Apparently the danna is at the heaviest of his life now, so he requested me to control his diet by making healthy bento every day to help him lose weight .
So this is a collection of some of the dannaben (lunch box for husband in Japanese. Bento for the danna = dannaben) for him to bring to work. They are quite repetitive (batch cook for one week!) so i don’t think they are very interesting, mostly for my own reference. Anyway no more Kyaraben because in the end i decided it’s just not worth the time lolol. I’d rather spend extra 5 minutes to actually take a proper dump wtf.
Bento 1
Wasabi Karaage with rice and Siu-mai.
Bento 2
Mini hamburg, mini onigiri (vinegared konbu & shishitou pickle) and gomokumame(mixed beans).
Bento 3
Inari sushi with mentai mayo salmon flakes, tamagoyaki and salad.
Bento 4
Onigiri (Mentaiko & salmon) and salad with garlic miso dip.
Bento 5
Mentaiko Siu-mai, boiled egg, simmered daikon & konnyaku , and onigiri.
Bento 6
Mentaiko siu-mai, Ajitama (flavored egg) and kakuni (flavored pork), tofu steak, yaki onigiri and gomokumame.
Bento 7
On a very very lazy day it is cheese & ham sandwich and a Tokyo Banana lolol.
Initially i made something really typically bento: rice + meat + veggies combo liddis. But after a week he lost 0KG ( i don’t know why! Maybe he secretly snacked on KFC buckets at work lol), so he wanted to change to a zero carb (or at least low carb) diet. Which is quite challenging because now i have to fill in the rice portion with something non-carb, and still have to have it taste balanced.
So here are some of the Zero Carb/ Low Carb diet bento:
Bento 8
Tofu steak, pork kakuni, ajitama and gomokumame.
Gomokumame is a variation of mixed beans and other things, and here i used soy beans, black beans, hijiki, konbu, konnyaku and bean curd. It’s a great source for protein, and konnyaku basically has zero calorie so it has just become the danna’s best friend.
Bento 9
To cut down on calorie intake, instead of the usual hamburg, the danna has requested a tofu version of hamburg. Just replace half the meat with mashed tofu. Surprisingly it doesn’t taste very different from full-meat hamburg!!
Also tried eggplant pizza millefeuille. Basically just replace the dough with eggplant XD.
Bento 10
Yasai tappuri gyoza and Atsuage cheese misoyaki.
Instead of the usual gyoza i also cut down the amount meat in half and replace with lots of greens (cabbage, leek and negi) for a healthier version. Then there’s grilled tofu with garlic miso paste and melty cheese.
Bento 11
Ebi siu-mai, Gobo & Renkon kinpira and boiled egg.
Kinpira is another easy favorite! I used gobo (burdock), renkon (lotus root) , carrot, and konnnyaku, all thin-sliced and fried.
Bento 12
Nira tamago (fried egg with leek), gomokumame & meat balls.
Bento 13
Moyashi itame (stir-fried bean sprout), gomokumame, nori tamagoyaki, siu-mai and roast beef.
Moyashi is great for bento’s volume (to fill up the tummy) at a super low calorie count!
Bento 14
Today is a luxurious day!!!
Steamed carrots and cabbage, roast beef slices upgraded with a topping of foie gras.
Bento 15
Didn’t think sugary fruits are suitable for low-carb diet but the danna requested for it hence the extra!
In another bento box there’s nori tamagoyaki, grilled yamaimo (the slimy yam), shishitou and negi. And the usual kinpira & siu-mai.
Bento 16
This is today! The Western cabbage & bacon peperoncino, and the Asian tofu moyashi itame with ikan bilis lol. Pretty much zero carb and super easy to make.
That’s all!! I think he lost 1.5KG in a week, so i guess that’s not too bad la. Considering he still cheat at night with Haagan Daz. Let’s continue a couple more weeks and see how it goes!
If you guys have any input on low-carb dieting please share with me!! The danna will appreciate it very much 😀
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[Shoutout]Yakult Dance Contest
And of course, our fridge is also stocked with plenty of Yakult Light for healthy tummy!
If you have kids at home, you may be familiar with Hi5, and you may want to surprise them with this:
Hi-5 House Hits 2014 is coming to Malaysia this December! They even added 2 more shows due the high demand. You can watch them LIVE at KLPAC, KL from 10th December – 14th December 2014.
And…. Yakult is giving out tickets to the show as prizes!
Shoot a 15 second video of you doing the Yakult dance and post it on Instagram from 1st – 20th November 2014 for a chance to win tickets and meet & greet passes with the Hi5 cast.
You can watch the Yakult Dance via Yakult youtube channel. Every Yakult branch in the country has participated in the Yakult Dance!!! Hahahha i think everybody is such a great sport! I’m including a video sample below so you can have an idea how it is like. I have picked Yakult Lady Team in Sereamban because that’s my home town XD
And… the prizes!!
1st & 2nd Prize:
One pair of VVIP tickets to watch Hi5 LIVE at KLPAC (worth RM566) + Meet & Greet passes with Hi5 cast (4 pax per family)
3rd, 4th & 5th Prize:
One pair of VIP tickets to watch Hi5 LIVE at KLPAC (worth RM406) to watch Hi5 LIVE at KLPAC + Meet & Greet passes with Hi5 cast (4 pax per family).
6th – 13th Prize:
One pair of tickets to watch Hi5 LIVE at KLPAC (worth RM226)
30 x consolation prize
And here’s my attempt to do the Yakult Dance with Junya (and Champon. Sort of.) XD
This is the longer version! I have uploaded the 15 second contest entry on my Instagram @cheeserland.
Learn your Yakult Dance now!! Don’t forget to tag @yakultmalaysia, #hanyayakult and #yakultmalaysia
More info:
Website: www.yakult.com.my
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yakultmalaysia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yakultmalaysia
Instagram: http://instagram.com/yakultmalaysia
YouTube: http://goo.gl/hAOK3h
Yakult Song: http://www.4shared.com/mp3/CGD2PIKDce/Yakult_Song.html
Wow, Cheesie you’re really good in cooking! Look like the bento selling in restaurant or even better! Yummy!
hahaha actually i think is the filter!!! it is called “delicious” lolol
shirataki is also low calorie. I used to eat lots of shirataki when im on low carb diet. can make mee goreng,mee soup etc summore
yes yes!!! the suprmarket nearby doesnt sell shirataki though. It’s great for nabe as well! 😀
last week I saw in TV that some lady lose 20kg+ by subsisting a portion of her rice with minced enoki. maybe you can try this too. enoki is easier to find than shirataki IMO.
(luckily im in Japan at the moment hehehe)
Nvm!! I just went to ISETAN and bought tons of shirataki lolol. Thanks! 😀
You are really an inspiration.. How would you have the time to cook and prepare such lovely meals for your husband while you are taking care of Junya by yourself?
I salute you to the max!
I guess I really have a nasty baby here, cos I don’t think I’ve the time to do it as he requires 24/7 attention! Can’t even go toilet…
Only early morning!!! when junya is still sleeping! Also my mom is helping me now so it’s A LOT BETTER 😀
Ganbatte!!!!!
HI Cheesie! So impressive dannaben! You’re a great wife and mom! I’m learning to make bento like these for myself and bf. May I ask, how do you make those onigiri wrapped with seaweed? won’t the seaweed go soggy? and also, did you wrap the onigiri with plastic wrap? Oh and all the bento is served at room temperature, rite? Sorry if I’ve asked some stupid questions 🙁 Hope to hear from you. Thanks in advance!
Yes wor seaweed will get soggy, no choice. But you can buy those onigiri wrap (i bought it from Daiso Japan), you can make it exactly like combini onigiri!!!! Insert the seaweed first the rice. Super awesome!
And yea bento is room temperature. Sometimes even cold. Cuz by lunch time it will become warm anyway. Buy those microwave-friendly bento box so your bf can just microwave it at work (if there’s one).
hey cheesie! you can actually swap your rice to mashed cauliflower! its quite good and not to mention healthy XD or you can swap portobello mushroom with hamburger
Waaa i have never thought of that!! Interesting!!!
But noooooo i want my hamburg AND portobello mushroom lolol
I always check your instagram, and I always always check your blog even if you don’t mention it on Instagram that you have a new post. And this by far is the besttttt blog post you have done. If I’m only Japanese then I’ll copy all your receipes here, too has I don’t know any of the food only siomai. But this is so beautiful and yummy! All must be jealous of your hubby for him having such an awesome wife. You are the best, can’t wait to see your bentos for bbjunya when he goes to school in few years, hehe
thank youuuuu. haha really ah!! it’s a boring blog post XD. But noooooo if you follow some Japanese wife on instagram you will faint. The kind of effort they put in to making a perfect balance healthy pretty looking bento!!!!
Hahaha.. Although I’m straight, I wish you were my wife so I can eat your cute healthy bentos errrrday! I like how u make them look so adorably appetising..!
thanks!!! it’s the magic filter that make them look yummy haha
Cheesie, all the food that you made looks lovely. Where did you get the Hokkaido milk? Been trying to hunt for it in malaysia
i bring back a whole carton from japan lol
omg cheesie the food looks so amazing. it’s making me damn hungry hahaha you’re an amazing cook omg <3
xx
lostinblackhaze.blogspot.com
i’m not!!! the danna is happy though not very impressed XD
Your husband’s bento boxes are so pretty! I loved the Book Lunch one.
Yes it is cute right?? 😀
Does the danna like mushrooms? There are so many types and so delicious not to mention packed with nutrients, versatile too
Yes he does! Good idea!!! 😀
hello..
i’ve been a silent reader since….. i can’t rem when liao. ( i tink from your “cheatone” era)
but.. omg.. i love love love love the humor u have in ur blog post.. and ur fashion.. and ur jap travels! now u got me in love with your cooking!!!
can you do a #cheesiecooks recipe too? 😀
don’t think i’m qualified for that but thanks!!!! XD
haha i don’t think any of my recent entries are funny in anyway though T___T
My favourite is bento 8! Can totally imagine the awesome pairing of tofu steak & pork kakuni
Some suggestions…
Roast cauliflower // Pan fry salmon or tofu and top it with some teriyaki sauce // chop up some bell peppers and add them into the tamogoyaki batter (instantly makes them look cuter!) // Marinade prawns with salt, pepper, paprika and crushed garlic, pop em on the grill with some melted butter // stir fry tanghoon!
Awesome suggestions!!!
Thank you!!! Tanghoon is harusame right! Glass noodle? Yea i think that’s quite low carb!
it’s called fatherhood!
urgh you would think that by having a baby they would lose some weight -_-
How about wheat noodles like Soba or Somen to replace rice? 🙂
haha he wants 100% zero carb!!! But yea when he cannot take it we would have some somen, or harusame, or multigrain rice!
I super love this post, second to your coordinate post 🙂
so many recipe to copy from, i am so happy 🙂 XDXDXD
ok you happy i happy XD
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hey, your bento lunch look great…mind to share some recipe? im trying to eat clean but trying to get more variety to it 🙂
i’ll think about it! 😀
you should make a blog post on how you prepared those bentos! that’ll be fun to read… well, for me. LOL!
Haha yea but would be soooooo boring for those who don’t cook XD
no it wont be bored! it would be so fun! i also wanted to read all them! about your recipes.
This looks absolutely delicious – it would be so nice if you could show us a few of the recipes over the next week or maybe a link where you found the recipe. I just started to change my diet and that food just looks amazing. ^^ I would love to cook more asian inspired dishes but here in Europe it’s not so easy to find all the ingredients.
I’m just curious if it wouldn’t be easier for your husband to change his diet and eat more healthy carbs than to completely cut them out? Not that he’s going to gain it all back when he starts to eat “normal” again. :/
I get all the recipe from cookpad!!! Unfortunately it is only in Japanese though. But it is super amazing. Just type in a keyword and you will have hundreds of recipe submitted by users. Usually turn out quite good! I was thinking of including the recipe but i thought the blog post would turn out really, really boring for those who don’t cook lolol
I just looked up the site you mentioned and they have an english version apparently. Thank you so much for answering me 🙂
Oh that’s great!!! 😀
Hey cheesie, do u make the siu Mais yourself or U used the frozen ones?
I bought the frozen ones from Ajinomoto (soooooo convenient), but then i realized it’s super easy to make, so i made different kinds of siu mais for more variation :))
they all looks so yummy! where did you learn to cook like a pro japanese housewife!
http://www.tenshichn.blogspot.com
All from cookpad lolol
Hi Cheesie,
I’ve been a follower of your blog for a long time 🙂 but this is my first time commenting. I am a huge fitness/health freak so I’m very, very careful about what I eat! There is no need to go 0 carb, in fact it’s good to eat some because it will make it a lot easier to maintain a diet, and also its necessary for your body to function.
Just switch all carbs to whole grain/unrefined carbs, or replace with vegetable carbs (potato/sweet potato/pumpkin – pumpkin is very good!). Oats are a good source of whole grains too – you can have it for breakfast as muesli (don’t buy boxed muesli, it contains as much sugar as sugary cereals a lot of the time).
Try stay away from all processed/premade foods as they have a lot of hidden sugar/salt/fat in them. One of my favourite healthy snacks is low fat greek yoghurt (plain yoghurt, no added sugar or anything) with chopped fresh fruit in it, and I put it in a jar to take to work.
Try stay away from mince and other processed meat (contains a lot of fat), you could try switching to lean meat instead, like beef (steak/corned beef/stewed beef), chicken (most common lean source of protein), seared fish, or canned tuna is good too. Eggs are great too.
Eat looots of veges – you can count them as 0 carbs (unless you cook them in oil) because they are mostly fibre so they will go straight through your body as well as containing lots of essential nutrients and vitamins, so you can eat as many as you want 😛
You can try making things like zucchini fritters (grated zucchini with egg), broccoli fritters.
Nuts are good as a snack, a source of good oils and protein too (protein helps keep you fuller for longer). Avocado is a great healthy snack that also helps keep you full.
There are heaps of healthy recipes on other websites, usually fitness ones, and they’re good for ideas and inspiration 🙂 some are really intense, so just adapt them to suit what you can buy in Japan, what you’re used to eating, and set realistic goals!
I live in New Zealand so the food that I usually eat is quite different – I hope this helps a little bit! Keep blogging, always look forward to your lifestyle blogs 🙂
Hello NZ girl, thank you soooo much for the long comments and all the tips!! I’ll keep them in mind! Yea i think the diet in NZ is soooo different! In Malaysia we hardly have the culture to eat salad/raw veggies so yea grilled veggies and fritters sounds great! I’m also making lots of kinpira from root vegetables (radish, burdock, carrot, yamaimo…), they are less carby than stuff like potatoes. Thanks again, really appreciate it!
Hi cheesie! You can make salmon yaki with mentaiko topping
I love all your blog posts – especially the food ones! These bento boxes are adorable (your hubby is so lucky!) and definitely inspiring… keep it up =)
Can you share some recipe please!!!!
will try! 😀
Thank you!! You made me like Japanese style/food and even the country more!!!!!!! 😀
Hey, Cheesie! Been following for a few years already (silent reader lolol).
I hope you do post up some of the recipes up! >w<
Although, I got to admit that Japanese ingredients are really expensive on my budget (still a student). The only thing Japanese-like I can afford to cook for me and the kareshi would be miso soup and Japanese curry. oTL|||
You can go to Daiso (if there’s one in your place), you will be amazed at the things you could find for only 100 yen!!
Cheesie, i love to cook as well and I am a good cook but horrible carb and fat heavy since me and my bf have a super high metabolism. But i honestly truly respect the effort you make, and i don’t know HOW you do it WITH a baby to take care of as well, really a super mom!!
Wow… can I order bento from you? 😛
I think konnyaku is very low carb, they have started making the konjac into noodles and rice and pasta so if you can find that in the supermarket it’s a good staple. The brand we have here is called slendier. 🙂 You can also put cauliflower in a blender and turn it into “rice”.
oooh! How do you prepare the “rice” though, steam it? 😀
Steamed egg with meat (or without!), and chicken stock!! beat two eggs (that is one part) and two parts chicken stock and one part water. beat the mixture up. Put clingwrap over the bowl. Steam it for 20 min(without meat) or 25-30 minute with meat! you can also top with fish eggs!
I’m not a fan of Japanese food, really.. BUT all ur bento looks so tempting I wanna eat all of em’.. Samo got cute stickers make me wanna eat them even more.. And and looks so healthy ni.. Perhaps u should get some orders and do delivery. I wanna buy.. Pweassee 🙂
lolol you will be disappointed XD