If you are a fan of Bento food, or totally new to the concept, Bento meals are easy to prepare, totally delicious and full of nutrition, so here are some easy bento recipes ideal for your bento boxes or bento bag to get you started.
A Bento meal is a single portion of food, often including noodles or rice, fish or meat, with pickled vegetables and is a traditional Japanese dish. Once prepared, the food doesn’t need to be heated and can be eaten directly from the dish. Bento meals are also a great alternative to packed lunches, so whether you are looking for the perfect picnic, lunch to take to work or school, or simply a meal to eat at home, a Bento meal is a great choice to make lunchtime meals more flavoursome and interesting.
Things to Remember for your Easy Bento Recipes
When shopping for your Bento meal, remember to include a variety of foods to ensure it has a good balance of nutrients. Your food should include something from the main food groups and contain lots of vegetables and protein, plus a smaller portion of carbs and a selection of fruits.
If you are planning on eating on the go, try to select foods that travel well and remember Japanese food is all about the colour and presentation, so spend time chopping and preparing your dish and think about what type of bento box you are going to need. Either one single compartment for the main meat or fish, or one with small compartments, where you can store all the different ingredients of the meal, until it’s time to eat.
A Collection of Easy Bento recipes
Bento meals are quick and easy to prepare and can be adjusted to suit individual tastes. Simply select your favourite foods and ingredients and get creative. The fresher the ingredients the better.
Chicken Bento
One of the most popular Bento recipes is chicken, with loads of natural flavours added. Simply cook the chicken in some herbs and spices of your choice, and slice it up, ready to eat with noodles or pasta which can be tossed in dressing, or natural flavoured oils.
Sandwich Bento
You don’t have to stop having a sandwich in order to enjoy a Bento lunch. A tuna salad sandwich, served with some vegetable crudites and cucumber slices, is the perfect midday meal and goes very well with a tomato, olive and egg salad.
Mediterranean Bento
If you are a lover of Mediterranean food, chop up a hard-boiled egg, some chunky cucumber, olives and feta and sprinkle with herbs for a delicious Mediterranean feast.
Smoked Salmon
Salmon is incredibly versatile and is great for making pin wheels. Simply spread some flat bread or tortillas with cream cheese, spinach and smoked salmon and then roll and slice. This also goes well with refreshing cucumber slices.
Hummus is also a great favourite in many Bento dishes and is easy to make and store. Simply blend together some chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and cumin and adjust to your personal taste.
Hamburger Bento
If you are wanting to prepare an extra special Bento lunch, you can try a hamburger Bento. Just cook some rice and then leave it to cool. Fry some hamburger steak, add some broccoli, celery, and tomato and pack this together with the cooled rice and steak in a food box until ready to eat.
Energy Balls – Really Easy Bento Recipes
Energy balls are great as a side dish for any Bento meal and to make it more substantial. By adding some nuts and other favourite flavoursome ingredients, you can prepare the balls in no time and all and store in the fridge until needed. To make, mix together some cashews, pistachios, coconut and matcha powder using a mixer, roll them into balls and leave in the fridge for 15minutes to set.
Lunch doesn’t always have to consist of a humble sandwich; by getting a supply of your favourite ingredients, you can prepare different easy Bento recipes every day of the week.
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Product on saleTraditional Wooden Bento Box£12.00 – £30.00
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Bento Box Recipes
Why not try some of our Bento Box Recipes!
- What is a Shokado Bento Box?
- Homemade sushi recipes
- Shokado Bento Recipes – Bento Box
- Yuzu Chicken and Sushi Bento Box
- Tonkatsu Bento
Read more about The history of the Bento Box