Packed Bento Box Examples
Here are some examples of packed bento boxes. Use them as a starting point to create your own bentos!
Bento Contents:
Breakfast:
- 1/2 cup muesli, 150 cal
- About 2 Tbs. dried cranberries, 60 cal
- 1/2 container (90g) Greek yogurt, 75 cal
Total calories for breakfast (approx): 285
Lunch:
- 6 Spicy Lentil Snacks, 270 cal
- Carrot sticks from 1 medium carrot, 30 cal
- 1/2 container (90g) Greek yogurt with spices, 75 cal
- Some greens, 5 cal
Total calories for lunch (approx): 380 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning - mainly just packing things up (You could pack the whole bento the night before; this bento will not suffer much in quality.)
Type: Vegetarian, not Japanese, 2-in-1
Bento contents:
- 1 1/2 cups (approx.) <a http://justbento.com/handbook/recipe-collection-mains/natto-or-tempeh-fried-rice">Natto Fried Rice with gomashio, 340 cal
- About 1/2 cup Carrot and broccoli stalk kinpira using the Forgotten Kinpira method, 40 cal
- About 1/2 cup blanched chard, 10 cal
Total calories (approx): 390 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning
Type: Vegan, Japanese, rather macrobiotic
Bento contents:
- 100g / 3 oz (approx.) Grilled Garlic Chicken, 120 cal
- Yogurt dressing from same page, using 2 Tbs. Greek (thick) yogurt, 40 cal
- 2 small bread rolls, 90 cal
- Steamed broccoli, shredded carrot, lettuce, arugula (rucola or rocket), total about 60 cal
- 1 fairly large orange (not seen in photo), 80 cal
Total calories (approx): 390 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning (you could cut this down by making some things in advance)
Type: Salad!
Bento contents:
- Approx. 1 cup of _zakkokumai_ (mixed grain rice with beans, seeds, etc.) - 220 cal
- 2 Tbs. Red Peppers With Maple Syrup and Chili, 20 cal
- 4 Sweet-Sour Red Wine Vinegar Chicken (skin on), 200 cal
- Blanched Chinese broccoli with yukari, 10 cal
Total calories (approx): 450 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning (you could cut this down by making some things in advance)
Type: Japanese, chicken, Bento Challenge!
Bento contents:
- Leftover vegetable stir-fry fried rice, using 3/4 cup brown rice, 230 cal
- 4 Poppy seed encrusted green pea mini-burgers, 160 cal
- About 1/4 cup Carrot sesame salad with 1 cherry tomato, 30 cal
Total calories (approx): 420 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes
Type: Vegan and gluten-free, relying on stock and frozen vegetables
Bento contents:
- 1 cup of cooked spaghetti, 225 cal
- About 1/3 cup homemade meat sauce using ground beef, 150 cal
- Sautéed vegetables: about 2 cups cooked of cabbage, carrots and celery, cooked in 1 tsp. oil, about 70 cal
- 2 small clementines, 70 cal
Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes
Type: Leftovers!
Bento contents:
- 1 1/2 cups of white rice, 240 cal
- About 1/2 cup stewed hijiki seaweed and fried tofu, 50 cal
- Sautéed vegetables and Chinese broccoli, 60 cal
- Steamed carrots and sweet potato slices, 30 cal
- Red pepper stuffed with a beef and tofu mini burger, 100 cal
- Garnishes: nori, usuyaki tamago (thin omelette), pine nuts, raisin, etc.
Total calories (approx): 480 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: Way too long! (About 2 hours)
Type: Japanese, kyaraben/charaban, special occasion, Homage to The Kitty
Bento contents:
- Approx. 1 cup of brown rice - 240 cal
- 60 g / 2 oz. (about 3 heaping tablespoons) Sesame flavored beef made with lean beef, 130 cal
- About 1/3 cup carrot kinpira, 50 cal
- Blanched greens flavored with oyster sauce and bean sprouts flavored with salt and sansho pepper, 20 cal
Total calories (approx): 440 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning
Bento contents:
- Fried rice made with 2/3 cup brown rice and assorted chopped vegetables, 250 cal
- 1 1/2 wiener sausages, 200 cal
- Omelette made with 2 eggs, 230 cal
- Broccoli, 20 cal
Total calories (approx): 700 (how calories are calculated)
Time needed: 20-30 minutes
Type: Japanese, kyaraben-ish, special occasion bento!
While I do try to keep a good stash of pre-made food to quickly assemble bentos in the morning, sometimes I've just run out, or am not in the mood to use whatever I have in the freezer, or leftovers in the fridge. That doesn't mean it's not possible to assemble a bento quickly using fresh ingredients and pantry items. Here are a couple that I made last week. The only premade 'stash' I used was frozen brown rice.