Kawaii Bento Boxes: Cute and Convenient Japanese Meals on the Go

Just what I was looking for. My child suffers from allergies and I wanted to be able to bring healthy packed lunches when going out, rather than eat the usual chicken nuggets, chips and beans which are on every child's restaurant menu.The bentos are so cute and easy to make. There are hundreds of ideas, from complete boxes to little individual dishes sorted out by colour so you can pick and choose. My 3 year old definitely eats more when food is presented in this way. It does take more time than making a sandwich, but do you do feel proud of your work afterwards! It's nice to be creative once in a while. I even take pictures of my good ones and my friends are always impressed. Each meal probably takes about 20-25 minutes to make. I am a stay-at-home mum so that is not a problem most of the time.I don't follow each idea slavishly, rather, I use the book for inspiration and adapt as necessary. I use the ideas for everyday meals as well, not just packed lunches.Overall an excellent bento book for kids' meals, but only if you have time and like the Japanese way of eating (rice based meals). Not suitable if you have to rush out the door at 7.00am with kids in tow, unless you get up early.

This book is really great to get ideas from when making bento. The directory of foods based on colors is really nice and convenient. But don't expect the time needed for each bento is correct, unless you are very skilled and quick cook. I'm quite new at bento, but I do know how to cook most things, but I often spend about double time, at least an hour when I make a bento. I also find that many recipes lack fibre, as most of them use white rice, white bread and wheat noodles, but that part can always be replaced with something with more whole-grains.The best thing about this book is definitely the beautiful pictures which inspires me to make my bentos both delicious to look at and to eat ^^

I have spent alot of time in Japan and was looking to recreate the gorgeous food from there in the UK. I can easily make Sushi and Sashimi however, I was lost on many ideas for bento boxes and my Japanese friends didn't help as they gave me obscure ideas. This book is aimed for the younger generation but has given me many ideas of what I can use and how to make a variety of boxes. Even my mum, who does not like Japanese food, has been taken with it and is not looking forward to a 'treasure bag'

Arrived quickly and in good condition. Not as helpful as i'd hoped although it is well laid out