The Bento Lunch Box

Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Did you ever consider packing a bento box for lunch? A bento box is typically served in Japanese restaurants, containing rice, teriyaki chicken, sushi, edamame, or whatever the chef serves. The idea is to prepare various foods in a gorgeous geometrical layout. While studying “Food and Culture” by Pamela Kittler, I discovered that Japanese moms work very hard to make a magnificent bento box that their preschool and elementary school children will eat. What if we made such an effort to make a packed lunch look better?

Curiosity overtook me, and I bought a bento-style lunch box at the discount store.

It is easy to eat at the desk and provides over 400 calories with 5 grams of fiber. You could increase the fiber by adding chickpeas to the salad. We opted to include a slice of lemon for dressing, but the lunchbox also comes with a dressing container.

Successful healthy eating is all about getting a variety of food groups, flavors, and convenience in every meal.

Want to omit the crackers? There is a second version below without them.

Want more bento box ideas? Search Amazon. There are tons of books about making them for lunch and dinner! Here is a favorite for health and affordability.

Bento Lunch Box

Bento Lunch Box

Yield 1
Author Judy Doherty
Prep time
5 Min
Total time
5 Min
Here is a delicious way to take a healthy lunch anywhere on the go!
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, hardboiled
  • 5 saltine crackers
  • 1- 1/4 cups lettuce
  • 2 cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 3 blackberries
  • 1 tsp avocado - 1 very thin slice
  • 1 tsp red onion
  • 1/2 cup red seedless grapes
  • 1/4 cup whole cashews

Instructions

  1. Prepare all ingredients and arrange in the bento lunch box as shown. Keep chilled until ready to eat.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

464

Fat

25 g

Sat. Fat

6 g

Carbs

44 g

Fiber

5 g

Net carbs

39 g

Sugar

19 g

Protein

20 g

Sodium

320 mg

Cholesterol

327 mg
copyright foodandhealth.com
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodandhealth on instagram and hashtag it #foodandhealthrecipes
Bento Lunch Box Without Crackers

Bento Lunch Box Without Crackers

Yield 1
Author Judy Doherty
Prep time
5 Min
Total time
5 Min
Here is a delicious way to take a healthy lunch anywhere on the go!
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, hardboiled
  • 1- 1/4 cups lettuce
  • 2 cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 3 blackberries
  • 1 tsp avocado - 1 very thin slice
  • 1 tsp red onion
  • 1/2 cup red seedless grapes
  • 1/4 cup whole cashews

Instructions

  1. Prepare all ingredients and arrange in the bento lunch box as shown. Keep chilled until ready to eat.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

401

Fat

24 g

Sat. Fat

5 g

Carbs

33 g

Fiber

5 g

Net carbs

28 g

Sugar

18 g

Protein

19 g

Sodium

178 mg

Cholesterol

327 mg
copyright foodandhealth.com
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodandhealth on instagram and hashtag it #foodandhealthrecipes
Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.

Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.

Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.

https://nutritioneducationstore.com
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