Thanksgiving is right around the corner—already, somehow!—and with it comes a wide variety of festive fall foods. When you think of Thanksgiving, you probably think most about the big feast full of turkey, pie, mashed potatoes and all the fixings. But that doesn’t mean that your daily lunch needs to be boring.
With fall in full swing, a Thanksgiving-themed bento box is a great way to stay in the spirit of the season and embrace what is currently ripe and fresh. If you need some inspiration for a Thanksgiving 20221 bento lunch box, take a look at the following concepts to energize your imagination.
How Is A Bento Box Different From A Typical Lunch Box?
Before you decide how to spruce up your lunch with a bento box, it’s important to understand that a bento is not the same thing as a standard lunchbox. If you have never used a bento box before, it is a lunchtime tool commonly used in Japan to transport and hold food for lunch. But isn’t that just a lunch box? Not quite!
A bento box is specifically designed with multiple compartments, unlike a lunchbox that serves mostly as a single-compartment bag or box. Bentos focus not only on varying the food you eat across multiple compartments but also creating beautiful food art and embracing the culinary differences in tastes, textures and aesthetic appeal. In other words, a bento box can help you eat healthier, control your portions and exercise your creativity all at the same time.
Lunch Box Ideas: Leftovers
Of course, when you are thinking about Thanksgiving foods in a bento box, the first thing that likely springs to mind is leftovers from the big meal itself. While it is true that a bento would be a great way to separate all of the various components of this notoriously large meal, from corn and peas to turkey and cranberry sauce, you need not wait until Thanksgiving day to start preparing a holiday-themed bento.
If you do choose to use your Thanksgiving leftovers, remember that you can use the shape and compartments of your bento box to highlight the beautiful colors and textures of your meal. The robust purple of a cranberry sauce would stand out next to the vibrant green of peas and the deliciously brown roasted skin of a serving of turkey.
Work Thematically With Color And Texture
If you are ready to begin making Thanksgiving-themed meals before the holiday gets here, remember what makes this time of year feel special and welcoming. Thematically, Thanksgiving revolves around concepts of harvest, warmth and bounty as the world literally changes color around you. You can fill your bento with rich nuts in one compartment, a colorful salad in another and something warm and inviting like a sweet potato dish as your main course.
Embrace The Turkey Shapes
Turkey shapes are at their peak around Thanksgiving, and if you would like to join in on the fun, think about all the ways you can craft the perfect bird—without needing the bird itself! Sandwiches can be your hero here; try making a circular sandwich donned with a carrot for a beak and some apple slices for that big, puffy tail turkeys are known for.
Your bento box will allow you to store these elements in separate compartments so that everything stays fresh and does not get soggy. Deli meat is another great tool for making thematic food.
It is easy to cut and shape, and if you make bento boxes for children, they might enjoy putting together their turkey piece by piece, like a puzzle. Slices of ham, cheese and other items can be kept in one compartment of your Thanksgiving-themed bento while other slots are reserved for healthy sides like salads, in-season veggies and perhaps something that’s spiced like pumpkin.
Keep Your Lunch In Safe, Environmentally Friendly Bento For Best Results
Bento boxes are a great way to flex your creativity while providing healthy, nutritious meals for your whole family. However, not all bento boxes are created equal. If you opt for plastic, you could be exposing your food—and by extension—yourself, to unwanted chemicals like BPA and PVC that leach from the plastic material.
At Kangovou, we want food to be safe and healthy all the time, which is why our bento boxes are made with materials free from PVC, BPA, lead, melamine and phthalates. If you are looking for a high-quality, durable bento box set in preparation for this holiday season and beyond, reach out to see our options and choose the product that is right for you so that you can start putting together your Thanksgiving bento box ideas!
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