Bentos for Hubbys

[Kyoki]

How about mini meatloafs? You could substitute ground turkey or mix in tofu if you're worried about fats and what not. Or shepherd's pie?

I've done both recently, both big huge major hits- not just with Orion but with the other roommates as well! Other than what I set aside specifically for future bento, the entire pot of shepherds pie was gone before the night was done. The meatloaf my Gran made for us, and Orion made it all- ate some and I froze the rest. I cut it into cute shapes with cookie cutters before I pack it, now.

And as for people teasing lunches, my proudest moment is when he comes home glowing with pride to say "Oh, someone asked me what store I bought my lunch at again today."

[nkm1968]

My husband, a very picky eater, has been on an Adkins-like diet for like 4 years now, and would seriously eat gross amounts of bacon, cheese, and fried hamburger meat seasoned with taco packets, if left to his own devices. At least he has been open to eating more variety of foods since we had a health scare with our youngest, and now in his bento lunches I can use nice lettuces as "wraps" for roasted chicken, roasted turkey,marinated and baked tofu, or simmered lentils or soybeans, flavored with roasted red peppers, goat cheeses, simmered jalapeno peppers and onions, and any type of condiment. He also likes little gherkin pickles in his bento, a little container of some kind of nuts, cheese wedges or those mini Babel cheeses, string cheese, soy nuts, any kind of berry, and once in a great while, raw or cooked mushrooms, raw celery, or raw carrots. And I wonder why my youngest is so picky! He has never complained about the amount of food packed or his plain tupperware-style lockbox lunchboxes from the dollar store (except when the youngest put Hannah Montana stickers all over one of the boxes as his birthday surprise).

[Rabbit]

What helped encourage both of us to get healthy was when we turned 30, we started thinking about the health problems are parents had in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and decided we didn't want those problems. We can't do anything about the genetics, but we can control our diets and exercise. We pretty much allow ourselves one major indulgence -- chocolate. But chips and other junk foods are virtually non-existent in our house. Because I'm gluten-free, that automatically rules out a huge amount of junk food.

Mr. D will eat just about anything so when I'm packing my snacks for the day I make him the same thing. Mine go into cute bento boxes, his go into plain tupperware. I just have to remind him to actually stop and eat. We are fortunate that we can come home and have lunch together most days, but he doesn't always eat breakfast and I need to eat continually throughout the day, so healthy grazing snacks are a must.

Mr. D actually gets teased by his coworkers for eating "too vegetarian". Neither of us are vegetarians, but we don't eat meat at every meal. I don't know why it's acceptable for me to reduce meat, but not for him. What's wrong with people?