Obento!
A bento lunch is a compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed in a box. Historically bento or obento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine and its practice can be dated back to the twelfth century. Bento has turned into an art form similar to Ikebana (the art of arranging flowers). Bento can be very elaborately arranged in many different styles. The most famous style of arrangement is called kyaraben. Kyaraben is typically decorated to look like people, animals, or characters and items such as flowers and plants. It has become popular to make healthy bento kyaraben for children’s’ lunches in Japan as an alternative to the sugar and fat laden school lunches prescribed by the USDA in America's public school system.
I originally started packing bento lunches to manage my mild hypoglycemia and because it was very difficult to find nutritional vegetarian lunches where I grew up. So far I have made more traditional bento boxes that are especially proportioned to have a section of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruit. I am just starting to practice kyaraben.
Over the years bento has developed into my daily contemplative practice. It is important to be quiet, deliberate in all movements, clean, and respectful of the space that one is working in and that one is creating. Bento has become a huge part of my yoga practice. It has helped me become very aware about what I eat and the consequences of what I put in my body. Overall my love of bento has made me conscious of what foods have the most energy. My bento practice imbues the act of cooking and eating with a strong sense of intention and undoubtedly allows the food I consume to alter my consciousness in new ways.
I originally started packing bento lunches to manage my mild hypoglycemia and because it was very difficult to find nutritional vegetarian lunches where I grew up. So far I have made more traditional bento boxes that are especially proportioned to have a section of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruit. I am just starting to practice kyaraben.
Over the years bento has developed into my daily contemplative practice. It is important to be quiet, deliberate in all movements, clean, and respectful of the space that one is working in and that one is creating. Bento has become a huge part of my yoga practice. It has helped me become very aware about what I eat and the consequences of what I put in my body. Overall my love of bento has made me conscious of what foods have the most energy. My bento practice imbues the act of cooking and eating with a strong sense of intention and undoubtedly allows the food I consume to alter my consciousness in new ways.
