Bento contents:
- 2 sandwiches made with 2 kouya dofu sandwich ‘breads’ [1], filled with cucumber, ham and mayonnaise, 600 calories
- Lettuce and cherry tomatoes, 50 calories
Total calories (approx): 650 (how calories are calculated) [2]
Time needed: 30 minutes (if ‘bread’ is made in the morning, less time if you make it in advance and just assemble the sandwich in the morning)
Type: Low carb, gluten-free, alternative sandwiches
Here’s a bento featuring sandwiches made with kouya dofu or freeze-fried tofu sandwich ‘bread’ [1]. When you’re on a low-carb eating plan it’s really nice to be able to have a worry-free sandwich! The sandwiches were quite filling. As you can see they are not that low in calories, because I used a not-so-lean ham and real full-fat mayonnaise, but if you’re on a low-carb weight loss plan they should work well.
I secured the sandwiches together with a long skewer so that they didn’t fall open.
I filled the rest of the box very simply with cherry tomatoes, which were a nicely refreshing accompaniment to the sandwiches. That also kept the overall calorie count reasonable. I didn’t really eat the lettuce, but it serves as a pretty lining for the box.
The box I used
This is a woven bamboo basket box that I’ve had for years. It’s a traditional bento box type (see bamboo bento boxes [3]) and is good for sandwiches and onigiri, since it allows air to circulate around the rice or bread. It’s also very lightweight, making it ideal for bringing along on hikes. I did line the box with some kitchen parchment paper under the lettuce, to prevent any of the food from staining it.