couple of chocolate pretzels!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Breakfast for lunch!
Homemade wholegrain waffle sticks
Yogurt & frozen berries for eating and dipping the waffles into
with grapenuts cereal sprinkles in the dip container
Breakfast sausage slices, browned & blotted
small veggie/eggwhite omelette
Now THAT will keep anybody going till dinner
December 10th, 2008 at 5:57 am
My ideal meal for lunch repurposes leftovers from the previous day’s dinner in unexpected way. It makes me happy that I’ve not wasted food and amuses me when I can actually be creative.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:01 am
I haven’t commented much but I’ve been reading your blog sometime.
Thinking of food however has made me comment1
I’d love to pack a pasta salad of roasted vegetables and curly pasta with light vinagrette, a simple roast beef or other meat-y cold cut sandwich, some cherries and a small bottle of cranberry juice.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Mini whole wheat bagel sandwich with hummus, tomato and sprouts
Bell pepper strips, mango chunks, and popcorn in the lidded container to keep it crunchy for a snack. Water in the drink bottle.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:02 am
I would put a frittata made with Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions and bell pepper (and 3 types of cheese) in the main compartment. The side compartments would get almonds, sliced avocado w/ Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce and possibly a cucumber salad.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:05 am
I would make some sort of stir fry, probably with chicken, and lots of veggies (whatever I could get my hands on, locally.
) Then I would have rice in the other container (so that I can mix them together right when I eat so nothing gets mushy), and in one smaller container, I would pack fruit (again, whatever I can get locally, so right now, its probably winter apples and that sort of thing), and in the other, something sweet, like a few cookies I baked, or something like that. 
That would be my ideal laptop lunch. (And now I have made myself very hungry. 
)
December 10th, 2008 at 6:06 am
I work a 12 hour shift so room to pack lunch and snack would be wonderful.
My lunch? home-made chicken/vegetable soup, mixed greens salad and dressing (in a separate container), mini babybel cheese and Kavli thin crispy garlic crackers
Thanks — I love your blog
December 10th, 2008 at 6:07 am
I’ve always wanted to see what all the hype was about the Laptop Lunchboxes…
- Smoked tempeh, lettuce & tomato club sandwiches
- baked sweet potato fries with a side of ketchup
- carrot oatmeal cookie
- mixed fresh berries
December 10th, 2008 at 6:11 am
I’d probably put in some soft tacos, steamed broccoli and baby carrots, goldfish crackers and some small cookies.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:12 am
Noodles or rice with a lot of veggies, cheese and sometimes, some sweets!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:13 am
I’d pack mine with onigiri, shrimp tempura with dipping sauce, stir fry and steamed vegtables, and nummy pudding!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Carrot sticks in one pocket, steamed cauliflower with cheese on another, fried rice, steamed mushrooms, and teriyaki chicken and zuccini in the last two.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:14 am
I’d set up some Jell-o in one of the small containers, have a clementine (peeled) in another, and have planks of PB&J on cinnamon toast in the big section, with the little sauce cup filled with some honeyed yogurt for dipping the planks. Mmm, childhood in a box!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:14 am
truthfully? leftovers. so with fridge contents right now, that would be…
toasted tortillas in a big one, hummus in a small, goat cheese in a small, baby carrots in with the tortillas, and turkey rice soup from the last of the tgvg turkey in the covered one!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:16 am
I would remake the lunch I brought recently that used 4 separate containers! Mini turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, fruit salad and yogurt dessert.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Celery sticks with peanut butter; a deviled egg; apple slices; and a roast beef and cheddar wrap.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Probably some leftovers
Sushi rolls, salad and chocolatechip cake
December 10th, 2008 at 6:22 am
I would pack an egg sandwich, sliced mango, yogurt with granola and crackers with peanut butter.
i would also pack juice into the water bottle
Thanks Biggie for giving us the opportunity!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:25 am
I would have a classic lunch: soup, salad, and sandwich with a piece of fruit tucked in.
What kind of soup, salad, and sandwich? That would be the surprise!!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:26 am
My ideal meal would be a mini shepherd’s pie with a small salad on the side, some apple slices with cinnamon on them, and a spice cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Ooh.. chicken curry, strawberries, crackers and hummus, and cookies!
Thanks for the opportunity!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:32 am
I would definitely pick the red & black box, I love it!
I’d pack a warm casserole dish (like lasagna) and a side salad in the larger sections, and some fresh fruit salad and some cookies in the smaller sections.
Thanks!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:34 am
I’m pregnant and craving Vietnamese food right now, so I’d love a lunch with leftover Vietnamese veggies, tofu and noodles one the large box and salad rolls in the other. The small boxes would have fruit and something chocolaty. The smallest box would have sauce for the salad roll. Yummm!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:38 am
For my kids lunch:
pot stickers in a large box with a little bottle of soy sauce
caramel dip in the tinniest lidded box with apple slices next to it in one of the small boxes
shaped boiled egg in a small box (kids favourite was to eat eggs)
cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, carrot and celery sticks in the other large container
December 10th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Right now, leftover pizza cut in little chunks sounds good; carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas and spinach dip; and honey roasted peanuts and dried blueberries (tastes like PB&J!).
In two hours, I’d probably say something completely different. It’s fun to read these very personal ideas of the ideal laptop lunch!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Large container w/ lid: Beef burgundy stew
Large container: buttered egg noodles
Smaller container: Cut up strawberries
Small container 2: Pound cake fingers
Dip container w/ lid: A dollop of sweetened ricotta to eat w/ the above 2
Now I’m hungry
December 10th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Lately I’ve been engaged in making pseudo Lebanese cuisine. It’s incredibly flavorful and packed with protein.
In one of the larger boxes, I’d add some shredded chicken that’s been slowly pan-fried in extra virgin olive oil, cumin, coriander, garlic, and a light hint of cayenne pepper.
In the other larger container, I’d add brown rice cooked in vegetable broth with onion.
In one of the smaller boxes, I’d add a cold salad of diced tomato, cucumber, fresh parsley, red wine vinegar and salt.
In the other small box, I’d add a portion of lentils steamed with salt, pepper, garlic, and carrots.
As for the little saucey container, I’d throw some fresh tahini or hommus in there. Awesome!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:42 am
I would pack a lunch for my Kindergarten daughter who is very picky!
In 1 container I would have brown rice with a little soy sauce and butter. In another a couple of veggie chicken nuggets with a little container of dipping sauce. The two other containers would hold a variety of fruit and some steamed broccoli. She’d also love a hard-boiled egg molded into a star shape, her favorite!
I’m sure she’d love any box with purple in it!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:44 am
(Still on a kick, making stuff with leftover frozen turkey from Thanksgiving)
Large container: Rice made with broth in the rice cooker, with turkey
2nd Large container: caesar salad with dried cranberries, walnuts
Small container: mikan (mandarin orange)
2nd Small container: small wrapped cheese and/or tidbit of chocolate.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:45 am
I would pack leftover noodles or Pad Thai, slices of fruit (apple and banana dipped in lemon juice), celery sticks and pepper strips, and some trail mix (made of raisins, peanuts, and chocolate chips). And I’d put water in the drink bottle.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I’ve been missing the food I loved abroad in Spain so I’d pack a slice of Tortilla de Patatas, some lentil & tomato stew, slices of chorizo, some Manchego cheese, and Fanta Limón to drink.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I would use the laptop lunchbox for myself. I normally take leftovers for lunch everyday, but would love to use the lunchbox for my leftovers (main dish in one container, vegetable in another), a morning snack (fruit), and an afternoon snack (hard boiled egg).
December 10th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Oooooo…I’d love to pack a mini-Thanksgiving-style feast, with turkey and dressing in on of the larger containers, candied yams in the other larger container nice chunky homemade cranberry sauce in one of the smaller containers, and a bit of apple pie or peach cobbler in the last little container. Yum! (It’s the holidays and I love it!) Water in the drink container and maybe a touch of gravy (I’m not a huge gravy person, but a bit for dipping is nice) in the sauce container.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I would pack some sushi w/ ginger, orange chicken, kiwis, snow peas, and some Jelly Bellys
In the sauce part I’d put some soysauce with a bit of orange juice
December 10th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Rice made with seasoned rice vinegar in one of the large containers. Salad made with shredded lettuce, shredded broiled chicken, sesame seeds, green onions and rice vinegar dressing in the large covered container. Animal crackers in one small container, grapes in the other small container and furikake for the rice in the little lidded container.
Now I’m hungry!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Udon noodles, fresh fruit and some nice Pocky
December 10th, 2008 at 6:54 am
I would pack rice with fish on top in the large unlidded container. I would pack fruit in the large lidded container - preferably mango. I would pack sticky rice with coconut milk in one of the small containers. And some steamed veggies in the other small container to round out the lunch.
The bottle would get water, as that’s what I always drink at lunch.
We have left over chicken in the house, so I’m doing chicken and rice for lunch today. I’m dreaming of fish and rice though
December 10th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Cold turkey breast in the largest container; pasta salad (pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, italian dressing) in second large container; Cheese and crackers in a small container; chocolate pudding with crushed oreo cookies in second small container; gravy in the dip container; homemade iced tea in the drink container!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:55 am
My son loves mac and cheese, grapes, Edemame, chicken nuggets, and mango juice.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I would love to put a large spinach and veggie salad in one compartment, and a orzo pasta salad in the other. (Orzo pasta made with cooked orzo, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.) Then have small cup with fresh berries and the other with mini cookies for dessert.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I would definitely pack breakfast for lunch in one of those. No worries about the syrup or yogurt leaking!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:57 am
In the larger containers I would pack a turkey and avocado wrap and some cold pasta salad. In the smaller containers I would pack some fresh fruit salad and some hummus with veggies to dip. Yum. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:02 am
A turkey and habenero cheese sandwich (no crust), potato wedges in the large containers; kiwi stars and sliced bananas, carrot sticks, and some barbeque sauce in the smaller ones; and sneak in a few dark chocolate pieces somewhere
December 10th, 2008 at 7:03 am
I love leftovers, so I would pack whatever I can scavenge from the fridge, like cold sandwich meat with bread or rice, leftover veggies, fruit…and if the fridge doesn’t have enough to offer, I’d go to the pantry and open a can of fruit, maybe some sliced beets. If I’m really lucky, maybe some pie for dessert, and always refreshing water in my bottle.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:07 am
I’d pack half of quesadilla along with chick peas salad, green peppers and peach cubs for dessert
December 10th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Oooo…I’d go with Peanut Butter Noodles, Chicken tenders, Cucumber Salad and fresh berries with sweetened sour cream for dessert. I mean, a fruit course!
Thanks for making this available!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:10 am
I’d have cold soba noodles in peanut sauce with mixed veg, grilled chicken, thai cucumber salad, and chocolate for dessert! YUM!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:12 am
The bento would be for my daughter who started Kindergarten this year. I always have a hard time packing her lunch in her big lunchbox. I feel like I have to pack it all in. So, I would give her all her favorites: grapes, apple, pretzels, some leftover chicken strips or pasta. I am really looking forward to making the Jello for her in the small containers, too.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:21 am
oh how i would LOVE one of these…have been coveting one for ages!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Seeing as breakfast is my favourite meal, I’d go a bit non traditional and pack 2 eggs scrambled with broccoli, peppers, onions and cheese, a whole wheat english muffin with preserves in the sauce container, grapes in one of the smaller containers, and couple pieces of turkey bacon in the other small container. I might add another fruit on the side, like an orange or apple, for a snack. I’d finish it all off with chocolate soy milk. Yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:24 am
My lunch is always leftovers, so my ideal meal is something I enjoyed having for dinner!!
Thanks!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Leftover risotto… that would be ideal!! Preferably with a butternut squash, maybe with lemon, courgette but any form of risotto. Also, a glutenfree spiced cookied, and a festive fruit salad (clementines, cranberries, more berries, apple, pear). That’ll do.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:30 am
I would pack Indian food: basmati rice in one container, then one or two dals/curries in separate dishes. I always need raita, so that would go in there too. And maybe a little jalebi for dessert?
December 10th, 2008 at 7:33 am
I think I’d pack a box this size quite loosely so maybe mini-pitta breads in one of the larger boxes with the wherewithal to make up my own sandwiches in the others so some sort of mayonaise or yoghurt-based dressing in the tiny box, a green salad in the other large box, mini burgers in one of the small boxes. Then some grapes for pudding in the last box.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I’d pack a mini calzone, carrots, yogurt and a brownie.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:38 am
I would back me a lunch with a tossed romaine salad with jicama in one large container, teriaki chicken with rice and lots of chopped scallions. In the smaller containers I would pack mandarin slices in one and cucumber slices that had been pickled in sweet rice vinegar. Yummy!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:38 am
I feel like an old vaudville-esque villain rubbing my mitts together and plotting some dastardly deed thinking of all the yumminess I could pack in one of those! I’d say tops would be coconut-lime curry in the big lidded container with rice in the other large one. Extra lime chutney in the small lidded container. Flatbread in one square and fruit/veggie sticks in the other square. Yummm! Now I’m starving and craving curry!!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:40 am
I would have to pack a lunch for my daughter with all her special favorites–leftover pizza, cantalope, apples, and maybe some chocolate pudding in the smallest container for her to dip her fruit.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms, carrot sliced into patterns, with some dressing. Baby cheese too.
Sauced meatballs over rice. Or maybe those skewered marinated chicken strips.
Potato salad wrapped in lettuce.
Berries, mmm berries, yay!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I would pack a lunch for my small son (age 3.5yrs). He is a bit picky and I try to get him to be adventuresome, but this is what I think he would like to eat. Large container: Sesame noodles with thai peanut sauce…Med Container:Raw almond mix with hazel nuts… Med Container:Sliced cucumber&carrots(form of carrot tulip flowers). We would also include a chocolate soymilk for the beverage.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:44 am
My husband loved curried chicken so that would go in one of the big ones. He also has a few boiled eggs for breakfast so that would go in the other large containers. Most likely the other smaller ones would be something like fruit and a veg. He also loves custard buns so that’s always an east option.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Love to pack soups in our lunches, would love more ideas on that…thanks…
December 10th, 2008 at 7:48 am
I just taught myself to make pork potstickers, and I would love to be able to bring those for lunch to the office. I’d probably add some steamed veggies & fruit & be in heaven!!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I would pack cold sesame noodles w/chicken and spinach. A serving of blueberries or strawberries, and a cold cocoanut water.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Well, I’d love this as I just started packing my fiance a small bento every day, and I want one of these BADLY.
Anyway, since his bento are usually comprised of leftovers…
I’d likely remove the two main compartments to make room for two rolled tortillas, filled with leftover chicken and rice. In that small, covered container I’d add some sour cream, since he’s particular about that. In the other two containers, I’d put peeled and chopped cucumber with a bit of salt, and some grapes.
If there was a bit of room around the chicken rolls, I’d add some carrots for stability. (And also to force him to eat his carrots. :D)
December 10th, 2008 at 7:55 am
well, i never thought of such a big lunch box, but i actually carry two bentos most days due to my schedule so this size is probably better! i could put curry chicken salad in one large one, pickled veggies in a small one, there is one meal, then some rice and egg or seaweed in another big one, with furikake and maybe some protein, and then fruit, which keeps me from snacking on junk later in my work day, in the other smaller one. brilliant! i may need to get one of these after all!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Large container 1: steamed rice with indian-style veggies and paneer cook in a yoghurt-tomato sauce curry
large container 2: carrot sticks
sauce container: vinegar/mustard dressing
small container 1: small fruit like sliced kiwi or strawberries
small container 2: 1 scrambled egg, topped with a grape
December 10th, 2008 at 7:56 am
My ideal lunch would be one that you packed for me!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:57 am
It’s so cute! I would have to pack cute things in it, like nuggets of joy I mean soy, and rabbit apple slices.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:58 am
It looks like a lot of food, so I think it would be a whole day of snacks and lunch for me. Perfect since I am -gasp- going back to school
December 10th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I don’t have a bento box but I’ve used a split compartment tupperware a few times. Consequently, I don’t have many ideas yet about how to make a bento, but I’m fascinated by them.
If we’re talking ideal lunch, I’d have some of this magical pumpkin soup I get at a local restaurant that I’ve never been able to recreate poured over a small bed of rice, a baby lettuce salad with blueberries, pecans, blue cheese and a vinegrette, a small cup of chocolate pudding, and a piece of pomegranate. Mmm I’m making myself hungry.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Cool.
I would pack my kids favorite sesame noodles, apple/pear slices, some mini treat like muffins and cheese/crackers for a protein source.
thanks. M
December 10th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Long container 1: mini omurice
Long container 2: 4 gyozas with sauce container
Small container 1: baby carrots
Small container 2: something Chocolate!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Big box 1: Ants climbing a tree (stir fry any type of groud meat with oil, garlic and ginger. add hot chili paste. toss with broken rice noodles. so quick and so good!)
Big box 2: Various veggies cut in cute shapes. Carrot/cucumber flowers for example (cut the carrot round into a flower shape, skewer with a tooth pick on top of a cresent cucumber. the cucumber becomes the leaves)
Small box 1: Egg pressed into a cute shape and dyed in food coloring.
Small box 2: Either Jello with fruit floaters or plain fruit.
Ta-da! The perfect picnic lunch! XD Probably enough to feed 2 people on a nice outing to the park.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:05 am
I love apples and peanut butter paired with cheese and crackers. I’d have that combination and fill in remaining space/containers with a few figs, a chocolate or two, and a mini jello cup.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:07 am
*steamed rice with sliced teriyaki, chicken over the top (little extra teriyaki sauce in small container)
*yogurt with berry purée
*shelled edamame & grape tomatoes
*clementine
I am enjoying reading other peoples meal ideas - very inspirational.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:08 am
I would pack:
Leftover fried rice
baby carrots
triangle Laughing Cow Cheese
and CHRISTMAS COOKIES
December 10th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I would pack a lovely leftover lasagna with some broccoli and carrot sticks.
I take lunch everyday, and being able to pack it in such a great way, would be wonderful
December 10th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Pad See-Ew. With beef. Mmmm.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Mac and cheese, green peas, fruit salad and dried fruit medly. (I packed this exact meal this morning, but in loose containers that I corralled into a lunch bag - how nice a LL would have been!)
December 10th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I would have to say my perfect lunch would be something both me and my toddler would eat. Some lo mein noodles or Beef w/ broccoli, and some gyro meat. Teazki sauce w/ carrots cucumbers and tomatoes to dip w/. Some homemade cali rolls or spring rolls or gyoza w/ some home made sweet dressing to dip. as you can tell my dd loves to dip things. And mommy is just happy when she eats.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:13 am
spinach salad w/dressing in the tiny container (love this!)
crackers & cheese
satsuma
chocolate treat!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Those things look like they hold a lot! I think I’d fill one small container with red seedless grapes, and the other small container with baby carrot fridge pickles. One large container would have cold peanut noodles with chicken and sesame, and the other would have six pieces (one order) of my favorite homemade sushi–mamenori on the outside, with rice (of course), pickled carrot, a dab of spicy mayo, and thinly-julienned chicken on the inside.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:18 am
I would LOVE one of these for my daughter. Her favorite would be a Mexican lunch: refried beans, shredded cheese, tortilla rolled up and cut in half, small guacamole cup, spanish rice and some pineapple. Yum!!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Hummus, baba ghanoush, pita slices, crudite, and a few olives. Is it time for lunch yet?
December 10th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I’m in the mood for inarizushi, peas simmered in dashi and soy sauce, orange slices, and boiled soybeans with carrot and kombu in a soy based sauce.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Ok, I admit lunch is mostly leftovers. But my ideal lunch would be rice, turkey or chicken cubes, cucumber slices, and fruit salad. (And the fruit salad is the messy part, but oh so yummy!)
December 10th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Ooh, I know exactly what I’d pack. In one main compartment, I’d pack veggie lasagna. In the other main compartment, I’d pack baby carrots and broccoli florets, with a hard-boiled egg wedged in, too. In one side container would be fresh strawberries, and in the other would be juicy orange slices.
Oh, yum. I’m so hungry now.
=) I love looking over the other entries for ideas, too!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, Annie’s Goddess dressing, flax seed crackers and organic cheese. Thanks for the chance!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I love to use the containers to make a little Mexican fajita bar. In one container I put the fijita filling, in another beans, rice in another and use the litte dip container for salsa or sour cream.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:30 am
I’d just pack my favourite food:) And that would be cold soba with vegan spinach pesto, some tofu scramble with slices of sausage and fried tempeh and apple-banana mousse in a lock-up container. And if I had some additional space I’d sneak in raw zucchini and pumpkin cubes - something that, I recently learned, is edible and reaaally tasty
December 10th, 2008 at 8:35 am
In the large containers:
Summer Tortellini (Cheese tortellini, halved grape tomatoes, cubed ham, and sauteed zucchini, squash, and onions, tossed lightly with Italian dressing and parmesan cheese)
Cucumber Salad (Cucumbers, grape tomatoes, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette)
In the small containers:
Pomegranate arils
Pita Chips
December 10th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I guess I would have two tuna onigiri wrapped in wasabi flavored nori in the main container. I would probably put snow peas in Sesame sauce, sliced peaches and raspberries, and butterscotch pudding in the smaller containers.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:45 am
I would pack a great lunch of cold indian chickpeas and poori, fresh veggies with hummus dip, and a good old American chocolate chip cookie.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Mm
Vegetable quinoa salad with fruit salsa, fried tempeh, and clementine.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Oooohh - sushi, hummus with veggies and kalamatas for dipping, some cranberry trail mix and a brownie. I’d be in piggy heaven. =)
December 10th, 2008 at 8:51 am
I would pack a hummus sandwich along with baby carrots and cherries :).
December 10th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I’d put a curry-veg rice in one large compartment, and a fruit salad in the other large compartment (my favourite fruits would be honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blackberries, with orange juice/lemon juice). In one of the small containers I’d have hummus and the other would have alfalfa (I love alfalfa) and sliced carrot slabs for eating the hummus with
December 10th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I’d do a gyoza lunch — gyoza, with dipping sauce, rice, Japanese persimmon, and some of last night’s leftover vegetables.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I really prefer to pack leftovers for lunch, rather than making sandwiches. I would pack:
-cold spicy noodle or vegetable salad
-apple slices and peanut butter
-leftover rice & tofu with pork
-any leftover dip and veggie slices
so many more ideas, but this is just a start
Thank you for running this contest!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:55 am
My ideal meal would be: Chinese asparagus salad, homemade rolled sushi with egg, avocado, tofu and lox, a tangerine, a few steamed shumai and perhaps some Botan rice candy or some dark chocolate. To drink: Russian spiced tea in cold weather or an Arnold palmer (iced tea/lemonade mix) in warm weather!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:59 am
One of our favorites is rolled preservative-free lunch meat and cheese with holiday toothpicks, shoestring veggies (red bell peppers, carrots, and cucumbers) with hummus in the sauce container)home-made trailmix (pretzels, chocolate chips, craisins, yogurt raisins) in the first small one, and a sectioned clementine orange in the last container. Iced tea in the juice bottle.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I’d like to pack some of last night’s pasta with grilled vegetables. Some fruit in the other compartments, and two chocolate cookies!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:01 am
I would pack:
A hard boiled and dyed egg.
Brie cheese slices, grapes, and apple slices mixed together.
Hummus or taramasalata, and carrot sticks to dip.
And, mixed nuts and dried fruit in another small compartment.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:08 am
My terrific chili
Cornbread
Honey butter in the small container
Strawberries and Clementine sections
Broccoli
A small candy cane to celebrate the time of year
December 10th, 2008 at 9:08 am
My lunch is mostly leftovers too, but for this one, especially for the first meal in there I would make: Homemade vegetable sushi (just 1/2 c. rice with seasoned veges instead of meat wrapped in nori, of course.), 1 soy-sauce egg, and then either some edamame or some other sort of vegetable. Hmmm… those cucumber slices sound good!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Normally I pack a lunch for my son, but if I won a Laptop Lunch box it would be mine, mine, all mine! I’d put in rice, stir fry, clementine segments and probably a cookie or two. yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:11 am
I would go for something spicy, probably indian food with rice and a samosa or two. Thanks for the giveaway.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Oh I would pack all of our favorite Mexican food (I live in Arizona what can I say)
Enchilada Casserole
Home made tacos
chips and salsa
Now I am hungry
December 10th, 2008 at 9:13 am
One of the larger containers would have rice, the other one would have vegetables, probably a stir-fry.
One of the smaller containers would either contain a snack (maybe nuts) or a small portion of meat, and the last one something sweet, probably fruit.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:13 am
I want nothing but dips! Hummus, babaghanoush, and cream cheese fuit dip. And dippers, of course–pita or naan, crudite, and strawberries.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I would pack some rice, fish cakes, bulgogi, perhaps a veggie side, and a little dessert of fruit!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Ideal meal….
Cheese and meat slices, with some crackers. My citrus pasta salad. Carrot sticks and pea pods with ranch dressing. Some nice fruit drink.
Man, it’s getting close to lunch here and I’m hungry!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Vegetarian fried rice, tamago, edamame, and colorful fresh fruit topped with chopped walnuts!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:19 am
How great!
I make Bento for my husband every morning, and all of the men in his office come by to see what I’ve made him. I’d love to have a larger box like this to pack for him!
I’d pack:
Spicy chicken nuggets on top of a spinich salad with a cherry tomato. A variety of fruit - strawberries, orange slice, pineapple chunk, grapes, and a cherry. In the smaller containers I would pack seasoned potatos and some fresh broccoli. I’d also sneak a little love letter in to remind him of how I feel - as if the lovely lunch wasn’t enough
Here’s hoping that I can gift him with such things
December 10th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Hmm… The ideal meal would be fried potatoes in one big compartement and some salad in the other one. An egg and some youghurt with fruit would go into the smaller ones. Since we have a freezer here, it would actually work as bento, but it’d be waaay to much work in the morning
December 10th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Definately chicken, rice and veggies in my bento lunch box!!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Vegetable sushi (avocado, cucumber, carrots) in one of the large containers, with some teriyaki salmon bits in the other large container and sliced fruit for one of the small containers and semi-sweet chocolate chips in the other small container.
-OR-
Soft tacos and all the fixings !
December 10th, 2008 at 9:28 am
The ideal lunch? :-)I’d put rice in one of the big containers, steamed broccoli and carrots in the other big one, fried breaded chicken in a smaller one with some peanut sauce in the condiment container and lastly mixed pieces of fruit. Yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:29 am
The ideal lunch I’d pack in this awesome Lunchbox (which I’ve been pining for for years!) would be one that my toddler would eat - all of it, not just a nibble off a banana or a scoop of avocado, but the entire contents of each little container, and preferably one with lots of protein. Rice with collard greens in one, pears in another, eco-planet vegan cheddar snack crackers, hazelnut herb-crusted field roast and dipping sauce.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I’d go with some angel hair pasta, sundried tomatoes, mini-mozarella balls, and some parmesan in one container. A spring mix type of green salad in another with some dressing and add-in veggies in the sealable container. Then some fruit in the last, blueberries, strawberry, maybe some kiwi.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I love reading other people’s meal ideas - what a great idea!
My ideal meal would be made by someone else as a treat. There would be organic, in-season, dark chocolate covered strawberries.
Fried brown rice with chicken bits and broccoli and snow peas (at least). Chicken curry with veggies and coconut milk for on top of the rice. A babybel cheese (because I can’t afford them all the time) and some steamed yellow beans with butter. And, last but not least, one of those teeny tiny green apple candies that I love so much. Just because.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I would love to be able to pack chicken Parmesan dish into the Lunchbox. I love all the different containers it has, and it would be great to separate my paste from the chicken with the sauce, since my husband can’t stand mushy pasta.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:46 am
MMMM….rice with leftover braised osso bucco with the juices soaked into the rice. A little salad, a few veggies, and something with chocolate!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I think I would like to pack a taco bar with different ingredients in each container to keep them fresh. Oh, and some yummy in-season fruit.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I’d love to pack vegan brisket with a side of kasha and bowties. Extra sauce in the little container so I can pour it on the kasha, and mandelbrot for dessert.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I would pack my mom’s chicken enchiladas, and lots of fruit in the side containers!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Oh I want one! I would pack it with blueberries, Rice cooked in chicken broth and mixed with peas, sliced seasoned chicken breast, stuffed mushroom caps, and strawberry yoghurt in the sealable container.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:57 am
My last lunch in my laptop lunchbox was Thanksgiving leftovers, and quite yummy:
turky and stuffing in one large container, vanilla yogurt and bananas in the large container with the lid, sweet potatoes in one smaller container, gravy in the tiny container, and a small bit of jello salad filling up the leftover space.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I think I’m inspired by your last post: I would use homemade pizza (trader joes crust) cut to fit the larger containers (crusts removed). Include veggies like carrots or greenbeans trimmed to fit as well, and frozen mango chunks to keep everthing cold until lunch time!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Only finger food, since boy doesn’t want to mess with utensils. PBJ, grapes, blueberry, baby carrots, and cookies. My son’s all time favorite.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Cold spicy peanut noodles with broccoli in the large compartment, then the sides would be green salad, baby carrots, and yogurt with fruit!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Uncovered large container: cold grilled cheese sandwich made with Swiss cheese on raisin bread, trimmed to fit.
Covered large container: spinach and lettuce salad w/salad dressing (in small dressing cup).
Small container #1: fruit, either grapes or kumquats — I love them!
Small container #2: carrots & red pepper cut to fit.
In the cutlery compartment: one of those long thin 100 calorie Hersey’s chocolate sticks.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Leftovers, cut and trimmed to fit the containers. Fruits and veggies on hand for the smaller containers. Greater efficiency managing leftovers.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I’d love a Laptop Lunch of spaghetti w/ meat sauce in one large compartment, steamed broccoli in the other, mini slices of garlic bread in one small compartment, and fresh blueberries in the other!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:30 am
One that I really liked when I made it awhile ago:
large covered container: salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato + some dressing)
large uncovered container: wholewheat pitas, halved
smaller container: spicy meatballs
smaller container: zaalouk (moroccan eggplant dip/salad)
smallest container: homemade houmous
and since I keep utensils at the office, a 2-piece package of oreos and some dried fruit in the utensil-area
YUM!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:32 am
yum! I just made my first bento yesterday and I’m excited to make more! In a laptop lunch box I’d put things that are better warm, since I hear the little boxes are microwaveable… Creamed cauliflower, eggplant parm in a bigger box (both warm), a salad in the other bigger box (with the tiny box holding the dressing, and some grapes and ginger snaps for dessert. Yum! Oh, and I’d fill the juice box 1/3 full with apple cider (and freeze it so that it will keep my grapes and salad cold) and add soda water from the soda machine in the cafateria at work to make my own apple soda.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:33 am
A Laptop lunch would be perfect for leftover pasta dinner. One of the large compartments for the pasta and sauce. The other one for a salad. One of the small compartments could hold some grated Parmesan for the pasta. The other one would hold some dessert. The little compartments would be great for pudding or jell-o.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I’d love to pack a lunch for my husband with steak teriyaki, onigiri, a small salad and grapes. I would add a little sauce bottle with vinaigrette dressing. Oh, and two Hershey’s kisses, just for extra affection.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I think I’d have chicken & pasta, a salad in the covered section, probably a cupcake in one smaller area with cut up fruit in the other small section, and dressing for the salad in the tiny covered compartment. Yummy! Now I’m hungry!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Pizza in the big compartment; fruit and veggies in the smaller compartments; dip in another; and something sweet for dessert. My non-eaters love to eat out of the little boxes, so this would be great way to get them to eat more!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I’d made one for the preschooler-who-never-eats-his-bento. 1/2 sandwich with Nutella, grapes, carrot sticks, cranberry yogurt (my own invention and typically the only thing he always eats) and some pocky.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Let’s see: one large container with Biggie’s really tasty Spam musubi, large lidded container with Vietnamese beef salad and fish sauce dressing (in dressing container), one small container with extra carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, and daikon for the salad, and the last small container with fresh or dried fruit, whatever’s not eaten and in the house! Mmm. I think I’ll go shopping for some more Spam right now!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I’m sick today wth a terrible head cold…so my ideal lunch would be matzoh ball soup in the covered container, a clementine in each of the two small ones for Vitamin C
and an assortment of candy/cookies/treats in the other big compartment…just because.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:14 am
This is actually a little big for me, so I’d pack it with low calorie-density food. Celery, cucumbers, and hummus, edamame for protein, with a little whole grain bread or crackers in the small containers.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:20 am
My mom just asked for a lunch box for Christmas - so I think I would pack her a lunch of crusty bread with whole grain mustard, cheddar and turkey, salad, and some baby carrots.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I would pack one of my 3 children’s lunch in it. I would put chicken strips or chicken fingers and the potato smiles in the big containers. In one of the smaller containers and the dip container; I would put carrots and ranch dip. In the other container I would put apple wedges that had some lemon juice on them to keep them from browning.
Arigato (Thank you) Biggie for such a wonderful web site!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:27 am
rotisserie chicken leg
pea salad
deviled egg
roll w/butter
Mmmmm….
December 10th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Since Laptop Lunches are so big — I would pack a salad with lots of fixings! Spinach in one large compartment, assorted veggies, beans, nuts, and dried fruits in the other big one. On the side, some pita or flatbread, dressing, and chocolate brownie for dessert. At lunch time, dump the two big containers out into the box itself and combine for extra Yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Wow - just this morning my husband was asking me if they made insulated bento boxes. Hmmm, my ideal meal - I guess I’d go with something the husband has requested for quite some time: sushi! On the side I’d fix something savory - Korean-style vegetable pancakes (bin dae duk), some kimchi in another side container & a nice slice of pineapple upside-down cake for dessert.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:35 am
My little guy is just 16 months old - so we’re still using small 2 or 4 square Lock n Lock and our Sassy meal to go box. Can’t wait to try the laptop lunchbox. Especially if Santa brings me the Hawaii Bento Kids Cookbook!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:36 am
ooh, i’d like to think that I would pack beef stroganoff and rice into the large containers, asparagus and raspberries in the small two. and maybe I could squeeze a small chocolate in there too.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:38 am
My son’s favorite lunch is a chicken, egg and mayo salad. Thats what I would pack!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I make a packed lunch once a week for my boy’s “lunch club” - I dream all week of what to put in it for him… (sad but true)
I would put in one mini pitta pocket filled with falafael (lettuce & humous included, one box would have raw veg batons (heavy on the carrot)a water, a watermelon, feta and pumpkin seed salad and a muffin (probably pear and ginger) - juice in the bottle (mixture of orange, apple and water.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:53 am
This would be great for husband’s supper (works second shift). BBQ brisket, cole slaw, his mom’s pickled macaroni salad. jalpenos & onions plus pecan pie. And sweet tea!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:53 am
My lunch meal will be….
Large container: Steam rice
Large container: baked chicken or beef meatballs
Small container: French beans w/ garlic sauce
Small container: Pineapple chunks w/ a drizzle of honey
Inner container: yakitori sauce
December 10th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Hmmm, this is a hard one and reading all the other entries just makes me hungry.
In the main compartment I would a orzo pasta salad (with tomatoes, olives, feta, leftover shredded chicken, and lots of parsley). Cut up vegetables like carrots and celery in the other long container with some good o’ sour cream ranch for dipping in the smaller lidded container. A piece of seasonal fruit in the last container. Something sweet and small like a “mini snickers” stuck in as a stabilizer somewhere.
Thanks Biggie,
KCatGU
December 10th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
In the main compartment, wraps made with leftovers from dinner, and baked sweet potato chips and fruit in the side compartments.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Is it wrong to say that my favorite bentos are leftovers? Mostly because they’re the easiest and fastest to pack.
But if I had all the time (and skill) in the world, I’d pack one large subcontainer with sushi rice, covered in julienned tamago and furikake. The other large subcontainer would get karaage chicken, and maybe some shiozake. One of the small subcontainers would have some kabocha, and maybe some kinpira gobo. And the last subcontainer would have some fruit - preferably some in-season strawberries and blueberries. If I was feeling decadent, I’d use the little sauce container to hold sweetened condensed milk for dipping the fruit. Yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
today, i would make:
big box:
1)salad: clementines, grilled chicken, raspberries, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers
2)leftover linguine with marinara
smaller box:
1)mini pizza cupcake (pizza just baked in a cupcake tin)
2)mini cupcake with sprinkles baked in
December 10th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
For my 9 year old daughter…rice with smoked salmon on top, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, banana bites or figs or strawberries depending on season and a mini blueberry muffin.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Mmm, I’d do inari-zushi, takuan, brocolli with Japanese mayo, and persimmon. And a little chocolate!
…Oh, hungry now.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I’d pack some cold soba noodles and dipping sauce, diced persimmons (my grandparents’ tree was prolific this season!), my grandma’s salty/sour seaweed salad and some steamed veggies for good measure. Oh, and some Botan Rice candy for good measure!
December 10th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
It’s hard to say what would be in my ideal lunch seeing as I’ve packed a lunch in a LLB for a couple years now. See highlights here:
MMmmm… yum.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alyssssyla/sets/72157607475623369/
I think my all time favorite would be a roll up burrito with whole wheat tortilla, beans, rice and cheese along with a little bit of my homemade spicy pickles. Tamari almonds and smoked chicken sausage. Cucumber and bell pepper with ranch in the dippy container. And a homemade cookie - chocolate mint?
December 10th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
An Ideal Meal? Less important to me is the ideal food (today, it’d be a raw, organic feast of dried chanterelles, soaked to chewy perfection in raw vegan BBQ sauce, served open faced on RAWVolution’s onion bread. Oo, and a bangin’ pomegranate salad, some ginger cayenne lemonade, crudités and dip, and a dreamy sweet cacao fudge), and more important the perfect setting: a seaside park at sunset, in idyllic weather, with the Olympic Mountains in the distance. There, I will share this meal with my beloved spouse. O, dreamy perfection!
December 10th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Yummm…if I were to have a laptop lunch kit, I think I would have to pack a good old fashion turkey sandwich, some fruit salad, perhaps a few chips with some veggie dip and there would have to be some kind of desert for this sweet tooth of mine. Desert would probably be a few of those mini cookies from a 100 calorie pack. The beverage would be just plain old water. OK…now I’m hungry. (:
December 10th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Yum…probably some whole-wheat pasta with a bit of sauce and chicken breast in one container; roasted vegetables (I’m craving summer squash at this point of the winter) in another, a piece of fruit (an orange?), and my new favorite dessert: “Holiday Fat Balls” which are rice krispies and peanut butter rolled into balls and covered in chocolate. Mm.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I just discovered your website in looking up awesome lunch packing ideas, and though this was one of the first sites I found, I don’t think I’ll need to go anywhere else! This site is wonderful and so comprehensive! I’m a college kid and eating big meals while I’m going through a busy day isn’t my kind of deal (don’t hold me to that if I’m cooking at home, though!). Those laptop lunches look big enough to hold a lunch and a breakfast for me, so:
In the small compartments I’d put vanilla yogurt in one and this mix of granola and blueberries that Target’s Archer’s Farm brand makes in the other. That’d be for breakfast, I’d probably start munching in my early morning class.
In the big compartments I’d probably put Spanish rice and a little container of salsa in one and a quartered black bean, corn, and cheese quesadilla in the other, with maybe even though room for my mini bottle of Texas Pete. Yummy.
String cheese on the side for a snack!
I find it slightly ironic that laptop lunches was one of the reasons I started looking for websites like this one. Ann Cooper’s “Lunch Lessons” features laptop lunches on the cover which lead me to searching for awesome lunch ideas which lead me here.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I’d like to make an awesome inari zushi/soba combo. Mmm..
December 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Some rice with furikake, a type of cooked vegetable (maybe carrots), then some edamame and tomatoes, and some fruit for dessert.
Thanks for the giveaway!
December 10th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I think I would pack some of my favorite things for everyday. My meals are really restricted when I fly (no liquids or fresh produce if I’m coming back to the mainland)!
For my everyday I would pack:
BBQ Chicken
Raw Broccoli, or Carrots
Salad Dressing for Dip
Nut Thins Crackers
Rice
For a Plane Trip:
Spam Musubi
Nut Thins Crackers
Irish Cheese
Salami
Gluten Free Panckes (I would have put a little suryp on them to soak in before I leave home)
December 10th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I’d pack a very all-American lunch: tuna-pasta salad, carrots and radishes with dip, and maybe some cheese cubes or berries or grapes…
December 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I’d put cute little mini sandwiches in one compartment, pretty egg art in another, fruit in the 3rd, and rice balls w/ sauce in the 4th
December 10th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I would include brown rice sprinkled with toasted sesame seed and miso-marinated, grilled tofu. I’d also include a side of crunchy cabbage slaw, perhaps with black sesame seeds and saltanas, and for dessert, maybe a few ginger snaps.
I’m not sure how those hang together, but it sounds DELICIOUS to me!
December 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Some cold boiled quinoa with small pieces of dried abricot and red onions. Sliced carrots, raw champignons and cherry tomatoes. Cold fried chicken breast. A sauce for dipping made from hummus, spices and yoghurt.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
My favorite lunch is whole grain pasta with a really nice chunky sauce full of veggies. A salad on the side, with dressing in the teeny container, and a nice fruit salad for dessert.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
ideal would be a chicken sushi and niri combo
December 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Large #1: noodles with veggies (any on hand) sauteed with some oil and tossed with a little wine vinegar afterwards
large #2: sliced chewy italian bread rounds
small: tomato slices and mozzarella slices (fresh!!)
other small: fruit of any variety for dessert
in small covered container- whatever it is my husband mixes up to go with our tomatoes and mozzarella.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Yum!
I’d pack:
A nice, thick slice of homemade whole wheat bread
Assorted cheeses (including one Laughing Cow spreadable for the bread)
Steamed green beans with balsamic vinaigrette on the side (in the little sauce container)
Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries sprinkled with granola
Some little dark chocolates tucked in as a treat
Now I’m hungry!
December 10th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Well, let’s take a look in my 2nd grader’s pink laptop lunchbox: In one big, pink container, there are three spinach parcels (spinach in pastry). In one small, blue container, there are a few carrot sticks and there is also an itty, bitty tangerine on its own, not in a box. She doesn’t eat enough to fill all four boxes.
In my 8th grader’s lunchbag, there are two additional spinach parcels (they are kind of squooshed in the big blue box, but I know he will share them with his friend, so I put in the extra ones). The carrots are in the second large, blue container with a little tub of hummus and a couple of leftover pea pods from the other day. He also has a tangerine on its own and some sliced apples in the fourth box. The smaller box is pink, but he doesn’t really care about the colors.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
heeee. I like the primary and whimsical colors myself, with any of the black boxes.
Right! The meal!
First Big Inner Container: Protein: Lime and Dill sauted chicken strips, with the smallest inner container full of lime raspberry dipping sauce.
Second Big Inner Container: Carb: Cornbread muffins with a straw of honey.
First Medium Container: Veggie: Steamed Carrot coins and broccoli with sweetened lime juice and salt.
Second Medium Container: DESSERT: Raspberries and pomegranate seeds.
Drink: Water bottle full of half-n-half sweet tea and regular tea done ice cold.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
I would pack Snobby Joes (vegan sloppy joes from the Veganomicon) with the buns in one big section and the filling in the other. In the little sections, I would pack fresh veggies and dip and some fruit.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
To complete a healthy mean, I ensure Veggie and Protein on my list. Slices of Avacado and some salad mix in one section, Frozen Shrimp (by the time I am ready for lunch, they are thaw already) in one section with a small container of Italian dressing. Then mix them together will be great Avacado and Shrimp salad.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I would put rice in the main compartment and I usually have chicken and some sort of vegetable (usually broccoli, peas, or string beans) with it. Inside the smaller compartments, I would put something to snack on, like baby carrots and/or crackers. I love those baby carrots.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I think a laptop lunchbox would be perfect to pack lunch and a snack in. Often, I end up bringing a bento and a sidecar with a snack to college so I can have something to nibble on in the afternoon. If I had a laptop lunchbox, I could use the bulk of the box to hold my lunch, and the medium sealed container to hold a snack for later in the day.
As far as meal ideas go, It would be neat to try something like a salad in the larger container (something that I can’t seem to do in a regular bento box - too small and cramped), along with some shredded chicken or tuna, some orange segments, and dressing in the small sealed container. For a snack I’d bring my usual dried fruits/nuts/babybel.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I would put okonomiyaki, toppings (i.e. bonito and seaweed), edamame, fruit, and sauce in the small containers. Not sure about the drink, but maybe some aloe?
December 10th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I would pack my daughter lots of veggies with dip of course (celery is one of her current favs) Strawberries and blue berries and a piece of string cheese with half a bagle
December 10th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Mmmm, laptop lunchbox!
What could I pack? Probably a tidier variation on today’s lunch. In the largest container, the “food face” with fried-sliced sweet potato eyes (clove pupils), bread nose, and salami lips. Next container, some leftover lasagna. Some salad in the next container (with dressing in the baby container) and dried mango in the space on the side. Orange slices and grapes in the last container (or, for TheBoy, some cookies!)
Great contest, Biggie. Thanks!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
i would have a nice chef or ceszar salad with a sandwich that has bacon and avacados with maybe a tomato and cream cheese, and maybe a fruit or some kind of mini muffin baked or cut into a perfect fit shape into the compartment lol.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
oooh chicken, potato, and pineapple yellow curry would fit perfectly in one of the dividers. (with rice in the other) i would also fit as much veggies in the little compartments as possible and hummus to dip the veggies in in the tiny cup… and maybe even a baked crab rangoon on the side.
this is very generous of you THANKS A LOT(even if i don’t win it)
December 10th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I would have white or brown rice in the main compartment.
In the next compartment I would have some grilled chicken.
In one of the smaller compartment some cut up apples and blueberries (if they were in season here)
and in the last compartment some raw veggies like cucumbers and carrots.
In the sauce container I would have some Ginger dressing for the veggies and chicken.
Great contest!
December 10th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Oh the possibilities….I suppose I’d pack my favorite cold sesame noodles, that I try to make for my lunch at work whenever I have the time. I’d throw a little smoked salmon sushi in there and maybe some peanuts on the side…Perhaps some cubed mango…mmmm….mango. Oh, and edamame. I so rarely get to eat edamame without ordering take-out.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
This is so cute! I normally just pack a normal brown bag lunch, but if I had this, I would definitely use it.
Large compartment: sushi, with eel or cooked salmon
I would put a divider in the other large compartment and put edamame or sugar snap peas with toasted pita chips. I would put hummus in one of the small compartments and a mix of dried fruits and nuts in the other.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
My ideal box would have cold soba noodles with a tamari and lime dipping sauce; some rice and lightly steamed snow peas, carrot, water chestnuts, and mushrooms; some fresh salmon with ginger and daikon garnish; and something sweet and improbable like fresh berries and mascarpone.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
My ideal meal would be a bunch of finger foods! So, mini-quiches and mushroom turnovers in one large compartment, carrots, cheese and crackers in the other large compartment, hummus in one small compartment and a small fruit tart in the last one. Yummy!
December 10th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I think I could pack almost anything in this lap top lunch box. I love the idea of having several seperate spaces and tons of room. I can’t even give and example because the possibilities are endless. Thanks for all of your wonderful tips btw. xoxo
December 10th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I have never used one of these before but if I did this is what will go in there:
Large container 1: 2 Whole wheat Aaloo (potato) parathas.
Large Container 2: Homemade yoghurt
small container 1: juicy strawberries
small container 2: cucumber, cherry tomatoes salad
smallest container: homemade tomato chutney to go with the parathas.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Let’s see.
Big compartment 1, I’d put in short-grain brown rice mixed with peas and garbanzo beans and corn, because that’s yummyyyy.
Big compartment 2, I’d put in as many cut vegetables as I could fit, like carrots, cucumber slices, broccoli, and a little tomato or two.
Small compartment 1, I’d put in some pineapple, watermelon chunks, a slice or two of orange, and maybe some berries around the edges if I could fit them.
Small compartment 2, I’d put in a few peanuts or walnuts, and something happy for dessert, like a small dark chocolate or a couple of little cookies.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
For my girlie (4 1/2):
Large container 1: lavash bread wheels, filled with hummus & spinach
Large Container 2 w/lid: plain yogurt with frozen raspberries mixed in (helps keep in extra cold until lunch)
small container 1: pretzel sticks
small container 2: carrots chopped in sticks, speared through ring of black olive)
smallest container: toasted wheat germ to stir into yogurt
water bottle- water
Thanks again for hooking someone up with these cool things, Biggie!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
*Sandwich on whole wheat bread with the following: sliced zucchini, bell pepper, spinach, hummus, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, to be toasted into a panino at work.
*Kettle chips
*Vanilla yogurt with honey and mango, with cereal to be mixed in
December 10th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Hey there!
I would definitely do an Indian-inspired lunch!
Some basmati rice in one container, vegetable curry in a closed container (or maybe chick pea curry), pakoras to snack on, some fruit to finish it off (with some honey to dip it in)!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Like your son Bug, I enjoy foods that can b e dipped–must be the inner child in me
So, I would ideally pack: 1) pan-fried dumplings with sweet chili dipping sauce, 2) baked pita chips to dip into hummus, 3)apples to dip into organic peanut butter, and 4) baked pita chips to dip into mango-salsa. Random combination, but all yummy. Thanks for the give-away!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Ooo.. a laptop lunchbox. You can’t find one where I’m from, it’ll be for my ten year old son then who has a huge appetite and hates those “cutsy” boxes..
The box would fullfill his big lunch appetite .. I’ll pack his fav chicken rice.. rice cooked in chicken broth, fried chicken pieces and a simple cucumber salad, in the two large containers, one small container of fruits, and the other of treats, cheese cubes, chocolate maybe or a cookie to round up the meal.. and a tumbler full of plain water to finish the meal..
He’ll be so pleased !!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
hmm, i would pack:
large container(blue): steamed brown rice and peas with chicken satay on top.
large container (red):vinegar marinated salad of sliced cucumbers, carrots and jicama.
small container (purple):sliced mango chunks w/ blueberries
small container (green) : coconut milk rice pudding with sliced almonds and sultanas
sauce container (yellow) :sweet peanut sauce for the chicken satay
December 10th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Oh, what fun! My son’s dream lunch is always the same:
homemade California rolls
dill pickles
frozen grapes
homemade Oreos
carrot sticks and ranch dressing.
And it would look so cute in the Laptop Lunchbox! Thanks, Biggy, for a fabulous site, and such a nice give away!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Thanks for all the great ideas! Here’s another: Sesame chicken, steamed rice, coleslaw, red grapes with slices of cheddar cheese, and pumpkin bread with golden raisins. I pack breakfast and lunch for a very hungry eater…
December 10th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
yum. I’d have hommus, mini pita, raw carrots and cucumber with dressing, apple with peanut butter, and cheese chunks. perfect lunch.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Ooh, what fun! What a great giveaway. I’m new to bento, but I would love to use the Laptop Lunchbox for my teenage daughter, to keep her away from the evil cafeteria food (today she had mozzarella sticks and french fries for lunch — yuck!). Since she is a vegetarian, I would pack: a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, seedless red grapes, a Babybel cheese, some baby carrots, ranch dressing for dipping, and some leftover vegetable potstickers with gyoza dipping sauce.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
1.Cold peanut noodles with thai basil
2.sliced roasted chicken w/ extra peanut sauce
3. sliced carrots and bell pepper
4. sliced bananas and strawberries and nutella for dipping those.
Yum yum!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
In my perfect laptop lunch, I would put…
In the first small compartment: cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, a couple sugar snap peas, and a few baby carrots with a tiny cup of ranch for dipping.
In the second: mango cubes, sliced strawberries, and raspberries, perhaps with some granola on the side.
In the first large compartment: a turkey mozzarella sandwich sliced into quarters with some wheat crackers nestled around the edges.
In the second: a cold whole wheat pasta salad with halved cherry tomatoes, broccoli, garbanzos, olives, topped with feta cheese and dressed with a little Italian dressing.
Yum
December 10th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I would pack my son his favorite Pesto Ravioli in one of the large compartments, and fruit salad in one of the small containers.
The other large container would be perfect for his after-school, pre-soccer snack of cheese and crackers. The last small compartment would hold his treat, a cookie or maybe some pudding!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
oh bento!
homemade chicken stir-fry, plain sticky rice, and some crab rangoon, and some assorted fresh veggies.
its getting me hungry just thinking about it….
December 10th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I would pack hummus, pita wedges, crudite, and some baba ganoush if I could fit it in. Yummm!!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Oh, I would probably pack a some fresh salad, homemade vegetable stir-fry with tofu, plain white rice, apple bunnies, and a few sticks of pocky for desert. ^^
December 10th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
* Pumpkin Curry
* Ham and Cheese Tortilla Wraps
* Carrot and Celery sticks with Ranch Dip
* Apple Slices
December 10th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
The laptop lunch box would be ideal to pack a wholesome lunch:-
- Turkey ham and avocado with pita bread
- Green lettuce, tomatoes, baby carrot & zucchini salad
- Mango pudding
- 1 cut kiwi plus some strawberries
December 10th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Well, we happen to be into pioneer stuff at my house right now, so I’d say some fried cornbread, beans and ham, and salad. The salad is not so pioneer, I know, but my kids love salad and pretty much eat it each and every day. And then I might add some home made yogurt and with fruit. So it would be pioneer fusion, I guess!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Mmm…let’s see…I would love to pack an ideal lunch in the laptop lunch box. I would probably include a peanut butter sandwich in one of the large containers. Some fruit yogurt in the other large container. One of the smaller containers would house some berries-strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries and the other would house those good old gold fish. Ok, I’m ready for school now!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Mini garden burgers, fresh fruit salad and crunchy carrots!!
I’ve always adored the laptop lunch system but never bothered to splurge on myself.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I’d pack the laptop lunch box on the days I have an overnight shift at the hospital and my bento lunch jar is in the wash. (Like today!)
And I would pack… a little salad of fresh spinach, topped with spicy pecans, gorgonzola, and non-sweetened dried cranberries, with a little dressing in that container. In the side containers, I’d add a snack of cheese and veggies or cheese and fruit or cheese and nuts. In the other main dish container, I’d pack crunch bell peppers stuffed with a light tuna salad (dressed with vinegar instead of mayo, and mixed with chopped clementines and olives. sounds wierd, but I LOVE it!).
And finally, I’d add the essential feature to every meal, even breakfast…
Dark chocolate. Preferably over 70%.
Sweet.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I want something like this for my husband to take, he likes the bigger lunches and doesn’t want anything pink.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
mmmmm I would pack S&B Curry with rice, veggies, and steak in the main compartment. Then carrot sticks, goldfish pretzels, and Nutella in the small one. Nothing could taste better!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I just discover your blog and I love it. I am going to try to make a bento this weekend. My ideal bento would be sushi - I love sushi.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
in one of the big containers - fried brown rice w/ edamame, egg & vegetarian chicken
in the other - homemade avocado sushi
in one small container - laptop lunch sauce container of soy sauce, wasabi peas
in the other - clementines! (i bet i could fit more than one if i peeled them.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
In the main open container cold sesame noodles with chicken and peanut sauce in the sauce container, then I would pack carrots and grapes in the side containers and vanilla yogurt in the large sealed container, both to eat and dip the grapes in.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
i recently discovered your blog like a few others i’ve seen commenting and i have to say thanks for all the great info. my ideal bento would not be for me, but for my little chic who started her first year of school this year. i would pack some plain rice, spicy bean empanadas, carrot sticks and grapes.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
hi! my family loves to grill during the (california) winter (are we the only ones?) so i would love to pack up some of our favorites for lunch - some of which we have growing in the back yard:
lrg container: bbq ribs
lrg container: grilled eggplant and grilled red onions
sml container: potato salad (with hardboiled eggs mixed in!)
sml container: pomegrante arils
thanks!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I’ve always wondered what I’d put into one. Guess here’s my chance!
I’ve always loved the look of the yogurt with berries on the Laptop Lunchbox site, so definitely would do that.
I think some sliced teriyaki chicken on a bed of brown rice in the other big one.
Some broccoli & red bell peppers with ranch, since this would likely be for my husband and that’s his favorite veggies. Steamed so they can be eaten with the rice & chicken.
An extra thing of teriyaki sauce. And one of those 5 packs of Pocky in with the silverware.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
My ideal lunch right now would be a slice of homemade lasagna in the large container, some steamed vegetables in one of the small ones, some light strawberry yogurt in the other small one, and i’d leave the other big box out and put in a small apple, half a clementine (to show the pretty center), and two strawberries. mmm.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I pack lunches for Ana, and she has very pedestrian tastes, so this is her ideal lunch:
1 tuna fish sandwich (made with soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, 1 clove garlic, scallions, cilantro, celery, diced red pepper, finely grated carrot, and various spices. Oh, and tuna fish) on whole wheat. Garnished with a flat radish flower
1 veggie side including cherry tomatoes, snow peas (lots of those), and a single baby carrot that she won’t eat anyway. Or, possibly, including a summer salad - cucumbers, yellow and red tomatoes, scallions, pepper, salt, and vinegar (except, to go with the tuna, I’d use lemon juice, and put the sauce in a side container so it wouldn’t get on everything).
1 fruit side, with something like mango or a tangerine. Maybe half an apple with lemon juice on the cut half.
1 dessert - raisins maybe, or dried cranberries, or yogurt with honey, banana, cardamon, cumin, pepper, coriander, and something else that escapes my mind.
A sigg bottle with some water and a lemon slice
1 note written at her level, something like “Hi. I hope you like your food. Love Connie!”
December 10th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I’d pack lunch for my kids. A small sandwich, applesauce, grapes, pretzels, and a treat!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’d love to pack a lunch for my preschooler .. probably a sandwich, some yogurt with fruit, carrots and a cookie for dessert! i know, very vanilla but it’s a start right?
December 10th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
My idea meal would be something simple. Pineapple chunks, baked chicken, a fried rice, then maybe some lemon & garlic broccoli.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Sweet potatos (sliced) in the big one, labne (like yogurt) in the little one, cut up apple in the other little one, lentil and seitan salad in the other big one
yum.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Large container with lid: shell pasta with a little alfredo (so it doesn’t dry out) and parsley
Large container: garden salad with diced cucumber and shredded carrots
Small container: celery with peanut butter in the middle
Small container: shrimp scampi to toss in pasta
Smallest container with lid: ranch dressing for salad
this is making me hungry it sounds so yummy!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I love giveaways. They’re a great incentive to read blogs
I need to find stuff to giveaway on my blog too!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I make bento lunches for my 4 year old. I’d pack his favorites. Mac and Cheese. Applesauce. Hummus and Carrots. And of course a couple of cookies.
I can’t get very creative with this 4 year old… maybe when he’s 5. A mom can hope.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Mmm, yummy!
I’d love to pack my tofu fried rice, with peas, carrots, egg, etc. Then fresh fruit, probably a clementine and some grapes. And, some pudding or yogurt to finish it off!
Again, so very yummy!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Hmm…
For my eldest, I would put some cheese cubes in one container, small crackers in another. Cut up veggies, carrots and cucumbers, some home made onion dip for the veggies. Some pasta in a big container and a piece of fruit..or maybe some pomegranate seeds which she loves.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
How about a chicken and dried tomato roll-up in one of the larger containers, a small salad in the other, sliced strawberries in the smaller compartment, and pesto dipping sauce for the roll-up in the sauce container?
December 10th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I love pizza, banana pudding, salad and some pasta salad.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I’d make a bento for my daughter with all her favorite lunch items: quesadilla, watermelon slices, apple sauce, and edemame.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Seasoned Nori rectangles, longan berries, and cheese/tofu/bbq sauce sandwiches
December 10th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I prefer to include carbo, fiber, protein and fruits in my lunch box.
eg We usually have rice for carbo, so I will hv rice with furikake, Blanch broccoli and steamed carrot sticks, stir fry minced meat or chicken. Fruits can be grapes, strawberries.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:04 am
I will pack grapes in one of the small containers, salad with a soysauce/brown rice/sesame oil vinaigrette in the other. I will also pack oven-baked fish fingers and lemon-scented quinoa with chickpeas in the big container.
Thanks Biggie! Like you, I speak Japanese and spent some time in Japan in my youth. I often feel homesick for the food. I can get imported ingredients easily where I am but it’s cheaper to eat local so I have to limit myself to a few essential ingredients.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Thanks for the great blog!
I don’t know what my fav would be probably cold asian sesame noodles with chicken, fruit and chocolate chip cookies….
December 11th, 2008 at 12:40 am
OMG! I giveaway not restricted to the U.S! I’d loooove a laptop lunchbox.
And as for what I’d put in it - soo many options, I like to make a lunch that will last my hubby from early morning to early evening.
Hard boiled eggs, baby carrots & hummus, left over stirfry, grape tomatoes, and onigiri I think! Yum!
December 11th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Hmm, how about some fried rice, an egg and ham sandwich, grapes and maybe some Brie and cold meats.
How can you not do?
Thanks, love the blog!
December 11th, 2008 at 2:24 am
I would pack a meal of white rice, carne mechada, fried plantains and black beans. The compartments would keep everything nicely separate until lunch. Lovely!
December 11th, 2008 at 3:29 am
lots of hummusy lunches here, afraid I’m another one.
The top large compartment I’d do with a crudite “salad” (sticks of cucumber and carrot on lettuce and surrounding a lettuce leaf full of hummus, although I might use a flavoured hummus like jalapeno to balance better with the other sections)
bottom large compartment a serving of peanut-noodle salad (which is a little more noodley than it is salady hence the amount of veg in the rest)
top small compartment little aubergine and goats cheese wraps with mint (you could probably squeeze in one tortilla worth unless I mismeasure, these are very soft and squishable)
bottom small compartment fresh fruit like strawberries or halved apricots, I’d be tempted to make a butterscotch dip to go in the small pot but I’m not sure it would fit (nice though to add a touch of luxury, although some of these things are quite rich there’s a certain worthiness about the meal otherwise)
in the drink bottle: fresh lemonade or cranberry juice.
Incidentally is anyone else tempted to make a food art comic strip? I think it’s something about the primary colours and neat dividing “frames”
December 11th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Falafels with a salad
Stuffed vine leaves
Mandarin slices
Feta cheese cubes
Hummus
December 11th, 2008 at 3:50 am
I would grab Girl of the Limberlost and have exactly the same as she did on her first day at school in the lovely leather lunch box that was presented by the Moth Lady. It had lots of lovely compartments and a little glass for jelly.
December 11th, 2008 at 4:28 am
I would have a couple of wholewheat tortillas in one container, with some fajita mix in one of the other containers. Then I would have some grapes and delicious piece of Brownie that I made at the weekend.
December 11th, 2008 at 4:59 am
I’m vegetarian, so I’ll have ( :-P) to fill it with dried tomatoes and soft cheese maki rolls, mozzarella and soy sauce nigiri, and a lot of vegatables. It’s an hard life
December 11th, 2008 at 5:02 am
hmmmm, i love fingersandwiches, so that is item numebr 1. offcourse some fruits, home-made cake, quiche and lasts but not least edamame yummy
December 11th, 2008 at 5:06 am
I’d like to pack a mexican feast. All the fixing for fajitas, one in each container.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:08 am
I’d pack it like a salad bar, a different veggies in each compartment with some dressing or dip.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I’d pack some old favorites: stir fried seitan and brocolli in ginger tamari sauce, fried brown rice, applesauce, baby bels, and almonds. Yum!
December 11th, 2008 at 5:35 am
My ideal meal would be a melody of foods of different Asian-American origins.
Spam Musubi and Tamagoyaki Musubi paired with sweet Plum sauce as a pre-meal appetizer.
For Carbohydrates and protien I’d make savory garlic fried rice to offset stuffed Bangus (Milkfish) using my Auntie’s favorite recipe.
For Veggies I would use pickled daikon and a side of spicy mixed greens such as arugula or shredded nasturtiums mixed in with a blanched base of Kamote (sweet potato) leaves just seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
As a tasty treat to counter the saltiness would be a couple of pieces of homemade spiced chocolate truffles with sprinkles of orange zest, rock salt and cayenne pepper.
A few small slices of orange to help cleanse the palate between times.
To was down everything, I would fill the a bottle with gently toasted brown rice tea (Genmaicha) as another good finisher to this great fantasy meal.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:41 am
i’d love to pack a healthy japanese bento like sushi rolls, cold noodles with sauce on the side, maybe thermal insulated soup.. or a fun greek one like stuffed grape leaves, moussaka and seasoned green beans.
personally id like to learn to make warm bentos that dont have added side effects of mushyness, watery, lukewarm, etc from being shut up for hours. nobody wants cold soggy leftovers :>
thanks for the opportunity to win things on your site! Great job, keep up the excellent posts, I’m learning alot!
December 11th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Sandwiches (sliced beef), mixed raw veggies, crackers, dip (sour cream & chives).
Pizza & pasta meals sound good, too.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:08 am
I love lasagna–and it fits in square packages, as will garlic bread and a small salad.
I think that would be great in a laptop lunch set!
December 11th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Bowtie pasta with cheese, broccoli, and ham, small salad with greek dressing and feta cheese (olives too maybe!), a buttered roll, and blackberry cobbler for dessert.
This is actually pretty close to what my 1st grader gets sometimes…
December 11th, 2008 at 7:15 am
What a nifty idea! I’d like a variety of berries and fruits - mango, raspberries, blackberries, perhaps - with vanilla yogurt, cinnamon granola, and part of a sticky bun. (I work mornings, so I need to take breakfasts.)
December 11th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I would pack some leftover zucchini fritters from the fridge, boiled egg, carrots, cherry tomatoes, ranch for dipping and a hearty veggie soup.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:44 am
chicken bites, mexican rice, diced tomatoes, carrots and grapes
December 11th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Hmmm. I think a greek feast. Spanakopita and pita in the main container. Humus in a container with a lid. Cucumber, tomato and feta salad in a side container. greek yogurt with honey for dessert!
December 11th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I would pack some smoked turkey, grape and rice salad in the large container. Then I would add grilled balsamic glazed vegetables and a small portion of bread pudding.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Cold roasted chicken, Honey mustard dipping sauce, Salad with Hard boiled egg, cukes, peas, and a dab of ranch, Pita wedges with hummus for snack,orange wedges and grapes
December 11th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I’d pack a turkey and havarti wrap, fresh dates, celery and carrot sticks with snap peas and ranch dressing, and a couple mini choc chip cookies!
Thanks for the chance!
December 11th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I am new to the Bento box idea as of today and so I’m not sure what I’d pack - probably a sandwich cut into some shape, cut up grapes and goldfish for my daughter?
December 11th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Ooh, a Laptop Lunchbox! With all those divisions, I’d love to make myself a sort of Japanese variety platter. I realize this is maybe what a bento SHOULD be anyway, but I A) don’t know how to cook many Japanese dishes yet and B) haven’t gotten good at planning my bentos around a little of this, a little of that.
I’m thinking a stuffed rice ball, some cucumber and avocado rolls, scallops and/or chicken (I have a fridge to store my lunch in, so I’m not worried about shellfish) in a couple of sauces, some grilled veggies and something Japanese that I’ve never tried before, although I don’t know what, since there’s a lot of it out there. Some teryaki, a tiny bit of wasabi and/or some pickled ginger. Yum.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:44 am
A cuban sandwich from Sophie’s, that I would smash into the lunchbox in some disorganized fashion.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Oooh… I’d pack some plain white rice, a few slices of Tofurky, fruit salad, and some carrot sticks. (With a small bottle of soy sauce!)
December 11th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Oh, wow!
Well I’d definitly put some yoghurt with crunchy cereals and some honey in the big sealable container, as all the bentos I own up to now leak. In the other big container I’d put some soba noodles twirled to small bundles which could be dipped into the sauce I’d have in the small container with lid.
The rest of my lunch would be some salad or meat.
Yum, yum I feel rather hungry now…
December 11th, 2008 at 9:22 am
First I’d have some yummy shrimp and vegi tempura, a few small rice balls, and then some strawberries with chocolate on the side. Yum.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Oh wow! I think since it’s such a nice gift I’d have to do a Christmas bento! One of the larger containers would hold a Christmas Tree onigiri, and the smaller containers would be the presents ^_^
December 11th, 2008 at 9:46 am
hmm.. rice and salmon shioyaki and kinpira and pickles and shiumai :D. and maybe a brownie
December 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Okonomiyaki slices
Seaweed salad
Bulldog sauce in the sauce container
Babybell Cheese and Cherry tomatoes
Yum yum yum!
December 11th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I’m on a pasta kick lately. Pasta with sauce in the big container. Cooked carrots, babybell cheese, breadstick cut in half to fit.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:02 am
My ideal meal would be: a couple of homemade beef tamales, some rice and beans, chili sauce for the tamales, and a small sweet tamale made with raisins and cinnamon. Can’t get enough tamales this time of year.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:13 am
hm, the main dish would be chicken with teriyaki-sauce and rice, the side dishes would be miso-eggplant and steamed pumpkin and as a seasonal dessert some homemade cookies and apple-bunnies to fill free space ^___^
December 11th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I would do Indian dishes. Rice/or bread, curry, lentils. Maybe a mini samosa for good measure.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I love to eat a variety of foods (of course!), so I’d pack…my yummy chicken salad with grapes mixed in, some slices of apple and cheese, ciabatta, spinach, vinaigrette, orange slices and some homemade thumbprint cookies!!
December 11th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I work out of my home–so I can just eat at home, but I pack a lunch for my son everyday. Unlike some of the great ideas here, my son likes the same thing for lunch everyday. His ideal meal is half a turkey and cheese sandwich, applesause, and baby carrots. (At least I can get in whole wheat bread and organic produce). Fridays he wants something sweet thrown it–like a couple chocolate chip cookies.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Oooh, I’ve been wanting one of these for my son. I’d pack his ideal lunch, which would be pasta with butter in one container, with some grated parmesan cheese in the smaller container for him to pour over his pasta. A couple of mini pigs in a blanket would go in the other large container. I would also pack some clementines and blueberries in the smaller container.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:48 am
My ideal lunch would be cucumber rolls with wisabi in a container for dipping,cooked shrimp in a small container for protien, sliced pears (red and green), baked acorn squash and a side of black beans flavored with green onions. Ahhh and for dessert a vanilla cupcake with pink frosting!
December 11th, 2008 at 11:04 am
This was a lunch I packed this week in my laptop lunch (that I need to replace!): crepes wrapped around smoked salmon, nayonaisse, capers and lettuce; green salad with sliced radish; apple slices with lemon squeezed over; orange sections; dijon mustard dressing. The rolled crepe sandwiches were cut to fit the large front compartment.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Ooooh!!! Thanks for this chance to win such a neat bento box!!
December 11th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I love these sets! I would Have to pack A Sea side Italian lunch for my husband.
In the big one A Cream,Spinach and Ham Risotto.
Crispy baked Shrimp With A little Side of Lemon pepper olive oil, Black olives And a Miniture loaf of rustic bread.
For Dessert? Carrot Creme Brulee.
And Sparkling cider to drink
December 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
* Large Compartments: 1/2 Ham/Egg Sandwich and Green Salad
* Small Compartments: Dressing for salad, Grapes/Orange Segments
YUM!
December 11th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I really like the laptops because they are not as girly as most, what to eat, Hum…. a big helping of my wifes Ham loaf, some Mashed potatos (w/gravy), Buttered corn, and fizzy peach cobbler.
For a drink….Mint Iced tea
December 11th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Hmm. There are so many food choices. I would have to say lasagna in the big container, sliced pineapple along with baby carrots in a brown sugar glaze and for dessert lime jello made with strawberry flavored sparkling water. for drinks I’d say soda.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I would pack my kiddos favorite manicotti with a nice fresh salad and grapes and apples on the side. Ooooh, and garlic bread can’t forget the garlic bread.
Love your site!
December 11th, 2008 at 11:27 am
My ideal lunch in one would be wild rice with a nice piece of salmon on top, a small serving of yogurt with sliced strawberries shaped like a flower on top, some carrot stick/ cherry tomato palm trees with ranch for dipping, and some home made yeast rolls. To top it all off a nice bottle of tea.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:32 am
This sounds perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers… You know, with a fridge full of random leftovers.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Ideal lunch: grilled miso-yaki onigiri with chicken kara-age with a side of crunchy, pickled cucumbers. For dessert in a small container, a sweet tea-flavored mochi (filled with PB).
December 11th, 2008 at 11:33 am
If I had a Laptop Lunch…
I would pack leftover main dish (meat, meat in sauce, something like that) in a small section, with the leftover starch in a big section. Leftover veggies (in December, that would be kale, or cabbage, etc.) in a big section, rounding out with a snack of yogurt or cottage cheese in the final small section.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:42 am
My ideal lunch would be rice, with a little chicken, and some sort of sweet!
December 11th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I would pack a potato samosa, mint chutney, curried spinach & rice, apple sauce, frozen berries (so they defrost by lunchtime), and a piece of marzipan dark chocolate
December 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I’d make a lunch for my husband: a cookie or mini muffin in the small container, vegs in the other wee one. The container with a lid could have rice and a stir fry, or leftover pasta with homemade ragu sauce, or an egg, basil, eggplant sandwich. The other big container would have a fruit salad, because that’s his favorite
December 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Salad of spinach, blueberries, carrot, and tofu in one of the large containers, one or two inarizushi and a tiny kimchi maki in the other larger container, some sauteed garlic eggplant in one of the little containers, and a tiny jam sandwich made with cocktail bread for dessert in one of the little containers. Realistically, this would be way too much food for me so I guess it would be made for my significant other.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I would try to fit a slice of leftover vegetable pizza (homemade!) in one of the large containers, a big green salad with boiled egg in the other big container, in the two smaller containers I would put some raw vegetables and hummus. To top everything off, I would put a chocolate truffle in that itty-bitty container. I would eat dessert first to celebrate my new lunch box too!
December 11th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I really like the red and black because it looks like bento meal from a restaurant.
I’d go classic with a peanut butter and honey sandwich, some raw veggies, maybe some berries, and a muffin.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I would love to pack sushi, vegs, fruits, cheese for lunch with the laptop lunch box.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I pack my boyfriend lunch everyday, so his ideal lunch would probably go something like this: slice of Lasagna, green beans, pudding, garlic bread, sweet tea and some sort of baked good or cheese and crackers for a snack. If it were mine though, I would pack lots of salad, taco meat with cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, tortillas, plain yogurt with pineapple and some carrot sticks or a baked good for snacking. I would probably just put water in the bottle.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
My ideal meal would be Pasta with meat sauce, italian bread, salad, fruit for a snack and don’t forget the parm cheese.
…the most awesome meal.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I want to try and make a ninja bento with a ninja made out of rice and ham hiding in a broccoli forest, and some fruit and salad dressing on the side.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I would pack the typical Indonesian dish - Steamed rice, fried noodles with scallion, sliced fried egg, and spicy beef rendang.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Oooo…cold soba noodles with dipping sauce, cucumber rolls, and salad with ginger dressing.
December 11th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I would pack spaghetti, a small salad, and garlic bread. I probably would include a piece of candy for dessert!
December 11th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Ohh, I’d go totally swedish with this one: Knuckle of pork and turnip mash in the large containers, green peas in one of the small, and for dessert a square of apple cake in the other. Now wether to use the small lidded container for the coarse mustard to go with the pork, or vanilla custard for the apple cake? Hmmmm.
Oh, I’d have to pack a big stick to fend off my work mates who have to make do with the usual frozen ready meals….
December 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
hrm.. I’m used to small bento boxes so this would be used for a large salad, complete with flat bread and Newman’s Own Honey Mustard dressing! I would also keep the protein separate if it was like a chicken cutlet so it would stay crispy. yum!
December 11th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I have just started looking at all the different ways to make bento. My kids would love everything pact in little containers or in one box. I alreaddy cut thins like chees and sandwiches into fun shapes. I would pack a laptop lunch box with shaped sandwiches, fruit salad, carrot coins and a love note.
December 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Mushroom and swiss frittata, Waldorf salad made with Honeycrisp apples & plenty of walnuts, steamed asparagus with lemon juice, and a mikan.
December 11th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I would love to use the compartmentalization of the laptop lunch system to pack a variety of textures and foods. I like to pack fresh fruit, green salads, and would like to pack a main protein that I can microwave to eat warm (chili, pasta, sandwiches, etc). I use the planner to pack my lunches now, even though it isn’t the same shape. The smaller areas are a great way to use leftovers and keep things interesting!
Thank you!
December 11th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
ooh! what a nice giveaway. I would put fruit…a salad…some hummus and pita bread!
December 11th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I would love to pack a lunch box comprising sushi and sashimi. If space permits, I would gladly throw in a chawan mushi too! Oh, and of course, the obligatory green tea!
December 11th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Enchiladas
spanish rice
tortilla chips
refried beans w/ shredded cheese
mini churros
December 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Wow! This is exciting, I’ve been drooling over one of these for quite a while! I pack lunch for my 6 yo dd every day. I’d probably pack up some spinach egg rolls cut on the diagonal, some sweet and sour dipping sauce, apple bunnies, some little triangles of laughing cow cheese in the pink wrapper and a juice box! My way of sending love is to make sure something with hearts is always in the box - so maybe some carrot slices cut into hearts sprinkled thru out the box! Thanks for this contest.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Let me see…..I would choose japanese steamed rice for one of the main compartiments and tonkatsu for the other one.And a simple letuce and tomate salad for one of the smaller compartiments and a fruit for the last one maybe some grapes or a small apple
December 11th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Being in Texas, I would pack a BBQ bento! Sliced beef brisket in the big open container, good ole BBQ beans in the covered container, thick potato salad in one side dish, pickles/onions/jalapeno slices in the other, and of course, homemade BBQ sauce in the teeny sauce cup! Bottle filled with lemony iced tea sans sugar, and a BIG cloth napkin tucked into the pouch.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Onigiri, chicken karaage, broccolli, and tamagoyaki:)
December 11th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I would pack Chips in one container and Dip in the covered sauce container. 1/2 Bagel in the open container and ham and cheese in the covered container.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I would put Pad Thai in the large compartment, spring rolls, coconut rice pudding, and chopped nuts to sprinkle on Pad Thai. Yum!
December 11th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I would usually pack:
Steamed rice
Grilled Chicken or Beef w/some sauce (depending on mood)
Fruit
and Snacks for afternoon break.
December 11th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I would love to put homemade sushi, fried rice, hardboiled egg. And some pocky for dessert!
December 11th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I would pack a typical asian meal, with plain rice in the large compartment, stir-fry vege with mushrooms and steam egg with minced meat in the small containers. Will also pack in some fruits like grapes and apples to complete the meal.
December 11th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Regardless of what I’d like to pack, my son’s favorite lunchbox meal would be corn puppies, grapes, pretzels, and a dinosaur cookie, plus a dinosaur sticker. He likes what he likes.
December 11th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Sushi with maybe some apple slices and cookies.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I would pack lunch for my daughter. It could include fried rice, sliced pears, strawberry yogurt and perhaps steamed veggies. In the drink container I would put apple juice.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Cream of Chicken sauce (chicken, mushrooms, corn, carrots) with rice, side of fruits, as well as some candy as a snack ~
December 11th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Pasta with some garlic bread and a side salad. Yum!
December 11th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
So many delicious choices!
I’d make rice with curry (hot please!) veggies in the main tray. In the second main tray would be a small salad with miso dressing, almonds, and oranges. In the two smaller containers: carrots with garlic hummus (my favorite), and sliced fruit (bananas and strawberries). Wash it down with an iced cold water with a slice of lemon.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I would go all american! I would take a bologne and mustard sandwich on Wonder Bread, chocolate pudding, potato chips, pickles and applesauce. I use my bento boxes for japanese fair and would love to have the lidded compartments for the gooey stuff and the boxy-ness to protect my crushables.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Leftover! Glorious leftovers of any variety and taste! Compartments make everything better
December 11th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
In summer, my packed lunch usually includes a spicy white bean dip, some halved grape tomatoes, plenty of sliced cucumber, some carrot coins or sticks, a few olives, triangles of pita, and sometimes a few chunks of feta. I like to pack a little container of balsamic dressing, too, if I think of it. At lunchtime, I make a little well in the bean dip, pour in the dressing, and mmmmmm.
Oooh, or a little tasting plate! I’d pack a slice of St. Andre, a few coins of goat cheese, some olives or some tapenade, a plop of homemade onion jam, a handful of spiced almonds or pecans, some dried cherries, an apple or pear to slice, a stack of plain crackers and some slices of whole-wheat baguette or focaccia. I’d bring a split of prosecco in my pocket, and indulge in a perfect picnic!
In the winter, an ideal lunch would be a container of brown basmati rice and another of my bastardized concoction of massaman curry, simmered with coconut milk, sweet potatoes, onions, scallions, edamame, and potatoes. Heat it separately, then top the rice with the curry and sprinkle with crunchy peanuts. I’d eat it with a piece of naan, and follow it with a small pile of greens tossed with lemon vinaigrette.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
fried rice w/ bits of chorizo de bilbao
fried lumpia w/ sweet & sour sauce
chocolate chip cookies
fruits slices like banana, apple and orange
December 11th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I would put in it a quinoa salad, with some mango, carrots ,and a larabar. MMM.. so good
December 11th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
With the hot weather lately (in Australia) I would have to pack something summery. A nice salad with lots of greens and cucumber. Strawberries. Little bits of apple. Vegetable sticks…yum.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Ohhh lets see, there are so many things to pack,
maybe spam musubi, veggie cow mein, fruit salad, and steamed veggies.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
So many choices! I think I’d have to go with:
Garlic Cheddar cheese
Champagne Grapes
Grape Tomatoes
Lasagne
Naan bread
December 11th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
as part of new year’s resolution to eat healthier.. brown rice on one large compartment, stir fried veggies on another large compartment. a little meat will now go to the small container, and the last small container will have a bit of yoghurt for dessert.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I love this
In the larger container I would want argula salad with red onions, cucumbers, and red cherry tomatoes…
The other large containers will have chicken cooked with sesame/soysauce based sauce.. yummy
In one smaller container I would put some brown rice
Another smaller container would have small bell peppers from costco with some kimchi at the bottom.
The smallest container with the lid will have the salad dressing with is sesame/miso dressing.
Just thinking about is delicious in the red/black one…
in the bottle I would put a green tea bag with water from brita..
December 11th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
because it’s ideal: Linner! or Lupper a lunch/dinner laptop lunch
Large container 1:
Chicken Parmesan
Large container 2:
spinach salad with walnuts and mushrooms and a tangy dressing
smaller container 1:
toss up between green beans with almonds and glazed carrots
smaller container 2:
new york style cherry cheesecake
December 12th, 2008 at 4:54 am
turkey, cheese and lettuce pinwheels
cubed watermelon and cantaloupe
table grapes
peanut butter and pretzels
December 12th, 2008 at 5:09 am
It would be turkey salad with carrot crudites for dipping, mandarin oranges and pomegranates, boiled egg and a slice of cheddar, black olives, cucumber slices and a brownie bite
December 12th, 2008 at 6:54 am
For me with the holidays here it would have to be left overs!
Turkey roll-up with cranberries
Mixed salad & dressing
Green been casserole
pineapple crunch (3 pieces) YUM!!!!
Thanks for the opportunity to win a laptop lunch set!
December 12th, 2008 at 7:08 am
My favorite Laptop Lunch is a burrito cut in half, with salsa in the little litted container. In the big lidded container, I would have a rice and beans mix. One of the two smaller open containers would contain a small dry salad and the other one would have a clementine for dessert. For my drink, I’d make limeade.
Yummmmm!!!!!!
December 12th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Unfortunately, the 20% off discount is not all that it is cracked up to be. I was going to order three individual kits. But the discount applies on the inflated “regular price”, not the normal price that one would normally pay through their site for purchasing three of them. The discount would save me 1% more.
That soured me on the idea and I will look elsewhere for my products.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:09 am
What to pack??? I’d love to open mine and find some turkey and cheese roll-ups, a pasta salad, some fresh berries, and some carrots with hummus. But really, I’d just love another one so I could pack picnic lunches for myself and my kids - three bentos to go!
December 12th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Homemade Taquitos with dipping sauce, mexican rice and jicama slaw salad.
Good luck everyone!
December 12th, 2008 at 10:14 am
My son’s favorite lunch:
Peanut butter and jelly in one big container. Whatever fruit I have on hand in the other big container. Small container of sliced celery, grape tomatoes, and cucumber. The last small container is a mix of dried fruit, pretzels, goldfish, and other random snacks I have.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Salad, grilled chicken, pasta w/bacon, butternut squash & parm-reggiano, and a brownie. Yummmm…
December 12th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Right now, I’m in the mood for mezza-style bento packing! So I’d pack some tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, and falafel in one big compartment, little pita slices inside another with the lid on to keep them dry, and smaller containers of hummus and baba ghanoush. The little dip cup could carry my tsatziki!
I really love the way that tapas, mezzas, and other small-portion cuisines lend themselves to bentos.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Well, this would be fun to win!
I would put in onigiri, a little salted seaweed, gyoza, and, if i could fit any more in, a tuna sandwich.
A girl can dream, can she not?
December 12th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I would make my own lunchables… bits of crackers, ham, cheese, tomatoes who knows what else…
December 12th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Decisions, decisions. So many cool lunches I could do …
Lg #1 fresh fruit salad
Sm #1 plain yogurt & honey to dip the fruit in
Lg #2 some cheese cubes, maybe some crackers, edaamame
Sm #2 2 coconut, almond macaroons
December 12th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Here is my daughter’s lunch of choice:
Lg#1 - pasta with parmesan cheese
Lg#2 - carrots, pepper and celery sticks
Sm #1 - grilled chicken, cubed
Sm #2 - clementine segments
Itty Bitty - Square of chocolate
December 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
So many choices to pack …
– baby red potatoes with garlic mayo for dipping
– grape tomatoes and bocconcini with basil and maybe some sea salt
– edomame
– inari
– cold kiddie cereal … stuff isn’t a fit breakfast but makes a tasty treat
December 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Oooh… I would pack a cold sesame noodle dish in the main compartment, with veggie spring rolls in one small dish, apple slices in the other, and then a dish of dipping sauce. Yum!
December 12th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Mmmmmm. In the top Left large compartment I’d put some plain greek style yogurt with a drizzle of honey. In a smaller container right beside it I’d put some fresh berries and a tiny container of granola, both of which to put in the yogurt. In the bottom left side, large container I’d put veggie sticks with a tiny container of hummus. Beside that in a small container I’d put a couple meat and potato croquettes. Oh now I’m hungry!!
December 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I’d put in some fried rice with eggs and vegetables and some meatballs in the main compartements… for the smaller ones, i’d pack in some oranges and in the other one brown and white chocolate, like a chessboard :3
December 12th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
In the large compartment I’d put some fried rice(I like to make fried rice using leftovers like Chicken Adobo) and maybe some extra sauce in one of the smaller lidded compartments. In the other large I’d put some baby carrots or grape tomatoes and in the last small compartment something to dip the veggies into.
December 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I’d put in some onigiri, tuna and carrot salad, some fresh fruit : pineapple, mango and orange wedge and maybe a little truffle or a mini cupcake for dessert.
^-^
December 12th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I would put some pasta with a thick, vegetarian marinara sauce in the big compartment. The slightly smaller one would have veggies like carrots, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber for dipping. One of the small ones would have ranch for dipping. The last compartment would have a big piece of fruit or a sweet in it.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I would LOVE to win this for my boys! I would have some meat roll ups and eggs and then with the smaller containers, I’d be able to do noodles and fruit dips with fresh fruit! Oh the possibilities!!!
December 12th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Oh, yum. I would fill my laptop lunch with the Chicken Korma I make on Sunday nights (portioned out for the week), a simple cucumber salad, and some Activia Yoghurt (I LOVE the rhubarb and fig flavors I can buy here). If I have more room, it’s always nice to throw in some cheese cubes. Mmmm.. gouda
I would fill that drink bottle with 100% Southern sweet tea– to remind me of home!
December 12th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Well, if the lunch was for me, I’d have proscuitto and mellon, a assortment of cheeses and sausages, olives, artichoke hearts and french bread!!
December 12th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I would have Pita, hummus, fattouche (totally spelled that wrong!) salad and some hot pickled peppers and olives.
Great, now I’m super hungry!
December 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
My ideal Christmas bento box would be chestnuts stir fried with butternut squash and sliced stir fried brussel sprouts cooked with garlic and sundried tomatoes and sweet potato pancakes.
The smaller containers would be filled with a Christmas salad of beetroot, red onion, red pepper and red salad leaves drizzled with an orange, raspberry and cranberry vinigrette and a fresh fruit salad of orange,cranberry and pomegranate seeds.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I would love one of these! I would put the salmon sandwich we made for dinner tonight!! Yummy!!
December 12th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Wow … 441 comments! I would pack some hummus and carrots, some grape tomatoes, salad, a small sandwich of some kind (maybe tuna). The possibilities are endless …
December 12th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Chicken salad sandwich, cut strawberries, blueberries, and a brownie for dessert.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Hi! I made a perfect lunch for it earlier in the week:
1. Mini meatloaf
2. Garlic Mashed potatoes
3. Sugar Snap Peas
4. Grapes
Would love a laptop lunch. pick me! pick me!
December 13th, 2008 at 12:06 am
For my preschooler, I would pack macaroni & cheese, carrot & celery sticks, blueberries & a mini cupcake for dessert.
December 13th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I love the concept of bento!
For me, it would be more traditional and definitely vegetarian:
Rice Balls (kombu/onigiri)
Miso soup (YUM)
Steamed vegetables
a Umeboshi Plum
and tangerine pieces.
OOOH.. I am starting to drool already!
December 13th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Hi,
I’m not sure if this competition is open to those overseas? I’m in New Zealand, and the cost of buying a Laptop Lunchbox is prohibitive at the current exchange rate (where you need two NZ dollars to get one US dollar)
Just in case it is:
I would do a summer meal from my garden, probably italian inspired as that’s what produce is available at the moment.
In the largest container: Caprese salad (tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, with olive oil and garlic in the dressing container to drizzle over at lunch time)and baby salad greens
In the next largest container: Courgette (zucchini) pasta - penne pasta tossed with stir-fried grated zucchini, garlic, fresh oregano, chopped capers, olive oil and a little parmesan cheese.
In one small container: Summer fruit salad of strawberries, blueberries, sliced peaches and small chunks of fresh pineapple.
In the other small container: drained tuna chunks and chopped celery.
December 13th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I’d pack a festive meal to take to work on Dec. 26th to feel a little less sad about needing to work that day. The meal would probably have leftovers from Christmas day, including meat and stuffing. I’ll take an entire box of brussel sprouts, because they are so good and unappreciated by the rest of the family. I’ll end the meal with some of our family’s traditional chocolate Christmas cake.
December 13th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Large container w/o lid: Tuna Sandwich on Wheat w/ Pickle
Large container w/ lid: Baby Spinach w/ Shredded Cheese & Cherry Tomatoes
Mini Sauce Container w/ lid: Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Small container #1: Grapes
Small Container #2: A Wedge of Carrot Cake
Drink Bottle: Water w/ lemon juice
Yummo!
December 13th, 2008 at 8:57 am
lg. container with lid–kimchee
lg. container without lid–smoked salmon and avocado sushi rolls
sm. container–sliced kiwi
sm. container–Lotte Kancho cookies
drink bottle–iced green tea
December 13th, 2008 at 10:44 am
lg. container with lid–kimchi
lg. container without lid–rice
sm. container–sauteed sweet black beans
sm. container–pieces of fruit
December 13th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I think the laptop lunchbox system seems to lend itself well to a traditional American lunch. I would put a ham and cheese sandwich in the main compartment, carrot sticks in one small one (with ranch sauce for dipping and fresh cherries in the other.
December 13th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I would like to pack rice and kimchi and some sides, but I would be too self conscious about stinking up the lunch room with my “exotic” food.
December 13th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
[...] Lunch in a Box is giving away: [...]
December 13th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I’d like to pack more than pb&j
December 13th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hmm, probably a really yummy leftover Thanksgiving meal!
December 13th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
My favorite lunch would be steamed veggies and rye crackers with cheese in the main compartments with raspberries and chocolate or carame pudding in the side containers and Cashew Tamari vinagreitte for the veggies in the smallest container. Yummm!
December 13th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
My ideal bento lunch consists of pork katsu over rice, steamed broccoli, a Hello Kitty molded boiled egg, several wedges of Bavaria Blu cheese and apples. Yum!
December 13th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Vegetable Couscous in one compartment and sausage and Kale in the other. A few slices of fresh pineapple in another and a piece of homemade chocolate cake in the last.
December 13th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
For my Kindergartener:
Deli meat & cheese
Pretzels
Fresh berries
Celery stuffed with cream cheese
Olives (in the little container)
December 13th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I would do some boiled and salted soybeans for snacking, cold soba for starters, assortment of maki handrolls,and some grapes skewered with raisins
And oh, with the spare space, a box of juice.
December 13th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
i will put a thai feast in my laptop lunchbox. the main compartment will have green curry over brown rice. the other large compartment will have beef salad. one small compartment will have mangosteen, and the other small compartment will have stir fried morning glory leaves. yum, yum!
December 13th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
My ideal lunch would have to include fresh raspberries!! Yum. Then some hummus and pita chips, a hard-boiled egg, some broccoli and then some water!
December 13th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Here is what my 5 year old would want in his bento box:
carrots, celery with sunflower butter, satsumas, pickles & olives. He would love one to bring to Kindergarten (and I would too!)
December 13th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I would make seaweed wrapped rice balls with Chinese sausage, roast pork with scallions, a nice tomato soup, and different kinds of fruits and raw veggies depending on what’s in season. Too many choices to be made here!
December 13th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
A large container of cut up watermelon, the other large container would have a couple of pieces of homemade bread and the two small containers would have bite sized chicken pieces in one, a honey/cream cheese spread for the bread and in the other.
December 13th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
My youngest daughter takes her lunch every day to school. She would LOVE to have her lunch in this.
I would pack ranch dressing in the dip container, baby carrots and pea pods in the next two smallest. I’d pack mandarin oranges in the next one, and my fabulous homemade chicken salad with pecans and craisins in the large one with a lid, and crackers in the large one without the lid.
In the water bottle? Hmmm. Probably either apple juice or mint tea with agave sweetner.
Lalycairn (at) gmail.com
December 13th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
My perfect meal totally depends on the mood I’m in. One of my favorites is a wrap with chicken and salad-y stuff inside, put in one of the large containers, grapes in the other large container, dressing for the wrap in the mini container, which gets transported in one of the smaller containers, and a piece of cake in the other small container. I have a picture of this on the Laptop Lunch Flickr group, in case anyone wants to see what it looks like. I posted it on 9/17/08.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
My perfect meal would be salad greens in one of the larger compartments and then all sorts of salad “fixins” in the others, like beets, fresh corn, diced fresh tomatoes, green beans, carrot slivers and homemade dressing in the little container.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I’d probably pack some cold noodles with dipping sauce, some gyoza, some edamame, and a couple of delicious gummy candies.
BTW Biggie, that’s a cool bento icon that displays by the address bar. Kawaii!
December 13th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Shitake mushroom risotto. broiled salmon. fresh green beans. red bean mochi and fruit for dessert.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:13 am
I make lunch for myself (I live alone) and usually from leftovers. The eel I buy frozen from the asian grocer - it has a delicious grilled flavour and the sauce/marinade is sticky and tasty.
Large container 1: steamed rice topped with small piece of BBQ teriyaki eel.
Large container 2: asparagus spears; spinach and mushrooms, sauteed in soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Small container 1: assorted tsukemono (japanese pickles) including ginger; daikon and cucumber.
Small container 2: fresh raspberries and black grapes; small piece dark chocolate.
Sauce container: honey yoghurt for fruit.
I love you blog Biggy and your reader’s comments for inspiration. Cheers from Australia!
December 14th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Since it is the X’mas season, i’ll put in a turkey ham sandwich with cheese cubes for nibbling, a salad on the side and some fruit yoghurt and a slice of log cake for dessert!
December 14th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Oh, fun contest! I would use the laptop lunchbox for my looon days at the university; I’m usually there from 7am to 6h30 pm.
Large #1: Lentil and tomato curried stew with rice.
Large #2: Half a PB&J and some green grapes (breakfast)
Small #1`: Baby carrots and cherry tomatoes
Small #2 : Venilla yogurt with mango and strawberry chunks in it.
Baby container: Dried cherries and cranberries to put on the yogurt.
And then I’d put water in the bottle, and maybe pack some chocolate soymilk too, as a treat.
Gah, now I’m hungry!
December 14th, 2008 at 7:31 am
ideally: edamame, sushi, spring rolls… but in reality it would be kiddie food.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I’d pack Onigiri mixed with umeboshi furikake, Salad with lots of fixin’s (avacado, chicken, cranberries, almonds, cheese..), carrot sticks and hello panda cookies. ^_^
December 14th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Oh, I would pack two or tree grilled riceballs, a nice cucumber salad, fruit (blueberries, strawberries, banana slices) and of course, crisps.
That’s perfect.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:29 am
My ideal meal would be containing:
Steamed rice with a slice of tamagoyaki
Fried chicken in sweet butter sauce
Vegetable sticks (baby carrot, cucumber, etc)
Almond pudding with fruit coctail
And for the drink, I’d fill the water bottle with green tea ^_^
December 14th, 2008 at 10:10 am
I’d pack a big slice of ovenbaked pancake, the pancake batter puored over lots of slices of tart apples and baked till firm. I’d put some slices of bacon, crisp, inone box and some lingonberries(almost like cranberries) in the other. Since this is rather soft food I’d add some hard, dry bread, knäckebröd.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I’d have yogurt with granola and fresh fruit like strawberries and sliced bananas to stir in.
In the larger container it would be a veggie tortilla wrap, or soba noodle salad w/veggies.
I’d also throw in some cherry tomatoes and crackers to snack on.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Mmmm! I would pack (for my husbands lunch of course):
vegetable fried rice
meatballs
cucumber slices
cherry tomatoes
mini banana muffin
December 14th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I’d pack mini pitas w/ chicken salad, grape tomatoes, pomegranate, baby carrots w/ dill dip, small homeade pudding for my daughter.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
It’s so cute! And since it seems to have so much space and be so portable, I’d have to use it to pack myself a nice picnic lunch and go eat it somewhere warm. Or, since it’s winter, pretend its a picnic and eat it in my heated living room X3
So, I think in one of the big containers, I would make egg salad sandwiches on wheat bread, but I would cut one sandwich into 8 triangles so its like a bunch of itty bitty tea sandwiches.
One of the side containers would have my mom’s recipe for pasta salad: tricolor pasta, black olives, mozzarella cheese, Italian dressing, cucumbers, and green peppers.
The other side container would have a brownie. I’d probably cut it into a heart shape or something.
The other big container would have fruit in it. Checkered apple slices, mandarin oranges, bits of banana, I’d make a fruit salad!
Then I’d have to put lemonade in the water bottle to round off the picnic theme.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Hummus with baby tomatoes, whole wheat pita bread, yogurt and grapes. Yum
December 14th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I would pack jasmine rice with a mix of vegetables and seitan in a General Tao’s stir fry sauce (my favorite meal). There would also be some pineapple and cucumbers and red peppers onr the side. For dessert I would like a chocolate mousse (handmade, please)
December 14th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I would pack my “swedish shrimp sandwiches a la IKEA” These are little squares of rye bread with mayo, a slice of english cucumber, a bit of boiled egg, and a boiled shrimp. They make mini open faced sandwiches that look like you get to eat a whole tray of hors d’oeuvres at lunch! Tres chic!
December 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
What a great container! In the larger one, I’d put hummus and in the smaller containers I’d add baby carrots, small broccoli flowerettes and some small triangles of pita bread. I’d also add some sunflower seeds for snacking or adding into the hummus.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I’d like to pack Italian grilled chicken, pasta salad, and steamed broccoli in the laptop.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
for the boys I would pack a PB and banana sandwich on wheat, frozen pineapple chunks, homemade granola bar, and some yogert.
For me chicken salad, fresh strawberries, yogert, and a granola bar.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I am a bento beginner but I would want:
Sushi rice with hijiki and shiitaki
Soy cured salmon
The bizarrely good blackberries I just got for 99c/pint!
December 14th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I would love to do this for my daughter!
I would put either a cream cheese mini bagel or a cream cheese spirals (tortilla with cream cheese), baby carrots & cucumber sticks, grapes &
teddy grahams.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I’d definitely go with some sort of Chinese food lunch. Crispy noodles in one compartment and sauce with beef and veggies in the closed compartment. Side boxes would include mayonnaise shrimp with some roasted honeyed walnuts and some fresh fruit for dessert =]
December 14th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
ok - Sm #1 -mini sausages on toothpicks, Sm #2 -peapods w/dip, Lg #1 -bread with cream cheese with thin cucumber slices (maybe flower shapes), and Lg #2- kiwi w/ berries….
December 15th, 2008 at 12:44 am
When I pack lunch, I always pack a lot.
If i had that lunchbox i would use one of the big containers to hold some homemade sushi (i fill my sushi with whatever is laying around in the fridge, maybe a ham and cheese combo :]), the other to hold a couple of chicken filled fried wontons, a small container to hold an assortment of cubed melons, a steamed sweet bun in the other and the tiniest container will be used to hold soy sauce and wasabi. yummmmy!
December 15th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Hi Biggie! Sorry if this comment shows up twice, I tried to post late last night but I don’t think it went through so I’ll try again. I love the Laptop Lunchbox - I’ve been wanting one for ages! Lots of foods I’d love to pack but ideally I’d pack something nongreasy as I hate to wash grease off plasticware! So in the big container I’d pack some tofu eggless salad (recently discovered and SO GOOD and tastes so much like egg salad!) sandwiches with cucumber and celery salt cut to size. Then in the other large compartment I’d pack some smoked salmon and avocado sushi - tiny container would be for soy sauce with some wasabi stirred in. Small compartment number one would be fruit like blueberries, cherries, strawberries, grapes, tiny satsuma tangerines. And the other small box would have some almonds and a couple pieces of dark choccie. Probably water in the drink bottle as it’s easier to keep clean overall.
Yum! I’m hungry now! Thanks for the chance to win!
December 15th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Let’s see…chicken cakes in one of the larger containers (with remoulade sauce in the tiny container)…baby greens in the other large one…tangerine slices in one of the small ones…and a couple of chocolate kisses in the other small one which will also house the remoulade container!
December 15th, 2008 at 6:01 am
Pad Thai in the large lidded container, and a salad in the large unlidded container. Ginger salad dressing in the tiny lidded container, then in the sides fruit & a chocolate chocolate chip mini muffin for dessert.
December 15th, 2008 at 7:12 am
My ideal lunch usually is something healthy. It is so easy to just walk across the street to fast food heaven (I work at a uni, fast food abounds). My ideal packed meal would be a slice of my hubby’s spinach and goat cheese quiche (good hot or cold so this is a big plus). A side of seasonal fruit and some raw veggies with some dipping sauce on the side. Water is my drink of choice these days but I might splurge for some tea.
December 15th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Ooooh, I’ve had a major tonkatsu craving lately, so that in one compartment, with rice, some pickles, maybe a little steamed spinach and eggplant? Yummm…
December 15th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Bento makes me think of picnic food sometimes. So chicken salad with lettuce,tomato,radishes,red pepper,carrots on the side. For some carbs either a crusty roll,pita or crackers. Pickles. Mandarin oranges and a few dove chocolates for dessert. Diet citrus green tea to wash it down.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:46 am
I’d love to pack a surprise lunch for my husband. He’s always in the mood for german type food, so it would probably consist of a big container of sliced up brats with mustard in the small container for dipping. A side of cucumber salad and potato salad and raw veggies. And a dessert of sliced up fruit and a cookie.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I design high-brow tableware, but believe that every eating experience should be a good one….especially for the little people who will inherit our traditions and our care towards food, cuisine and the planet!
December 15th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I usually make the main dish something with noodles - usually with beef or chicken and a nice sauce, and put small side dishes around the edges - edamame is a favorite, along with grapes, blueberries, strawberries - whatever is in season.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:45 am
My favorite meal for laptop lunches: 2 p.b. & honey dinosaur sandwich halves (1 dino in each of the larger compartments), cutup cantelope in container #3, and a banana chocolate chip yogurt muffin in container #4. A meal even a picky 4 year old will eat!
December 15th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I’d pack red beans and rice, or a noodle/teriyaki dish, with broccoli and carrots and plums, then some form of bread, like a roll or muffin.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I’d pack my son’s lunch…. dry cereal, nuggets, potato, string cheese and yogurt!
December 15th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I would be using this box for my 16 month old son. I would love to make him a box with little avocado cucumber sandwich bites cookie cut into stars, peeled halved grapes, a hard boiled egg pressed into a shape and some mixed cereal and Gerber yogurt puffs for extra snacking and some cheese, again cookie cut into shapes for him. He’s not big on plain water so the water bottle would likely contain watered down juice or a bit of organic milk.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I haven’t had much experience with packing a bento box but I would probably pack tea eggs, onigiri, a little salad, some type of cheese and a sweet.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
cool looking box
i would love to pack my sons school lunches in one, he has noodles and vegtables, maybe a small onigiri, some grapes and blueberries, and a few chocolate buttons as a treat. it would also be great for the family when we go geocaching it has enough room for snacks for all 4 of us.
christine
December 15th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I would loooove one of these - I’ve had my eye on them for a long time now.
I would pack for my husband. Sweet&sour baked chicken ‘nuggets’, rice, mandarin oranges and cottage cheese.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I make daily lunches for my spouse. This site started as just a passing interest to me but I have found myself truly intrigued by the creativeness I see here and have incorporated a lot of your ideas into my daily ‘offerings’.
The perfect laptop lunch for my better half would include pizza bites (thanks for the great idea last week), veggies with dip (keeping the messy broccoli ‘trees’ in their own separate silicone cup, of course), some apple cider, a clementine orange, maybe some peanut butter crackers, and a treat of a cookie or a few M&M’s or licorice. My lunches are the envy of my better half’s workplace. Keep the good ideas flowing - your site is my favorite to visit every day.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Hmmm…
A Gene Stratton Porterish lunch (Girl of the Limberlost)
Bread with butter and strawberry jelly. (homeade bread)
Chicken Breast
Spice cake
potato
Ripe red tomatoes…
Yummy. I feel more American today than anything.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I’m afraid I won’t be able to enter before the deadline if I read first to see if my lunch ideas are already given by another entrant, so I’ll just dive into what I would pack for one of my daughters if I win one of these bento sets!
If I didn’t have any exciting leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, I’d probably make a roll-up sandwich with half a large flat w/w bread from Trader Joe’s, spreading tofutti cream cheese (for the daughter who doesn’t do cow’s milk cheese), spread a few sliced black olives, a slice of low-sodium ham and roll it up for one container. In the other large container I might put a selection of baby carrots and snap peas, with the small lidded container filled with ranch dip. I’d put some berries in one of the small containers, and some mini meringue cookies (again from Trader Joe’s) in the last little container.
It would be a treat to be able to put together a lunch like this in a laptop lunchbox set!!
December 15th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Oooh… inari sushi with trail mix, grapes, oranges and a mushroom/spinach based salad with italian vinaigrette. Carb heavy, but still light enough to keep working through the winter.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:54 am
here in Australia its the evening of the 16th, im hoping that somewhere else in the world it’s still the 15th so that this entry counts.
I’d like to pack my first bentou ever:
4 parts rice: bear-shaped onigiri with furikake and umeboshi
3 parts protein: chick-shaped quail egg, octopus and crab weiners
2 parts veg: asparagus men and cherry tomatoes
1 part desert: Pocky sticks!
=)
December 18th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
My Bento Box Lunch would be AWESOME!
I’d make yummy lettuce wraps… by packing some lettuce, the yummy, spicy tofu goodness from the last Vegetarian Times magazine, some shredded carrots and green onions to top it off, and some peppermint jojos from trader joes.
yummy… i’m ready for lunch!
all i need is a lunchbox!
Can I be the winner?
December 21st, 2008 at 9:05 pm
My first laptop lunch box would consists of the following :
Large container 1:jackfruit BBQ
Large Container 2:refried pinto beans
small container 1: lightly salted edamame
small container 2: homemade vegan peach cobbler
smallest container: trader Joe’s peach salsa