by Ethan Johnson
February 5, 2007

Note: Please refer to the ethmar.com Food and Drink Ethics Statement regarding food and drink reviews on this site.

Japansese "bento" boxes are really cool. However, they can be awfully hard to come by. Plus, they're (potentially) expensive. Plus, they may feature off-the-wall anime characters all over the lid. Check out what I stumbled upon at ye olde corner grocery store:

• Price: About $6 USD.
• Selection: Several different storage/diet-related items. This box is only available in purple.
• Selling Point(s): Microwaveable containers, slim ice pack for people who don't have a refrigerator handy at work/on the go. Includes 2-month nutrition journal and nutrition guide. Perfect for making your own ingredient labels. I mean, you could.

Let's check it out!

Buzz: Bento boxes are compartmentalized and encourage healthy eating and portion control. Unlike regular microwaveable containers, this box is specifically designed for a complete lunch, with variety. Contrast this to people who bring a tub full of leftover [whatever] or a sandwich. They're still hitting the vending machines to compensate.

Packaging: Compact design, available only in purple. I personally don't care for the "pink thinking" that is writ large in their enclosed paraphernalia, but I guess they're picking their demographic and going with it.

Because I just bought this, we haven't had a chance to put it to good use yet. I plan to, though. My office is notoriously bad for health-conscious eating, and out of desperation the first course of action is to hit the nearest fast food joint.

A big down side to bento-style lunch boxes is that they are usually not microwave safe. That's a lot of cold food. To prevent food burnout, I like the fact that the individual containers are microwaveable. Very exciting!

When it comes to this product, I would, and you may:

• Add this to the top of your next shopping list
• Buy one if you see it
• Buy one out of desperation if your preference is not available
• Move along, nothing to see here

If you try this yourself, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The full At the Store archive may be perused here.)