Time required: 10-20 minutes

Bento no. 39: The basics of how to fill a classic bento box

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Bento contents, 2-tier bento (580ml capacity):

  • 1 cup (1 cup=220ml) white rice, 240 cal
  • 1 small piece salted salmon, 50 cal
  • 1-egg tamagoyaki, 100 cal
  • Approx. 1/2 cup sweet pepper and onion confit, 40 calories
  • Blanched broccoli flowerets, 10 cal
  • Blanched snow peas (mangetout) 5 cal
  • Yukari (furikake made from umeboshi and red shiso leaves)

Total calories (approx): 445 (how calories are calculated)

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Bento contents, 1-tier bento (670ml capacity):

  • 1 cup (1 cup=220ml) white rice, 240 cal
  • 2 small pieces salted salmon, 100 cal
  • 1-egg tamagoyaki, 100 cal
  • Approx. 3/4 cup sweet pepper and onion confit, 60 calories
  • Blanched broccoli flowerets, 10 cal
  • Blanched snow peas (mangetout) 5 cal
  • Yukari (furikake made from umeboshi and red shiso leaves)

Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed for both: 10-20 minutes in the morning (depending on your assembly speed and neatness factor)

Type: Japanese, omnivore (salmon, egg)

This is a fairly standard, classic Japanese style bento. I make this type of bento far more than any other. I've already given instructions on how to make the individual pieces, but I thought it might be useful to see step-by-step how to pack a bento box properly, with an eye to the following:

  • Presentation and attractiveness
  • Calorie content
  • Speed and ease

I've used two standard type bento boxes; a 2-tier model, and a 1-tier model with a divider.

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Bento contents:

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

Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, omnivore (chicken, egg)

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Bento contents:

  • 2 onigiri with salted salmon filling, each onigiri with about 1/2 cup (1 cup = 220ml) white rice (300 cal)
  • 1/2 cup spicy miso marinated asparagus, 40 cal
  • 3/4 cup stir-fried red pepper, onion and zucchini with fried tofu (atsuage), 100 calories
  • A couple of slices of nori seaweed to wrap the onigiri
  • A couple of cherry tomatoes, mainly for color

Total calories (approx): 450 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, omnivore (salmon, miso, fried tofu)

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Bento contents:

Total calories (approx): 480 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 10-15 minutes

Type: Japanese, meatless (tuna)

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Bento contents:

Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning if you make everything in the morning

Type: Not Japanese, vegetarian (lacto-ovo)

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Bento contents:

Total calories (approx): 380 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15 minutes in the morning, less if you make the kidney beans ahead

Type: Fushion, vegan, gluten-free

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(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)

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Bento contents:

  • 1 1/4 cups zakkukumai (mixed-grain rice, see this article), 200 cal
  • 'Vegan scallops' made with komachibu and shiitake mushrooms (recipe), using 10 g of komachibu, 50 cal
  • Carrot kinpira (recipe), about 1/3 cup, 50 cal
  • Blanched spinach with soy sauce (recipe), 10 cal

Total calories (approx): 310 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 20 minutes in the morning if you make everything in the morning

Type: Japanese, vegan (shoujin ryouri style)

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