THAT IS A BENTO BOX?!?

When I first started looking at different sites, and seeing all the beautiful creations, I couldnt wait to start ordering bento boxes. My first one was the Tenmari set from J-box(which also sells at Ichiban Kan, I found out later)

When you see these boxes in pictures, they look like they would be a decent size. But pictures can be deceiving! I was shocked to realize how small bento boxes really are!
My new bento looked like something my kids would play with using pretend food, and not like anything that would hold enough food for me to eat as a meal.

I, like many Americans, was so used to large portions. Also as a Korean, many meals like naeng myun, and bibimbap come in enormous bowls and finishing one of these bowls was never a problem for yours truly. So fitting enough food for a big eater like me into one of these tiny boxes posed a pretty big challenge.

However, I have figured out that a balance of the right foods will leave me feeling quite full. I believe the correct proportions are 3 parts grains, 1 part protein, 2 parts vegetables. Cutting the food into bite size pieces is necessary to fit everything in. When I stick to those proportions, or even increase the starch(usually rice for me) even a small bento like the Tenmari pictured above holds enough food for me to eat and feel satisfied. The bigger bentos often hold too much food for me to eat in one sitting, which is fine because I can nibble on the rest later, as a snack.