Sustainable Seafood

Confused about which seafood is best for the planet? The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA provides a wealth of information on most seafood you're likely to eat. Visit their site at www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp to find out whether the fish you're eating has been responsibly caught. And don't forget to print off a wallet-size Seafood Watch card to refer to when grocery shopping or eating out.

Holiday Special Ends Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that our 20% holiday discount offer expires tomorrow. If you'd like to place an order before the deadline, use discount code "holiday2008" (no quotes) when checking out.

Thanks for all your support in 2008. We wish you good health, happiness, and much prosperity in 2009!

Strategies for Dealing With Picky Eaters

Got a picky eater in your family? Here are a few strategies that will help you in the coming year:

* Serve vegetables and new foods when your child is most hungry, for instance, before a meal as an appetizer.

* Introduce new foods in small quantities so your child doesn't become overwhelmed. Encourage him/her to take just two bites of each new food. (That's the "two-bite" rule!)

* Offer the same food prepared in different ways. Offer them alone and prepared with other foods. Cut foods in different ways before preparing.

* Give your child choices within the boundaries you establish. For example, instead of asking, "What do you want to eat?" ask "Would you like an apple or a pear?"

* Don't make a big deal when your child rejects a food. Stay calm and reaffirm the boundaries you have established by insisting that your child eat two bites before leaving the table. Don't let your child engage you in a power struggle.

* Do not completely forbid certain foods. Allow your child to choose a special food from time to time and to eat it guilt free. Teach your children the difference between everyday foods and occasional foods. In time, they'll start making healthy choices on their own.

* Consider the possible unspoken meanings of "I don't like it." This might really mean, "I'd rather have a cookie" or "I'm not in the mood for that right now." Insist on the two-bite rule.

* Avoid food rewards. Neither dessert nor candy should be used as a punishment or enticement. Instead, establish and enforce rules for when and how many treats will be consumed.

* Don't become a short-order cook. Prepare only one meal for the entire family. If your child refuses to eat dinner, remain calm, stand firm, and ignore the tantrums. Your child will not die of hunger from skipping a meal but will likely come to the next meal with a healthy appetite and a willingness to eat what you serve.

Only Nine Cases of Mis-matched Sets Left in Stock

If you've been waiting for the mismatched sets to come in, please know that we have only 9 cases left. They're on sale for only $312 per set of 24 while supplies last. If your school is implementing or has implemented a waste-free lunch program and is looking for waste-free lunch kits, this is the absolute best deal in town! For more information, visit http://www.laptoplunches.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=6000000&preadd=action

New Laptop Lunch Bento Combo

We've just added a new product combo to our shopping cart--the Laptop Lunches primary bento set in the insulated bento sleeve. We're testing the market to see if there's a demand for this bundled combination. They're available on our Web site at www.laptoplunches.com/products.html for only $33.99--while supplies last. Please take a look and let us know your thoughts.

20% Discount Offer Extended Through Dec 31st

Obentec is very excited to announce that we are moving to our very own warehouse located right here in Santa Cruz! In an effort to minimize the amount of inventory at our current warehouse, we are extending our 20% holiday discount offer through December 31, 2008. The discount code is holiday2008.

Thanks to all of our wonderful customers for helping us to reach this important milestone!

Tired of shipping costs?

Purchase Laptop Lunches locally! Do you want to purchase a Laptop Lunchbox at your local natural foods store? We've received a large number of emails from customers looking for Laptop Lunches in their home town. Please let us know if you'd like us to contact a particular store. You know your neighborhood better than we do... and remember, we do have a product request form that you can fill out and take to a store near you.

Great News!

Just wanted to let you know that our highly discounted cartons of mis-matched sets are finally back in stock after a long three-month hiatus. Sold for only $312 for a case of 24, these sets are ideal for schools, organizations, birthday parties, mothers’ groups, and more. We have just ten cases in stock--available while supplies last. Please visit http://www.laptoplunches.com/products.html to place your order.

Mushroom Strudel For Lunch

Mushroom Strudel For Lunch
Originally uploaded by SV Mama

The kids and I had a great time making this strudel for dinner, and it tasted great for lunch the next day. Its wonderfully rich flavor holds up well, and the whole lunch travels surprisingly well. Drop each item into the box, and off you go. Reheat the strudel or enjoy it cold.

Upgrades for the brown-bag lunch crowd

When you have a free moment, check out Alex Pham's article in the L.A. Times. Nice photographs! Be sure to follow the link to calculate how much you can save annually by packing a lunch for work or school. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/shopping_blog/2008/12/laptop-lunch-sa.html.

Laptop Lunches Giveaway

Lunchinabox.net is giving away a complete Laptop Lunch System, which includes the Laptop Lunches bento box, utensils, inner containers, insulated carrying case, water bottle, and a copy of the Laptop Lunch User's Guide. To enter, post a comment at www.lunchinabox.net describing your ideal lunch packed in a Laptop Lunch Box. To enter, submit your comment by midnight (Pacific Time) on Monday, December 15, 2008.

Holiday Discount

Happy Holidays! We're pleased to offer a 20% discount this holiday season. Visit us online at www.laptoplunches.com for more information. Offer valid from Dec. 7 to Dec. 16, 2008 only. Use discount code holiday2008 when checking out. Wishing you a joyful holiday season!

Photo for your Web site

If you've got a Web site or blog, and you'd like to include an inspirational weekly lunch photo, you can add a short snippet of code just once and the image on your site will change auto-magically each week. More information can be found at http://www.laptoplunches.com/WebsitePhotos.html.

If you'd like us to link to your site, send us a link to the photo.

Past photos can be found in our menu library at http://www.laptoplunches.com/lunchmenus.html.

Thumbnail Images

We've added some enticing thumbnail images to our menu library to help you find the inspiration you're after. Check it out at www.laptoplunches.com/lunchmenus.html. Do you have a favorite lunch? Which menu inspires you most?

New Menu Gallery

We're very happy to announce the launch our new menu gallery at http://www.laptoplunches.com/lunchmenus.html. Check it out if you're looking for menu ideas, photos, and lunch preparation notes. We've also added a tab on our navigation bar at www.laptoplunches.com.

Enjoy!

Linden Hills Natural Home

Do you live in the Minneapolis/St Paul area? If so, you may be interested in this: http://www.lindenhills.coop/node/1619. Beautiful photo!

Stumble Upon

Do you stumble? If so, please give the Laptop Lunches Web site (www.laptoplunches.com) a thumbs up! If you haven't "stumbled upon" Stumble Upon, check it out at www.stumbleupon.com for some exciting new Web discoveries...and while you're there, please give the Laptop Lunches Web site a thumbs up.

Cootie Chronicles

Just came across a very nice blog post at http://cootiechronicles.blogspot.com/2008/11/accessorizing-your-toddler.html. Seems like just yesterday that my kids were off to school with their first Laptop Lunches... Love the photos!

Thanksgiving Bento

Here's a terrific Thanksgiving photo provided by Gina Flanagan at http://kidslunchboxcards.com.

Check it out:

Eco-Friendly Lunches

Obentec’s Laptop Lunches Provide Noontime Economic Relief

Daily restaurant lunches have become the norm for many in the workforce, but costs can add up fast with a typical meal often costing $6.50 per day or $1,000 - $2,000 per year. This may not seem like much in good times, but when the economy is uncertain, that’s a lot to fork over.

Americans are, thankfully, a resourceful bunch, and when it comes to lunch, resourceful often means taking up the brown bag—but with a 21st century bento twist: homemade lunches these days are stylish, fun, visually appealing, and eco-friendly too.

With the help of the Laptop Lunches line of on-the-go bento-ware, countless lunch-makers across the globe have turned what could be a dreary, self-pitying task into a delightfully delicious, nutritious, gourmet experience—for a fraction of the cost. Take the following menus for example:

Baked Pasta .75 Spinach Salad . 90 Artichoke Bruschetta .50 Dry-roasted Cashews 1.50 TOTAL $3.65

 

Navel Orange .45 Steamed Baby Eggplant .50 Sesame Dipping Sauce .35 Steamed Rice .30 Edamame (Steamed Soybeans) .37 TOTAL $1.97

To calculate your own lunch savings, visit www.dinkytown.net/java/LunchSaver.html. Simply type in your lunch expenditures, number of lunches per week you carry to work, and the expected period of time you plan on packing your mid-day meal, and you can determine what your savings is likely to amount to. And it’s easy to experiment with various scenarios.

But the savings doesn’t end with the lunch hour. Laptop Lunches brand bento boxes make it possible to save even more when you:

• Buy from bulk bins, which costs 30-50% less than single-serve items and generates less waste.

• Purchase seasonal, locally-grown fruits and vegetables for superior nutrition at a lower cost compared to produce shipped from afar.

• Stock up on foods you eat frequently, especially those that can be frozen or are non-perishable, resulting in fewer trips to the grocery store, which uses less gas.

About Laptop Lunches

Inspired by the Japanese bento box, the Laptop Lunch container features a hinged outer container, four inner food containers, a dip container, and a set of utensils. The insulated carrying case resembles a laptop bag with a handle, shoulder strap, ID tag, and water bottle. The Laptop Lunch User's Guide packs 96 pages of fresh ideas for making wholesome lunches. It features practical lunch menus, creative recipes, and strategies for improving lunchtime nutrition and reducing waste. They’re now available in five user-friendly colors: red, blue, pink, multicolor primary, and multicolor whimsical.

About Obentec, Inc.

Obentec, Inc. was founded by two moms, Amy Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring, whose mission is to provide fun, practical food containers and user guides that promote better nutrition and waste reduction. Laptop Lunches are available at www.laptoplunches.com and through select retailers nationwide.

Facebook Page

Laptop Lunches now has a Facebook page. Come join our group, share photos, and see what others are packing for lunch. You'll also see this special offer:

Obentec is pleased to offer Facebook members a 10% discount on orders placed online at www.laptoplunches.com before December 15, 2008. To take advantage of this offer, use discount code "facebook208" (no quotes) when checking out. Happy holidays!

Eating Well on a Budget

I just came across this very succinct and informative Stonyfield Farm article on eating well in an uncertain economy. (Unfortunately they failed to mention Laptop Lunches, the ideal tool for packing economical, on-the-go meals!)

If you're looking for economical, healthful eating tips, check out the article at www.stonyfield.com/Wellness/MooslettersDisplay.cfm?moos_id=116

Let us know what thoughts you have for eating well on a budget.

Photo Gallery

This morning I was thinking about the fact that the Laptop Lunches Photo Gallery is a great resource that many people may not be familiar with. We've been updating it regularly with the hope that it will provide inspiration to those of us who struggle to come up with fresh lunch ideas.

If you haven't visited our gallery, or if you haven't been there recently, be sure to check it out at www.laptoplunches.com/LaptopLunchPhotos.html. You can also get there from our home page at www.laptoplunches.com. It's about halfway down the page on the left.

Please let us know which photos you found particularly helpful or inspirational.

Have a photo you'd like to contribute? Please send it our way!

Amy

Welcome!

Welcome to the Laptop Lunches blog, a great place to find photos, lunch menus, recipes, and other resources related to lunchmaking, preparing delicious food, and caring for the environment.

You'll hear from various members of the Obentec team, the lunches we like, the Web sites we frequent, and useful resources we've discovered.

Here are two ideas for starters:

1. Subscribe to our rss feed to receive a weekly photo with a menu and preparation notes. (www.laptoplunches.com/rss/laptoplunches.rss)

2. Take a look at our lunch slide show for some lunchmaking inspiration.

And please check back frequently to find out what's new here at Obentec!

Amy