Bento contents:

• 2 sandwiches made with 2 kouya dofu sandwich 'breads', filled with cucumber, ham and mayonnaise, 600 calories
• Lettuce and cherry tomatoes, 50 calories

Total calories (approx): 650 (how calories are calculated)

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'. 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) 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.