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In our fast-paced life, eating healthy home-cooked meals has become a less frequent activity. Perhaps, this is the reason why people get sick more often, and for the increased number of people suffering from chronic and debilitating health conditions.
What’s worse is that the health of young children is affected by decisions made by their parents. If they grew up to be adults not having proper nutrition and the right eating habits, they may do the same thing to their own children.
To be healthy, one must make an effort in shopping for, preparing, and cooking healthy meals that are low in fat and preservatives, but rich in important vitamins and minerals the body needs.
To bring back some life to your daily food, try something new like making healthy and creative meals in bento boxes. In this way, you can watch your portions and ensure you include something from every food group.
Bento Box Meals
The idea behind bento box concept is to provide a well-rounded meal complete with the main protein source, fruit, a grain, a vegetable, a snack, and a sweet treat.
There are different bento box recipes you can try. Understanding what goes into a bento box will give you an idea of what a great bento box meal looks like. Not only do they provide the variety in nutrients you need, they look pleasing to the eyes too.
With Bento Box meals you can let your imagination run wild and make food preparation fun and exciting.
Young children will also enjoy opening their lunchboxes at school to find out what you have packed for them.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab that bento box of yours and look forward to each meal again. Feel free to add or remove what you like or don’t like. You can change these bento box recipes to suit your preferences and make them with your own style.
Bento Box #1
1. Chicken Salad Spring Rolls
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- ¾ cup yogurt
- 1 green onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup grapes, halved
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- Spinach leaves
- Avocado slices
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
- Rice paper
Preparation:
- Mix the chicken, yogurt, onion, lemon juice, grapes, celery, spinach leaves, avocado, and salt and pepper. Season the mix with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Soak the rice paper in water for five to 20 seconds.
- Working quickly, fill the wet rice paper with the mixed salad.
- Fold this up into burrito-style.
- Pinch with a fork to seal.
- Serve and enjoy.
2. Sliced Apples
Coat the apple with lemon juice to prevent oxidation or the browning of the apple.
3. Nut Butter
Add a side of peanut almond butter.
4. Edamame Rice
Ingredients:
- 15 oz. coconut milk
- 1 cup long grain brown rice
- ⅔ cup water
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Add coconut water, lime juice, and coconut milk into a pan.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Add the rice and let it simmer.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add sesame oil, frozen edamame, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Let it simmer for 15 minutes and wait for the rice to become tender.
- Serve and enjoy.
5. Sliced Cucumber and Cherry Tomatoes
Slice the cucumber. Make eating cucumber more exciting by using cookie cutters and cut it into different shapes. Toss it with some cherry tomatoes.
6. Unsweetened Dried Mango
Enjoy a sweet treat minus the excess sugar.
Bento Box #2
1. Peanut Butter and Banana Uncrustable
Ingredients:
- Banana
- Peanut butter
- Whole wheat bread
Preparation:
- Mash the banana and combine it with peanut butter.
- Flatten the bread using a rolling pin.
- Spread the peanut butter and banana mixture evenly on the bread.
- Cut the bread using a cookie cutter.
2. Strawberry Skewers
Put some ripe strawberries on a skewer to make it more kid-friendly.
3. Chocolate Fruit Dip
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
- Mix all of ingredients well.
- Adjust the sweetness of the cocoa flavor according to your preference.
4. Sweet Potato Chips
Slice the potato. Sprinkle it with salt and bake.
5. Savory Ants on a Log
Ingredients:
- Celery
- Hummus
- Black beans
Preparation:
- Cut the celery stalks into halves.
- Fill the center with hummus.
- Add black beans over the hummus.
6. Boiled Egg
Boil and peel one egg, and it to the box.
Bento Box #3
1. Sushi Sammie Roll-ups
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat bread
- Cream cheese
- Cucumber
- Bell pepper
- Carrots
Preparation:
- Remove the crust from the bread.
- Flatten the bread using a rolling pin.
- Spread the cream cheese evenly on the bread.
- Slice the cucumber, bell pepper, and carrots thinly.
- Put them on the bread.
- Roll the bread like a sushi.
- Cut the roll-up into large slices.
2. Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
- Ripe mango
- Blueberries
- Poppy seeds
Preparation:
- Cut the mango into small squares.
- Toss in the blueberries and the poppy seeds.
- Mix well.
3. Avocado Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 avocado
- 4 cups cooked pasta
- 15 oz. canned corn
- 15 oz. canned black beans
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: ¼ cup basil
Preparation:
- Process the avocado, onion, garlic, spinach, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender.
- Season to taste.
- Drain the canned corn and black beans.
- Mix it with the cooked pasta.
- Add the avocado dressing.
- Toss the mix to coat well.
- Put it in the fridge before serving.
4. Shredded Carrots
Shred different colors of carrots.
5. Vegan Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
Preparation:
- Add the cereal into a large bowl.
- Set it aside.
- Melt the peanut butter and the maple syrup or honey on the stove or in the microwave.
- Pour the mixture into the cereal.
- Mix well.
- Transfer the mixture into muffin tins or individual silicone molds.
- Press firmly into place.
- Put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before eating.
6. Cashews
Add a side of cashews to the box.
Making bento boxes can be overwhelming for some, but these bento box recipes make it all fun and easy to do. Just keep in mind the bento box guideline we mentioned above and mix and match any foods you like. Making these bento boxes will give you more reason to skip on fast food and start making your own meals from scratch from now on.
Watch the source video for a step by step preparation:
