(This is the web elf. This is one of the articles Maki instructed to post while she's on the disabled list.)

Bento contents:

• 1 cup zakkokumai (mixed-grain rice, see this article), 160 cal
• 1/3 cup white beans with honey, 50 cal
• 2 mini tofu-meat burgers with red wine, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce (recipe), 160 cal
• Blanched spinach with sesame sauce (recipe), 40 cal

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)

Bento contents:

• 1 cup (about 220ml) brown rice (220cal)
• 2 Tbs. beef sorobo (80cal)
• 2 Tbs. iri tamago (70cal)
• Blanced Swiss chard leaves (5cal)
• Swiss chard stalks sautéed in butter (30cal)
• Hijiki with bean curd (50cal)
• 3 fresh lichees or litchi (15cal)

Total calories (approx): 475 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning, 20-30 previously

Type: Japanese

Bento contents:

• 3 potato oyaki filled with beef soboro (300 cal)
• Cucumber and wakame sunomono (20cal)
• Lettuce garnish (negligible)

Total calories (approx): 320 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning, 20-30 previously

Type: Japanese, Potato based, gluten-free

(click on image for a larger view)

Bento contents:

• Mixed capellini (angel hair) and shirataki noodles, about 1 cup cappellini cooked + 1/2 cup shirataki (220 calories)
• Sweet pepper and onion confit, about 1 cup (120 calories)
• 1 1/2 wiener sausages (200 calories)
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste (25 calories)
• Broccoli florets (negligible)

Total calories (approx.): 565 calories (how calories are calculated)

Type: Japanese, novelty

Bento contents:

• Gyuudon with konnyaku: Beef, onions and konnyaku on simmered in a sweet-savory sauce (220cal)
• on 1 cup brown rice (220 cal)
• Blanched greens (10 cal)
• Pickled radish (5 cal)

Total calories (approx): 455 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 25 minutes total (15 the night before, 10 in the morning)

Type: Japanese

The top trick used here is setting aside some ingredients for a dinner dish to make the main part of this bento at the same time.

Bento contents:

• Fried rice with ham, lentils and garlic chive blossoms (400cal, more or less depending on the fattiness of the ham)
• Broccoli stem, celery, walnut, apple and carrot salad with lemon dressing (60 cal)

Total calories (approx): 460 cal (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Type: Japanese, leftovers yay