Bentos: trying something new...again

I recently found that that in Japan, there is a traditional ratio for what types of food to put into a bento: 4:2:1, or 4 parts rice, 2 parts protein, 1 part fruits, veggies or other ingredients. The neat thing about this is that if you use this ratio, the size of the bento box - in mL - is actually about how many calories you'll be filling the box with. Since we can't use grains, typically, our bentos have always been harder to fill with calories.

Which is why we're so happy to find some larger sized bentos: 1200mL! I wish they were not made of a plastic, but the wood or bamboo ones are 1) smaller and/or 2) a heck of a lot more expensive. We'll have to work our way up to those.

A typical daily meal plan

This would be a typical day's meal plan for me in the early summer. Gluten Free, Grain free, sulfite free, dairy free, and soy free. It changes depending on the seasons.

Beverages - water, water with a little fresh squeezed citrus, tea made from herbs in the garden, some homemade pecan milk. Stevia leaves to sweeten or drink unsweetened. Kids can sometimes use agave syrup or honey.

Breakfast at my house