Bento #85 plus bento improvement tips - Pack it tight!
Bento #85, originally uploaded by kawaiikiki.
2 veggie samosas, Baybel cheese, pickled beets, and a mixture of veggies (they were frozen and had a light rosemary sauce) with potatoes and tofu.
Here is a before shot of the bento:
As you can see there is a lot of wasted space in the box, so tip #1 is Pack it Tight!
When I pack bento I start with my main dish and get as much of it tightly to the top as I can. This is typically rice, veggies, or noodles. I usually tip the box and use a spatula or spoon to get it all squished together. I am often surprised at how much I can get in using this technique.
Then I add in my next largest portion, typically your protein, here I am adding Samosas. I put them in standing up, rather than laying on the bottom because 1. it makes the box look fuller, and 2. actually gives me more space to use.
You'll notice that you can still see the bottom of the box. My next goal is to fill it with smaller foods that can cover those empty spaces. I started by using a divider cup that was triangular shaped to fill a triangular shaped gap.
Then I filled the cup and used a Baybel cheese to fill the other gap.
One more look and you'll notice that in the back right corner you can still see the wall of the box. So I took some of the extra veggies and plugged that hole!
I could have even taken it a step further and fill the gap to the left of the Baybel cheese. But as you may not be able to notice from the photos, this is a lot of food. This one tier bento was very filling. Lately I've been using 1 tier because I can fit so much in there that 2 tiers are just way too much, and let me tell you, I like to eat!
I hope my tip was helpful :D