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• Leftover Remake: Risotto cake recipe & bento lunches
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• Poll: How long does your schoolkid have for lunch?
• Bulgogi & spam musubi bento lunches
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• Poll: How many American bento-makers are men?
• Book Review: Kawaii Bento Boxes

Archive for the 'poll' Category

(Chronologically Listed)

Poll: How long does your schoolkid have for lunch?

One issue we’ve run into since my son started kindergarten is the shorter time available for him to eat his lunch.

At preschool the children sat three to a table, and the teachers circulated, encouraging everyone to finish their entire meals during the leisurely lunch period. But now at kindergarten the children sit at one long table together, which has got to be more fun but distracting. Couple that with a shorter time to eat, and more bentos are coming back unfinished. (At least they have recess first, and then eat! If it were reversed I think a lot more would go uneaten.)

I look at this as even more reason to pack a bento lunch, so Bug isn’t wasting time waiting in line for cafeteria food and can just dig right in in the short time available. I’ve also been steering away from packing food that I know takes Bug longer to eat, like soup. I can only imagine the challenges for parents of picky eaters!

What about you? How long do your schoolkids have to eat lunch? (If you have multiple kids, go ahead and take the poll multiple times, answering once for each child.) What kind of issues have you had with the time allotted for school lunch, and how have you adjusted your lunch-packing accordingly? Let us know in comments!

Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on April 2, 2010. Bento-themed merchandise like the “got bento?” wall clock are available at the Lunch in a Box store on CafePress.

FURTHER READING:

• Kids’ Corner discussions on the Lunch in a Box reader forum
• Poll results: How long does it take you to pack a lunch? (poll closed)
• Poll results: What containers do you pack lunches in? (poll closed)
• Archive of all polls on Lunch in a Box
• Bento FAQ and Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and reviews

Published by Biggie on March 3rd, 2010 tagged poll | 35 Comments »

Poll: How many American bento-makers are men?

A Japanese radio station asked me to do an on-air interview about bento lunches in the United States, and they seem to think that there’s a growing trend of American men who pack bentos. This may be because of a recent trend in Japan of “bento danshi“, or men making bentos for themselves or their families, often as a way to cut food bills in rough economic times. (See the recent Guardian article and video on the subject, or a Japanese TV clip about bento men.)

Although I know of a few men who make bento lunches (Mr. T on the Lunch in a Box forum, A Man’s Bento blog), my impression has been that the vast majority of U.S. bento-makers are women. If you’re a bento-packer in the U.S., weigh in via the poll so we can either prove or debunk this theory!

Do you know of other men who pack bentos in the U.S.? Bento blogs or Flickr streams by men? Are you a man who packs bento lunches? Feel free to weigh in or share links in comments. The radio interview is slated to air in Tokyo late this week, and I’ll provide a link to the podcast afterwards. UPDATE: The bento segment aired on J-Wave Friday morning Japan time, with a Japanese write-up in the Global Frontline section of the station’s blog.

Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

FURTHER READING:

• Lunch in a Box forum discussions about “Social implications for men” and “Bentos for Hubbys“
• Poll results: How long does it take you to pack a lunch? (poll closed)
• Poll results: What containers do you pack lunches in? (poll closed)
• Poll results: Where are your lunches eaten? (poll closed)
• Poll results: Why do you pack bentos? (poll closed)
• Archive of all polls on Lunch in a Box
• Bento FAQ and Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and reviews

Published by Biggie on September 29th, 2009 tagged poll | 30 Comments »

Poll: How long does it take you to pack a lunch?

How long does it usually take you to prep and pack a single bento lunch? Unless it’s a special occasion like Valentine’s Day or Children’s Day, I usually avoid decorative food and go for the speed bento, taking about 10-15 minutes max. Prep and organizational techniques from my speedy lunch-packing tips help me quickly prep and pack leftovers, frozen foods, and simple dishes like steamed or sauteed vegetables. I try not to cook more than one dish from scratch in the morning when I’m making lunch, even if they’re speedy packed lunch recipes. How about you?

Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on Sunday, May 10, 2009. “Got Bento?” wall clock sold at the Lunch in a Box store on CafePress.

FURTHER READING:

• Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
• Poll results: What containers do you pack lunches in? (poll closed)
• Poll results: Where are your lunches eaten? (poll closed)
• Poll results: Why do you pack bentos? (poll closed)
  
• Poll results: When do you pack lunch? (poll closed)
  
• Poll results: Who do you pack lunch for? (poll closed)
• Bento FAQ and Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and reviews

Published by Biggie on April 27th, 2009 tagged poll | 21 Comments »

Poll: What containers do you pack lunches in?

What food containers do you usually use to pack lunches?

Although I have a wide variety of different containers for all kinds of foods and appetites, I usually wind up reaching for a bento box, a Lock & Lock box (Tupperware-type container), or a thermal bento set. It depends upon what I’m packing, what shape the food is, and if I want it hot. How about you?

If you’re not clear on the differences between the containers, click on the following for examples of a: Laptop Lunchbox, thermal lunch jar (like the Mr. Bento), thermal food jar, thermal bento set, tiffin tin, sandwich case, tempered glass box, disposable container, or other reusable container. I’ve left out  lunchboxes and lunchbags themselves from this poll; that can be a separate question at some point.

Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on Friday, March 10, 2009.

FURTHER READING:

• Forum Poll: Valentine-themed Bento of the Month contest (log in on forum to vote)
• Poll: Where are your lunches eaten? (poll closed)
• Poll: Why do you pack bentos? (poll closed)
  
• Poll: When do you pack lunch? (poll closed)
  
• Poll: Who do you pack lunch for? (poll closed)
• Bento FAQ and Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and reviews

Published by Biggie on February 27th, 2009 tagged poll | 46 Comments »

Poll: Where are your lunches eaten?

Where do your bentos or packed lunches get eaten?

When I started packing bentos, they were for my husband to eat at the office when he was eating gluten-free (misdiagnosed with celiac disease). Later on, I mainly made bentos for my toddler son and me to eat when we were out and about at the playground, the zoo, or other outings. Now, I mostly pack lunches for Bug to eat at preschool, although I occasionally pack bentos when we’re traveling or going on an outing. How about you?

Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

FURTHER READING:

• Poll results: Why do you pack bento lunches?
• Poll results: When do you pack lunch?
  
• Poll results: Who do you pack lunch for?
• All polls on Lunch in a Box
  
• Bento FAQ and Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and reviews

Published by Biggie on January 30th, 2009 tagged poll | 25 Comments »

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