Bento Boxes That Look Great and Taste Even Better!

Posted: August 29, 2022 12:50 pm

With the start of a new school semester comes a return to hectic schedules and the need for fast and nutritious meals. Luckily for parents, bento boxes provide an efficient way of preparing healthy meals. And since Bentos are often consumed cold or at room temperature, this significantly reduces the cooking time. With that in mind, let’s get cooking!

What Does A Bento Box Lunch Comprise?

Preparing a Bento Box lunch is easy once you’ve identified all the necessary ingredients. Here are some suggestions about what to pack and how to make the most out of the space in your containers.

Maintain a nutritionally sound diet: The goal here is to prepare a nutritious, well-balanced meal. Therefore, include an assortment of veggies and proteins, with reasonable amounts of fruits and carbohydrates.
Consider packable foods: Bento boxes are handy since they often include pre-portioned food that does not need reheating. Salads, wraps, sandwiches, and sushi may be served as entrées. Snacks may consist of any kind of fruit, freshly cut veggies, dips, nuts, seeds, or energy balls.
The presentation should not be sloppy: In Japanese culture, the way a dish is served corresponds to its flavor. Because of this, bento boxes include sections. It helps separate the various components of a meal, preventing them from being jumbled. And to maintain the effectiveness of your display, be creative with colors and textures! You can achieve this by adding bright fruits to one compartment or lush greens to a sandwich.

Chicken Teriyaki Bento

If lunch isn’t your favorite meal, this chicken teriyaki bento box will make you change your mind. Lure your taste buds with this assortment of sweet and tangy umami-flavored room temperature treats. You can prepare everything the night before, pack it up, and give to your children to take with them to school the following day.
This bento box recipe is a nice way of using leftover teriyaki chicken and an even better way of letting your child enjoy that delicious treat a second time. Simply pair your leftover teriyaki chicken with cucumber salad, apple bunnies, tomatoes, and furikake on top of rice.

Adorable Bento Box Dishes

Children can’t resist the adorable animal sandwich bento. If their favorite animal figures are part of their lunch, you can bet that they’ll be excited to eat it. Do not complicate things by using too many components. Cheese, ham, eggs, fruits, and chopped veggies are usually well-received. To take it a step further, encourage them to help you prepare the dish by packing the bento. They will appreciate your efforts to make something unique and special for them and will gobble up the food you lovingly prepare together.

Soboro (Chicken and Egg) Bento

A child’s willingness to eat their meal is greatly influenced by the different colors it is presented in. The ground chicken and mildly sweet soy sauce combination in the Soboro rice bowl make it a favorite among children. Include some of their favorite veggies and fruits for variety and color, such as green peas, snow peas, spinach, etc.

Gyoza Bento

Kids are crazy about dumplings. Luckily, they are also a great option for a tasty bento box. If you had gyoza for supper, you should add them to your child’s bento box lunch. If that isn’t the case, and you don’t have time to prepare some homemade gyoza, just swing by Trader Joe’s and pick up some frozen ones. Every parent relies on a frozen meal every now and then, so don’t worry about it. You can combine leftovers with freshly chopped fruits and veggies. The furikake-seasoned rice and gyoza dumplings accompany cherry tomatoes, blanched broccoli, tamagoyaki, cucumber, and seasoned rice. Putting together a bento for the week is easy when all the ingredients are available.

Mini Pizzas

For some reason, leftover pizza is a big hit with the kids. You can create this benzo by slicing an English muffin in half and topping each side with pizza sauce. Spread some mozzarella cheese on top, and if your toddler likes spicy and flavorful foods, sprinkle on some Italian seasoning. Put it in the oven and bake it for approximately 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Make a bunch and keep them in the fridge in a sealed container. This recipe can be served with: apple slices, cherry tomatoes, and a fruit and nut bar.

Turkey Sandwich Bento Box

This tasty bento box recipe takes us back to Thanksgiving, well, without the hassle. After that scrumptious dinner, are you left with any turkey leftovers? Turn those leftovers into a delicious lunchtime treat for your kid. This is ideal, especially if your child hasn’t grown tired of turkey sandwiches. There are many variations to this recipe, but one that I especially like involves combining your turkey with hummus, cheese, tomatoes, and cranberry crackers. You can also decide to mix things up by complimenting your turkey and cheese combo with carrot sticks, strawberries, vegetable sticks, and puff snacks like Hippeas. It’s all up to you.

Chicken Wrap

This bento is a great way to use up leftover chicken and sneak additional vegetables into your child’s lunchbox. When the wrap is sliced, the colorful vegetable strips provide a nice visual contrast. Suddenly, spinach’s newfound good looks have made it a hot commodity.

To prepare this wonderful bento, fill a tortilla or sandwich wrap with shredded cooked chicken, chopped cucumber (or another leafy green, like lettuce), and a drizzle of ranch dressing. Put in some extra snacks like grapes, cucumber slices, and sweet potato crackers.

Cheese and Crackers

Rather than spending money on a few boxes of Lunchables, why not save money by preparing yours at home? Prepare a bento box with some crackers and cheese slices. Having a package of ranch dressing to dip the celery sticks in is also a nice addition. And if your child is a sweet tooth, you might give them some chocolate chips.

Hummus Platter

For whatever reason, children like dipping. Include some dippable dishes that your child can enjoy with hummus. You can prepare this cute little bento box with easy-to-prepare snacks like pretzels, carrot sticks, and cucumber slices. You may include a tiny treat, such as an almond butter cup if you like.

Ranch Dip Platter

The ranch dip platter is a great bento dish. It involves dipping chicken nuggets, pretzels, and carrot sticks into some ranch (or any other sauce your kid enjoys). You can get frozen chicken nuggets from the store and have them ready to go for the week.

Pancakes

What’s this, breakfast for lunch? Count me in. Add some protein to your pancakes by spreading on some peanut butter, and balance up your meal with some fruit like strawberries and grapes and a little cheese. You can buy frozen pancakes if you’re not in the mood to make a big batch for the week.

Grilled Cheese

Who says grilled cheese sandwiches have to be eaten hot? They’re perfect for a kid-friendly bento box lunch since they’re tasty and crispy even when cold. Two or three slices of cheese, with butter or mayonnaise on the exterior, between two pieces of bread is a grilled cheese sandwich. Place in a heated pan and toast for about 3 minutes on each side. Accompany with some blueberries, cucumber slices, and a light, enjoyable snack like popcorn.

Cheese Quesadilla

Make some quesadillas to have on hand throughout the week. You’ll need a big soft taco tortilla and some taco cheese to prepare a cheese quesadilla. Make a half fold and throw it in a hot pan. Spend approximately 3 minutes toasting each side, or until the cheese has melted. Fancy it up with some guacamole and salsa for dipping. Use the guacamole and salsa as a spread for the bell pepper slices and sweet potato crackers.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta

This time with a kid-friendly pasta twist! Pasta, cooked chicken, oil, and parmesan cheese are all you need to whip together this quick and simple pasta dish. Put together a large meal the night before so that you can simply pack your children’s lunches in the morning. As a side dish, add some apple slices, cherry tomatoes, and snap pea crisps.

Cinnamon Yoghurt Platter

Here we have another bento box with a dipper. If you want to make cinnamon yogurt, add some ground cinnamon to plain yogurt. Prepare some strawberry slices and pretzel sticks for dipping, and cut up some apples as well. If your child prefers to use a spoon, they can simply mix the chocolate chunks into the yogurt and enjoy.

Zucchini Noodle Caprese and Baked Chicken Bento Box

Caprese flavors go well with zucchini noodles, making this combination the ideal cold pasta recipe. The protein content of this dish, however, can be improved by adding a simple roasted chicken seasoned with herbs—also, a small handful of fresh berries to balance off the meal.

Tuna Salad Sandwich and Melon Salad Bento Box

A tuna salad sandwich is a traditional lunchtime recipe that will never disappoint you. It is a reliable go-to when you’re in need of some homey nourishment. It’s perfect for a bento box lunch since it’s easy to prepare, light, and refreshing. Just by using some bright fruits and vegetables, you can quickly prepare a healthy lunch. Your tuna salad sandwich would go well with a couple slices of cucumber, some baked plantain chips, or a sweet and savory melon mozzarella salad.