bento!

louise got me a bento box, which i have been wanting for a while. it is essentially a lunch container that is divided up into little sections (almost like those classic tv dinner containers, but much nicer looking). i believe the idea is to create an aesthetically pleasing array of colors with your food, while at the same time allowing for various textures and tastes. this is my first experience with a bento box. i put the meal together last night. it consists of:

• a bean and cilantro salad i made
• red peppers
• alfalfa sprouts
• pepperoncini
• cheddar cheese
• triscuits
• a hard-boiled egg
• some organic peanut butter

i really should have included some sort of fresh fruit, but i didn't feel like going to the store last night and had to make due with what was already available in my kitchen. normally these are filled with japanese food as the bento box originates and is primarily used by the japanese, but i don't really cook japanese food (although louise did make me some delicious sushi earlier this week).

now i am brainstorming other items i may want to include in future bento meals. they have to be items that do not require heating. here's what i got so far:

• broccoli
• dark chocolate
• berries (black, rasp, straw, etc.)
• watermellon
• banana
• chips and salsa
• leftovers that can be eaten cold
• carrots
• tofu
• sushi
• grape tomatoes
• orange slices
• apple slices
• pineapple
• edemame
• zours
• string cheese
• salad
• jalapenos
• avocado slices

i could obviously go on and on, but those were the first items that came to mind. do you have ideas for stuff i can put in my new bento box?