
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 520 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 20-25 minutes in the morning if making from scratch; much less if using pre-made/pre-frozen components
Type: Bread-free, vegan continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 435 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 400 (how calories are calculated) continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 355 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning, just to pack everything in the bento box
Type: Japanese, chicken! continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 410 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese, chicken! continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 360 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning Type: Japanese, vegan continue reading...
Bento contents:
Stir-fried noodles consisting of:
1/2 Tbs. sesame oil, 60 cal
4 vegan shuumai dumplings, 120 cal
Total calories (approx): 245 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10 minutes in the morning (can also be made ahead)
Type: Spicy Asian, vegan continue reading...
Total calories (approx): 420 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed in the morning: 10-15 minutes
Type: Japanese continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 390 (how calories are calculated)
Type: Japanese, noodles continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 645 (how calories are calculated)
Type: Pasta salad! continue reading...

Bento contents, 2-tier bento (580ml capacity):
Total calories (approx): 445 (how calories are calculated)

Bento contents, 1-tier bento (670ml capacity):
Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed for both: 10-20 minutes in the morning (depending on your assembly speed and neatness factor)
Type: Japanese, omnivore (salmon, egg)
This is a fairly standard, classic Japanese style bento. I make this type of bento far more than any other. I’ve already given instructions on how to make the individual pieces, but I thought it might be useful to see step-by-step how to pack a bento box properly, with an eye to the following:
I’ve used two standard type bento boxes; a 2-tier model, and a 1-tier model with a divider. continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 460 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese, omnivore (chicken, egg) continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 450 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese, omnivore (salmon, miso, fried tofu) continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 420 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese, omnivore (wieners!) continue reading...

Bento contents: continue reading...

Last time, I mentioned how I thought the Fit & Fresh™ Breakfast Chiller, which is decidedly not a bento box in the traditional sense, could serve as a bento box. I put this into practice with some leftovers. It doesn’t look that photogenic so I’m putting it in the also-ran category of bentos, but it’s here since I thought it might be useful to see how to use a container like this. continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 420 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese-yohshoku, vegan (soybeans or tempeh) continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 570 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5 minutes in the morning
Type: Not Japanese, omnivore (beef), frozen continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 485 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese, vegan (tofu) continue reading...

Whenever I post a complete bento how-to I try to pick ones that have something unique or noteworthy about them. Of course I actually make a lot more bentos than I post about. Here are few that didn’t make the cut - the ‘also-ran’ bentos, with an explanation of why they didn’t make it to star status. continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 480 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes
Type: Japanese, meatless (tuna) continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning if you make everything in the morning
Type: Not Japanese, vegetarian (lacto-ovo) continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 525 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5 minutes in the morning for assembly
Type: Japanese, meat-free, gluten-free (see notes continue reading...

Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 310 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5 minutes in the morning
Type: Salad, vegan, gluten-free continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 380 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 15 minutes in the morning, less if you make the kidney beans ahead
Type: Fushion, vegan, gluten-free continue reading...
(This is the web elf. This is one of the articles Maki instructed to post while she’s on the disabled list.)
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 410 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 15 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese, omnivore (protein comes from beef, tofu and beans) continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 310 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 20 minutes in the morning if you make everything in the morning
Type: Japanese, vegan (shoujin ryouri style) continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 470 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning
Type: Bread based, vegetarian (uses cheese) continue reading...
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 380 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 20 minutes in the morning, 10-15 the night before
Bento contents:
Total calories (approx): 415 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 20-30 minutes total
Type: Asian-fusion, vegan, gluten-free continue reading...