Return of the Bento

I haven't posted much about my bento lunches in quite some time. Since I bought my two nifty new lunch boxes, I've been able to pack more nutritious meals. My most recent lunches have looked something like this lunch, packed in my Mr. Bent. The foundation items include salad (romaine, farmer's market summer squash, tomatoes, and guacamole with balsamic vinegar) and baked beans. I saw that the three or four cans of Bush's vegetarian barbecue baked beans that have been languishing in my cupboards for . . . well, let's just say for far too long, were due to expire in August. It being early August at the time of this discovery, I determined to use up the beans before they went bad.

These bento lunch marks the last of the beans! Mixed with ginger and cinnamon, they make a great warm lunch item. I also included a half cup of pureed pumpkin topped with cinnamon and raisins, which also is fantastic after a quick run through the microwave. To round off the meal with some healthy carbohydrates and calcium, I packed a quesadilla, made with a wheat tortilla, fat-free cheddar, mango peach salsa, and garnished with guacamole and fat-free quark. This meal is warm (but still tasty at room temperature), hearty, and nutritious. Huzzah for baked beans . . . and for their absence in my cupboard!