Bento is by definition a take-away meal for one, commonly found in Japan. Meals are prepared elaborately in one or several lunch boxes and many people take great care to present the food in creative and outlandish ways – cartoon characters, or animals are popular food creations.

Vegan Bento is a picture-sharing group, and so the group is limited by this format. You will need to get a flickr account to participate, but not to read. It is much more active than many other vegan bento communities however, and most of the dishes come with instructions or links to other sources. It is great for gaining ideas and inspiration to think more creatively about packed lunch. There are discussion threads in the community where members can ask questions, or read the shared experiences of others.

Check out the Vegan Bento group.

WORDS: Candace Petrik