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Lunch-a-Porter Bento Box Giveaway – Worldwide! (Closed)

The new school year has started and if you are packing your children’s lunch daily, it’s a great time to freshen up the game plan for your child’s lunch by having a brand new lunch box!

I love cute bento boxes and my children loves it when I switch around different bento boxes from time to time.  I am partnering with Lunch-a-Porter to give away this beautiful Lunch Bowl Set to two (2) lucky Just One Cookbook readers!

Each set includes the following:

  • A Natural Brunch bento bowl (green) –two levels with a removable top (microwavable).
  • A Natural Brunch thermal bag (green/white stripes)
  • Natural Brunch chopsticks (green)
  • A matching napkin (green) (total value $50)

Bento Box Giveaway | Just One Cookbook

To enter for your chance to win a Natural Brunch bento bowl set, leave a comment on this post that answers the following question:

What do you find difficult about making a bento?

You can earn up to five bonus entries by leaving a separate comment (with the same email address) for each of the below actions:

Bonus Entry 1: “Like” Just One Cookbook on Facebook.  (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)

Bonus Entry 2: “Like” Lunch a Porter on Facebook.  (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)

Bonus Entry 3: Subscribe to Namiko Chen on YouTube.  (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)

Bonus Entry 4: Follow Just One Cookbook on Google+.  (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)

Bonus Entry 5: Follow Just One Cookbook on Pinterest.  (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)

Two (2) winners will be selected via Random.org and announced on Monday, September 21, 2014. This giveaway closes on Sunday, September 20, 2014 at 12 p.m. PST and is open to participants worldwide (everyone!).  The winners will be contacted via email, so please include a valid email address in the email address entry box. (Giveaway end date is extended for another week till 9/20)

Full Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Lunch-a-Porter and yours truly.

*****

Thank you so much to those who participated this giveaway.  Here are the winners!

Winners

Congratulations Kiley (#132) and Melissa Kline (#585)!  I’ll be contacting you shortly via email.

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    • DINA THOMAS

      Absolutely love your blog!!! I have tried numerous recipes that you have posted and I have enjoyed every one of them. My young daughter is the one that found your website and thought I would like it.

      794
      Reply to DINA THOMAS'> Reply

    • Kay Toniolo

      I love reading and making meals from your recipes everyday.
      The trouble I have is bento boxes vary in size and have lots of compartments,
      This one would be ideal with the 3 .
      My Daughter n Law is Japanese and my 3 little Grandchildren love helping me make them,they choose what they want in them for lunch and picnics in the park and playground when they visit Grandma.
      I have little moulds for shaping food also chop sticks as they use them all the time
      They have a special cupboard at my house of their things as soon as they arrive that’s where they head to see if there’s any surprises.

      37
      Reply to Kay Toniolo'> Reply

  9. Kathy Grimes

    The hard thing I think about making bentos is in order to get all the colors, you have to make lots of different items and because of that, you often have leftovers that may or may not be good the next day.

    9
    Reply to Kathy Grimes'> Reply

  11. Liz Y.

    I don’t have much practice making bento, so the difficulties I have are pretty basic. Firstly, making the time to prepare them! For me, the main appeal of bento-style lunch boxes is the presentation. However, cute presentation takes time and patience to create. Secondly, selecting ingredients that keep me full for any appreciable amount of time. I have long class hours with no break, so I’m always looking for foods that are both healthy and have good staying power.

    11
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  20. marlene

    I find it most difficult to pack something hot. If it is leftovers, do I heat it up in the microwave before I pack it or after I pack it, right before it is eaten? I prefer NOT to use a microwave, so I can’t really pack something hot the night before to take to lunch the next day.

    20
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  29. Norma

    LOVE this bento box set, but doubt I have much chance to win it, as I don’t do social media (much too invasive!!), so won’t earn any of the bonus entries. That said, I do love your web site and your recipes. As for what I find difficult about making a bento — pretty much everything, as I don’t do it very often, and thus it takes me a long time. However, the enjoyment of putting it together and then consuming it is well worth the effort. Thanks for your sharing, your creativity and your lessons and encouragement!

    29
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  30. Jane Dawson

    I have trouble getting my rice to not be mushy, I try all different combos of rice and water and it is never good. I am using sweet rice I bought at a local Korean grocery store here in Montreal. Love your blog!!

    30
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  32. Allyson Boeckman

    I find it difficult to incorporate new food for my picky eater. She’ll at least try it if she helps, or if it is in a fun shape. She’s so young it is hard to think of ways she can help.

    Also, I’m already a subscriber to your YouTube channel, and Facebook page.

    32
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  35. Kimmi

    I find it somewhat difficult to incorporate fruit into a bento! I love having fruit with lunch, but it’s usually more convenient to just keep a banana or orange outside of the bento container. Berries are easy to throw in, but I never know what to do with the larger fruits… =)

    Thanks for opening up this giveaway!

    35
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  37. Anne

    Hi Nami,

    Thanks for this great giveaway offer! I have to admit that the two hardest parts about making bento for me are time-related: planning in advance, and getting up early enough on the day!

    Thanks as always for your great blog!
    Anne

    38
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  51. Anne

    I would love the bento bowl set! What I find most difficult besides being creative , is reheating bento boxes. Also what about refrigeration ? My daughter’s preschool has no refrigerator to store lunches .
    Thanks! Love your blog!

    52
    Reply to Anne'> Reply

  59. Elaine

    I find it hard to make the time to prepare my bento, especially so that it can be cute. And if I want to put freshly cooked food in my bento, it is hard to time how long it will take to cool down before I can close the bento box. I usually have to leave and so I end up closing it too soon, and then water builds up inside the box. So I would definitely say timing! (^_^)

    60
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  71. The most difficult part for me is getting my son to actually eat the vegetables and fruits that I put in there. He’s picky with fruits and vegetables although he eats some varieties. If I put an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable, he will most likely ignore it. And he prefers all his food to be chopped up so it’s easier for him, so I’m limited in terms of design.

    72
    Reply to Nikki Romero'> Reply

  75. Angie

    What I find difficult about making bento is making sure I got a balanced nutrition in one box. Also, as I recall from watching Japanese documentaries, in Japanese food, it is also important to have the five flavors an five colors in the meal. I think that’s what makes bento making even more challenging.

    76
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  106. Gloria

    I find it hard to decide how to separate things, especially if I’m making a bento for one of my little brothers! They all have different preferences on what foods can touch, let alone what food is allowed in their bentos.

    107
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  107. Claudia Beukmann

    I find it difficult to vary the food, as I live in a tropical climate, similar to Japanese summers. Much of the food spoils easily and the food that does not spoil seems to be limited. At least I cannot think of new variations….

    108
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  112. Eevamaria Mielonen

    My family has moved to the US from Finland, country where school kids enjoy warm, healthy and free (!!) lunch every day. Since I found JOC, packing the kid’s lunches in bento box has become much easier! Additionally, my kids love Japanese food. With Namiko’s JOC I have learnt to cook Japanese meals even though I do not have any direct relation to Japan.
    What I find difficult about making bento? Keeping the food separated and neatly packed. In my current bento boxes I do not have a separate slot for salad and it tends to turn everything else messy. Lunch-a-Porter has a nice carroer bag where the box fits nicely. I would love to have one!

    I have subscribed Namiko Chen on You Tube and follow JOC in Fb.

    113
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  120. julia

    I never win these things, but chance says I’ll win sometime in my life if I participate enough times!

    My trouble with making bento is that I seem unable to add a good amount of food. Sometimes I barely have enough to get me through the day, other times I can share with 3 people nd still be more than full!

    121
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  128. Nadine J.

    What I find difficult on packing bento is to be creative on varying the ingredients, find ingredients that can stay at room temperature for a while and make them still look nice and cute 😀

    129
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  131. Kiley

    What’s tough about doing the bento is psyching myself up to pack one. I used to cook extra at dinner time and then save a portion for lunch the next day, but with my new schedule I barely have time for a proper dinner (it’s usually a bowl of oatmeal) and I’m too tired to cook something from scratch. I need some encouragement to start again and this cute bento set might just be it! Thanks for hosting the giveaway Nami!

    132
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  151. PalaSataJa

    Love your blog! I find it hardest to keep track of what I have in stock and sometimes end with plenty of leftover meat to pack but no side dishes or vica-versa. Veggies are a bit easier – I often have some frozen broccoli or grape tomatoes on hand.

    155
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  163. Maybelle

    Hi Nami! I love these very cute bento boxes! I hope I have a chance to win ^ – ^

    I don’t make obento often, but when I do, the hardest part is making it taste Japanese! It sounds funny, but you just can’t put anything… I try to make sure there is a balance of flavours. This includes vinegared sushi rice, sweet egg roll, something salty or sour, like pickled vegies or umeboshi. Of course, I like furikake with my rice but prefer it to have a crunch, so I have to bring it along and “sprinkle” it when I am about to eat.

    167
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  169. Kate

    The most difficult thing about making bento is finding different recipes to try. I’m afraid that I’d get bored eating the same thing and I don’t want the experience of bento to be ruined for me. I also don’t have many containers with separate apartments!

    173
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  176. Q

    For me, the most difficult part of making a bento is making it look cute. I try all those little tricks to make the food fun and pretty, but it just… doesn’t. I keep trying, though. ^^

    180
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  179. Naseera

    The difficult thing for me about making bento is “how much is enough?”

    For myself, I make sure I have some vegetables like cucumber or carrots (either cooked or raw but nicely cut so that it is easy to eat) or just a plain salad, I have fruit (like strawberries, cut up apples), and some protein (egg, chicken or tofu) and some rice or noodles (carbohydrate).

    But for my brother, he doesn’t eat “carbohydrates” (he is an athlete) – so I have to think of other things to put in .. so he always tells me, that the bento was nice but it wasn’t enough 🙁

    Despite this, I enjoy making bento .. it is like an artwork, as my father says .. It is nice to look forward to your lunch and to compartmentalize everything, bright colours, fresh tastes ^_^

    183
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  180. I love making bentos for myself and my wife, but I find myself pretty wiped at the end of the day (I usually make them the night before), and I don’t get up early enough to make them in the mornings. I was on a roll for a while, making up two sets of boxes a week, but I’m off the wagon at the moment. I’m also a nut for efficiency in the kitchen, but I find that I’m not as efficient when making bento items from scratch. So far, my longest cooking marathon for bentos was 2 hours!

    184
    Reply to Matt'> Reply

  187. Miriam

    The hardest thing for me planning for bento is planning ahead for it. I need to make more of a meal so I have something left. Or I just need to get myself to make something instead of waiting until the last minute!

    191
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  192. Cheryl Chan

    What I find most difficult in making a bento is finding time to prepare the mix and packing them for school i.e. storage especially in warmer months. Your ideas have helped a lot, thank you.

    197
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  205. Nigel L.

    I find it hard to have a variety of foods to put in a bento without preparing them specifically for the bento. I would like to better incorporate leftovers while still having a safe and healthy bento.

    210
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  231. Frances Wagner

    The most difficult part of making the obento is making sure you have enough time to let food cool down before you close the box. Otherwise, I am afraid, it may go bad depending on the time of the season. I am not too worried during the winter as long as the box with food stay in a cooler environment. On top of that, know where to locate what. Do you put lettuce to decorate next to the hot rice or what. I usually use dividers such as tin foiled cupcake cups. It is a happy moment when your loved one you made the bento for, comes home and says how they loved their lunch. I often write messages on the paper napkin, which they keep. <3

    236
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  237. Audrey Marie

    Keeping crisp foods crisp, warm foods warm and things separate – that’s difficult for me. And when I use separate containers to meet those needs I end up needing a really large bag to contain it all. Those bentos look very nice and compact for keeping their lunches tidy and delicious!

    242
    Reply to Audrey Marie'> Reply

  243. Jun

    Did everything! 😀 Love the simple yet amazing recipes! I just started UNI and living and cooking on my own for the first time. My roommates and I all love Japanese food (mainly from too much anime and manga) and this page is making our daily meals so enjoyable!
    The problem I’m having with the bento boxes is finding the time to prepare such a large variety of foods but all in such small proportions.

    248
    Reply to Jun'> Reply

  247. Elise

    i find choosing the right food is difficult in bento making. Need to choose food that will not stale or change in color in the afternoon and food that is easy to prepare during rush hour

    252
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  254. Rainie

    I’ve no much time to prepare bento. Also to think about the dishes to cook everyday yet to make it attractive enough to eat. By referring to Just One Cookbook, give me a lot of inspiration for bento making!

    259
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  259. Lara

    The most difficult part about preparing a bentobox I find the planning, and not to make everything soggy. (Of course the real real problem is getting your brain to work in the morning…)

    264
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  261. Heidi Tan

    The most difficult thing about making bento boxes for me is the variety of choice that has to made in crafting balance in a box to give my loved ones a complete and nutritious meal for the day!

    Good thing there are so many interesting new side dishes and flavours that can be mixed and matched for a wonderful surprise with each box!

    266
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  262. Catherine K

    To pack and make bentos look appealing can be challenging sometimes. Time is also a factor as I find it hard to get up early to prepare as I sleep very late. I use brown rice as it is healthy but it becomes dry and hard if I keep it overnight in the fridge for the nex day.

    267
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  270. Nicolai P.

    Bento boxes are amazing! The biggest problem is the time taking to make a perfect presentation. Packing the food in neatly and making sure that the food doesn’t mix in the wrong way is annoying at times.

    275
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  272. Monica Wong

    I would love to win and have my first Bento box.

    I have
    1.“Like” Just One Cookbook on Facebook.
    2.“Like” Lunch a Porter on Facebook.
    3. Subscribe to Namiko Chen on YouTube.
    4.Follow Just One Cookbook on Google+.
    5.Follow Just One Cookbook on Pinterest.

    I have tried many of your recipes with great success. I adore the green tea ice cream.

    277
    Reply to Monica Wong'> Reply

  274. Linda

    The hardest thing for me is controlling my addiction to bento boxes! I love the colors, the shapes, the clever ways they close, the interior compartments, the carrying bags. It is a bonafide, undiagnosed psychosis!

    279
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  276. Lava Yuki

    Making it look cute with all the animal and character shapes, cutting vegetables, meat etc into cute shapes like flowers…. Generally making the bento look like cute or like an anime character, say a Pokemon bento

    281
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  278. Izzy Roach

    Their are two things I find the hardest about making a bento…. Putting in foods that don’t need to be chilled if I’ll be nowhere near a fridge, or getting too excited and putting conflicting flavours next to each other because I want to fit everything in!

    283
    Reply to Izzy Roach'> Reply

  282. Anna D.

    liked on FB! Already was a liker 😉
    I love to cook japanese food but i got lazy these last months!
    With your recipes on ur justonecookbook.com Page. I feel motivated to cook again!
    Thank you so much!
    Whats difficult on making bento?
    Time and stamina! People don’t take the time to make a wonderful bento! Its sad!
    Let’s spread the love for Bento more 😀

    287
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  292. Audrey P

    I find the most hardest part about making the bento is probably making it all pretty and cute and pleasing to the eyes and seeing all your work gone in about 30 minutes! As fun as it is making it, sometimes it just goes away way too fast!

    297
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  318. Ng Ai Nee

    My difficult part of making a bento is deciding the types of food that are compatible in a bento, keeping the food fresh, and making the food looks presentable while minimising handling.

    323
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  326. Stephanie

    The thing I find difficult about making bento is trying to resist the urge to put things that don’t quite keep well in it. It didn’t help that I lived in the desert for so long and my food would get either hot or way too cold from excessive cold packs.

    331
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  345. Jennifer Wong

    Bento set is superb with all the variations of food which provides for a balance meal. However, always struggling with the time needed due to the variations!

    P/s. Like one cookbook, lunch a porter, subscribed in you tube and Google+

    351
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  360. Silviana Salim

    The most hard thing for bento-ing is find the perfect menu for bento. The dishes must taste good in cold temp. I always want my children and hubby to eat the lunch bento like in the dining room which are taste good and look good.

    366
    Reply to Silviana Salim'> Reply

  374. Malissa W

    I would say the most difficult part is fitting my fruit in the box – I try to use lemon juice but cut up fruit seems to always get a bit brown before I get to eat it. Thanks for the giveaway!

    380
    Reply to Malissa W'> Reply

  375. Gd day to all..
    Making obento for my husband everyday and lately I started preparing also to my daughter. For me i find it hard to think everyday what to prepare, like what viand have to cook, it should be a healthy or a balance diet, less than an hour to prepare but tasty and delicious.

    381
    Reply to carlota higo'> Reply

  381. Chantelle Zhuo

    Simply loves to read what’s on JOC for recipe ideas.
    Getting the right size for different variety of dishes to fit in. Especially when I had cooked new dishes from JOC, can’t wait to taste all the recipes I had tried in 1 bento box! And also getting the food hot, if it can keep for several hrs or if it’s microwave safe.

    387
    Reply to Chantelle Zhuo'> Reply

  414. Liz Cruz

    I find food selection to be the most difficult part of creating a bento box. Making sure I select items that have flavors that work well together and portions that aren’t to large or too small.

    420
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  421. Alice

    I’m still in high school, so I find it tough to carve out enough time to make bento for myself and my sister every day while balancing schoolwork and extracurriculars– I always end up falling back on simple bentos with rice, sweet tamagoyaki, and some kind of vegetable.

    427
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  429. Yan

    The most difficult thing I found to pack Bento is that I need to find different materials to make the food more nutritional and more delicious with each other every day.

    435
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  442. Meilani

    I think the difficult part was holding tightly the same shape of rice and dishes when I put it in and my kids took it out. I made some shapes of rice and put it separately with main dish (chicken karaage or stir fry veggies) on the lunch box. My kids went to school, holding the lunch bag and they would swing the lunch bag happily walked to classroom (they are 6 and 7 years old). They ate the bento at lunch time, and all the dishes would not be nice looking anymore 🙁
    (Liked Just One Cookbook on Facebook)

    448
    Reply to Meilani'> Reply

  443. Meilani

    I think the difficult part was holding tightly the same shape of rice and dishes when I put it in and my kids took it out. I made some shapes of rice and put it separately with main dish (chicken karaage or stir fry veggies) on the lunch box. My kids went to school, holding the lunch bag and they would swing the lunch bag happily walked to classroom (they are 6 and 7 years old). They ate the bento at lunch time, and all the dishes would not be nice looking anymore 🙁
    (Liked Lunch a Porter on Facebook)

    449
    Reply to Meilani'> Reply

  453. Joan

    What I find difficult about making a bento is making sure that the food all fits neatly and correctly. Right now I use a stacked bento and I sit there moving food around trying to make it both pretty and fit in a way so that the box closes correctly.

    459
    Reply to Joan'> Reply

  466. Janey Labes

    My hardest part of making bento is cooking rice in advance and knowing that when my daughter eats it at lunchtime that it hasnt picked up any bacteria along the way. Other than that its loads of fun!

    472
    Reply to Janey Labes'> Reply

  474. Yumi

    The most difficult thing about making bento for me is being super lazy! Haha, it’s so much easier to eat an easy snack or go out to lunch, but less healthy and wasteful. I’m working on it though 🙂

    480
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  477. Defter

    The most difficult thing for me is to find a nutritional balance and variety in the composition of my bentos. It is hard, because I also try to find food that will be OK to eat at room temperature, since we don’t have a microwave at my workplace.

    Thanks for the giveaway. This bento looks beautiful.

    483
    Reply to Defter'> Reply

  483. Hi. In my country is really hard to find appropriate boxes and “accessories” for bentos, so it if you’re not have the money to order it from abroad, then you have to have a big imagination to put everything together 🙂 And of course lack of time it makes it even harder 😀

    489
    Reply to Sandri'> Reply

  502. Lina

    Basically, bento is a meal of love that requires patience and creativity. And since I lack both of it, I think this is why bento seems difficult to me. But, since I always had this bento concept as a hearty, love, warm meal prepared by loved ones, I think a simple bento would also be translate as happiness which makes it worth spending the time and thought in making it. =)

    508
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  506. Emily

    The trouble I have with bento lunches is that the ingredients are more varied and fresh than a “typical” lunch, and I often don’t have all ingredients at the same time. I may have one ingredient or dish for the varied lunch, but often not all of them. For example, I may have leftover tonkatsu, but not tamagoyaki and sunomono at the same time to go with it. Because bento lunches use a variety of dishes and fresh ingredients, they take much more planning, preparing, and cooking than a “standard” lunch like a sandwich or salad. They are not as easy to throw together at a moment’s notice!

    512
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  512. Calista Choy

    Difficulties i faced:
    1. Creativity – ideas might not come at the right time
    2. Mix & match food to balance the colour – always end up with ‘dull’ bento
    3. not sure how to keep pre-prepared side dishes fresh
    But thanks for giving out ideas and pretty photo …. appreciate a lot

    518
    Reply to Calista Choy'> Reply

  513. Petra

    Dear Nami,

    I’m from Belgium and most people here never heard of a ‘bento’. I love the Japanese culture but always found it hard to make Japanese meals, until I discovered your website. Your recipes are so easy to follow so that even someone like me can make Japanese meals and can serve it at home. You should sometimes see te looks on my parents’ faces! So funny!

    About the question: the hardest thing about making a bento is probably time. Soon I will go to work everyday and it would be so nice I could pack my lunch in a nice bento-box. There aren’t a lot of bento-boxes in Belgium… 🙂

    519
    Reply to Petra'> Reply

  520. Benedikta Mia Amanda

    i made some mistake again, so i leave a comment again 😀
    the difficult one is about time coz always in hurry and also about the bento box, it would be good if it can covering what we bring specially some soup.. liked Just One Cookbook n’ Lunch a Porter on Fb also followed on G+ 😀
    i forgot my email so i leave comment again :3 ahahaha

    526
    Reply to Benedikta Mia Amanda'> Reply

  526. Dorien

    What I find difficult about making a Bento is that I don’t have a bento box to put it in. I have been inspired by the recipies on Just One Cookbook and am itching to have a go at making my own bento lunch!

    532
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  544. Jennifer

    I find it difficult to have enough easy and quick to make side dish ready to put in the bento in the morning. The bento always end up looking very manly instead. What more, for big eater, one bento is never enough and making cute design in a bento is too time consuming. So, to have a colorful and nice-for-on-eyes bento, i rely heavily on side dish.

    550
    Reply to Jennifer'> Reply

  556. Lotte

    I love your cooking, made sushi tonight, with the rice according to the yust bento book, can never go wrong anymore. Also making a kicking omurice now, without ketsup, thank you for the inspiration

    562
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  558. Lotte

    The most diffecult thing in making a bento, koming up with recepies without meat, and maby with fish, that can be outside of the frige for a long time, and can be scaled up to dinner proportions.

    No kids of jet so the hubby is stil the only victum 🙂

    564
    Reply to Lotte'> Reply

  576. Julie Simmonds

    The thing I find difficult about making a bento is that I feel like it looks so small, that I stuff it full & then I feel stuffed after eating because I don’t want to waste good food! The sections/space sizes are sooo deceiving. When my kids were little, they would tell me, “mom, you gave me too much food”. I had to learn to cut back. I just didn’t want them to not have enough for lunch & spend the afternoon hungry. Bad in a good way?

    582
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  590. Vicki

    I love making bento! I’d say the most challenging part for me is finding the energy to make it every night after work. After coming home and cooking dinner, I’m ready for bed ^_-.

    596
    Reply to Vicki'> Reply

  600. Georgina Koen

    I love bento but have never made one at home as I don’t have a bento box! I have eaten these many times out and look forward to trying with some new recipes from your one cookbook I just bought if I win 🙂 thank you Gigi

    606
    Reply to Georgina Koen'> Reply

  617. Hello Nami, I love your recipes!

    My difficulties on preparing a Bento is probably:
    – How to make a cute, nutritious, and mouth-watering Bento at the same time
    – Choosing ingredients that keeps me and my man full for some amount of time, without any waste of foods.
    – Find ingredients that can stay at room temperature for a while
    – Varieties, what should I make on the next day?
    – Enough space for every foods.

    Thank you!

    623
    Reply to Ainur Rasyidah'> Reply

  623. perrier

    What do I find difficult about making a bento ?
    To me, it is to make it good looking… I manage the variety of food, the healthyness, sometimes the colors… But my bento are not really good to look at 🙂 I guess I just have to practice more and keep on reading JOC !

    629
    Reply to perrier'> Reply

  624. Jesie Pong

    Your recipes have pleased so many people. Yet create happiness while preparing the meal for their love ones. Your wonderful and simple ideas change the perception of bento preparation. Well done and please continue to create more menus/recipes for us.. thanks for bringing joys in our simple life. Tqvm.

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  625. Laurie Emanuele

    The most difficult part of making a bento is getting the top on and transporting – without ruining the contents. Cheese sticks to the top, tomatoes get squished, lettuces crush, leakage, designs shuffle, the list goes on…

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  626. Lim Anne Yee

    The difficult part of making bento is to make the food still look good and still fresh to eat at the time of eating it, for example, the vegetables with sauce may not suitable as it makes rice wet and soft (some people may not like wet rice).

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  635. Georgina Lewis

    I think the most difficult thing about bento for me is placement. I have a hard time when I pack a lunch since I’m on the run as a college student, but I’m getting better thanks to your youtube videos and website 🙂

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  640. Andrea

    Hello!
    For me, the difficult thing when I make a bento is to make it “beautifull”… I never have a lot of time, so think carefully about the ingredients but afterwards it’s always in a hurry that I assemble the bento… But it’s ususlly delicious!
    Thanks a lot for your receipes!
    Andrea from Switzerland

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  646. Sharon C.

    Most difficult for me is finding a balance between on the one hand creating a bento that looks beautiful and on the other hand not spending to much time on it.
    I either quickly put leftovers together with some extra ingredients, which most of the time does not look nice.
    Or, I spend hours in the kitchen and then I cannot eat (i.e. destroy) it because I am so proud of it 😉

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  668. Beatriz Esqueda Contreras

    I really like your bento products and your ideas to prepare meals for lunch and other recipes. My children are old and don’t like to carry a big lunch bag with an ice pack, buy they are ok carrying a container with dividers to put inside there main “course meal”, fruits and vegetables. What I find difficult making a bento lunch is that the are not too many products with gel lids, big enough to put all this food.

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  669. Betty Esqueda

    I really like your bento products and your ideas to prepare meals for lunch and other recipes. My children are old and don’t like to carry a big lunch bag with an ice pack, buy they are ok carrying a container with dividers to put inside the main “course meal”, fruits and vegetables. What I find difficult about making a bento lunch is that the are not too many products with gel lids, big enough to put all this food and stay fresh.

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  715. denise

    The most difficult part about making bento boxes for me as a full-time working mom is balancing time and energy as well as considering the very warm weather here in southern California when choosing food options that will stay fresh until my daughter’s school lunch time. It’s been over 100 degrees in the past few days here!

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  716. Sören Kalmarczyk

    The most difficult thing I always face is to make it look cute AND being stable enough to still look delicious after being carried around. I just hate it so much, when we arrive somewhere, I open the box and it’s all a mashy mess.

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  719. Maya

    What do you find difficult about making a bento?
    I do not have any difficulty making a bento. My only concern is I pack too much so it goes for lunch and for dinner. Hope I have not missed deadline as we are ahead in Australia. Adore your webpage Nami.

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  727. The hardest for me when packing bento is when i need to reheat the food the next day, i need to separate the cold food and hot food, or even those that heat at different time. Sometimes I put all the food in 1 container and just microwave it, and end up with overcooked veges.

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  751. Malgos

    Before I became a mom the most difficult for me was to control amount of food. I used to prepare to much of everything(^_^) So I was eating the same for few days.
    Second difficulty are ingridients which are expensive and hard to get in Poland.
    But since I have a wonderful daughter the most difficult is to find time to prepare food.(^_-)

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  752. Hi Nami and Lunch a Porter! Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway!
    I find it difficult to make so many different dishes to make a bento varied. At home with my family there are five of us and my mom makes 4-5 dishes for a meal with rice, but if it’s just me and my fiancé, I usually cook western style meals with just one course, but I don’t like seeing that in a bento! To me bento should have flavours and textures, so the more difficult thing is to just get enough random pieces to make bento interesting and delicious.
    Catt xx

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  759. Linda

    Bonus Entry 1: “Like” Just One Cookbook on Facebook. Done
    Bonus Entry 2: “Like” Lunch a Porter on Facebook. Done
    Bonus Entry 3: Subscribe to Namiko Chen on YouTube. Done

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