Packed Bento Box Examples
Here are some examples of packed bento boxes. Use them as a starting point to create your own bentos!
Here's a very Japanese, vegetable based spring bento from a few weeks ago.
This week's featured bento is a colorful Middle-Eastern inspired vegetarian bento from the Netherlands.
Bento contents:
- Meatballs with lettuce in tomato sauce - 5 meatballs plus sauce, 270 calories
- Zucchini and white bean pods sautéed in olive oil, 100 calories
- 1/2 cup (120ml) brown rice with zakkokumai mix, 120 calories
Total calories (approx): 490 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes to pack in the morning
Type: Not really Japanese, made from stash and leftovers
Bento contents:
- 3 bento sized mini cabbage rolls, 180 calories
- Green beans with ginger stir fried in sesame oil, 60 calories
- Green beans stir fried with ginger and sesame oil, 60 calories
- Carrot slices cooked with the cabbage rolls, 5 calories
- 2/3 cup (160ml) rice from frozen stash, 160 calories
Total calories (approx): 405 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes in the morning to defrost and pack up the bento
Type: Japanese, everything made in advance; low-carb adjustable by reducing or replacing rice
Bento contents:
- 1 large slice boiled ham, 100 calories
- 1 slice proscuitto, 80 calories
- 1 small piece cheese (gouda), 80 calories
- 2 small whole grain rolls, 160 calories
- About 8 grapes, 30 calories
- 1 Tbs. mustard (in small red container)
- Mixed salad greens, 10 calories
Total calories (approx): 460 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5 minutes in the morning
Type: Not Japanese, sandwich, nothing made in advance
Bento contents:
- Quinoa with green peas and dried sausage, 1/3rd of the recipe (about 1 1/3 cups), 340 calories
- Raw asparagus, radish and Parmesan salad, 1/2 of the recipe (about 1 1/4 cups), 100 calories
- Fresh strawberries, about 1 cup, 50 calories Total calories (approx): 490 (how calories are calculated)
(1 cup = 240ml (US measurements))
Time needed: 25-30 minutes the night before; 10-15 minutes in the morning
Type: Not Japanese, alternative grains, gluten-free (note: please make sure the sausage you use is wheat-free if you are gluten intolerent.)
Bento contents:
- One pan braised kale with bacon and new potatoes, 1/4th the recipe, 430 cal
- Angel shaped cheese cutout (Gruyere), 30 cal
Total calories (approx): 460 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning (from leftovers of dinner the night before: see recipe for timing of kale dish)
Bento contents:
- 5 small Sweet Potato and Carrot Oyaki filled with ham and cheese, 250 cal
- Sausage bunnies and cauliflower sheep using 2 cocktail franks, 70 calories
- 1 Tbs. mayonnaise, 60 cal
- Blanced broccoli, carrot butterflies and other vegetables, 30 cal
Total calories (approx): 410 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 15 minutes the night before; 20 minutes in the morning
Type: Quick, not-rice-based charaben
Bento contents:
- 3 Karaage Chicken Lollipops, each about 40g of dark chicken meat, 180 cal
- 2 onigiri with mixed in furikake, containing about 1 1/2 cups total white rice, 360 cal
- Boiled asparagus, 10 cal
- Cherries, 30 cal
Total calories (approx): 580 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10 minutes the night before; 15 minutes in the morning
Type: Japanese picnic
Bento contents:
- About 2 oz / 60 g Poached frozen tofu, 90 cal
- 1 US cup (240ml) brown rice with sesame seeds, 240 cal
- About 5 radishes worth of Instant radish pickles, lined with shiso leaf, 15 cal
- 1/2 cup Baby zucchini (courgettes) sautéed in oil with soy sauce, 50 cal
- 4 Zucchini blossom-end fritters, 150 cal
- Asparagus spear ends, 5 cal
Total calories (approx): 550 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning
Type: Vegetarian, Japanese with a twist