Bento contents:

• Approx. 1 cup of white rice, 200 cal, with a little furikake on top
• Stewed chicken dumplings and carrot using about 90g of dark skinless chicken meat, 120 cal
• Blanched green beans, 30 cal
• 2 cherry tomatoes, 5 cal (if that)

Total calories (approx): 355 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning, just to pack everything in the bento box

Type: Japanese, chicken!

Bento contents:

• Approx. 1 cup of _zakkokumai_ (mixed grain rice with beans, seeds, etc.) - 220 cal
• 2 Tbs. Cooked-to-death hot and sweet peppers, 40 cal
• 4 Pan fried lemon chicken nuggets, 130 cal
• Blanched green beans, 20 cal

Total calories (approx): 410 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, chicken!

Bento contents:

• 4 lower-calorie inarizushi with hijiki, 240 cal
• Stir-fried bean sprouts, red chili pepper and garlic chives, 60 cal
• Handful of frozen edamame, 50 cal

Total calories (approx): 360 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 5-10 minutes in the morning Type: Japanese, vegan

Bento contents:

Stir-fried noodles consisting of:

• 2 cups sliced mixed vegetables - sweet and chili peppers, cabbage, enoki (straw) mushrooms, snow peas, green onion, fresh ginger, celery, approx. 60 cal
• Shirataki or konnyaku noodles, 5-10 cal

• 1/2 Tbs. sesame oil, 60 cal

• 4 vegan shuumai dumplings, 120 cal

Total calories (approx): 245 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 10 minutes in the morning (can also be made ahead)

Type: Spicy Asian, vegan

• 1 cup (1 cup=220ml) white rice, 240 cal
• 1 cherry tomato and vegetable gratin with pesto, 110 cal
• Easy chili shrimp (4 med. shrimp), 60 cal
• Edamame, 10 cal
• Yukari (furikake made from umeboshi and red shiso leaves)

Total calories (approx): 420 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed in the morning: 10-15 minutes

Type: Japanese

Bento contents:

• 1 1/2 US cups (approx. 6 oz / 170g) cooked cold soba noodles, 170 cal
• 1/2 cup dipping sauce (see soba noodles recipe), 15 cal
• Shrimp fritters (with 6 shrimp), 200 cal
• Cherry tomatoes, chopped green onion, 5 cal

Total calories (approx): 390 (how calories are calculated)

Type: Japanese, noodles

Bento contents:

• 1 U.S. cup or 5oz / 140g spelt pasta, 170 cal
• A few pieces of white flour pasta, 40 cal
• 1/4 cup or 1.75 oz / 50g frozen tuna salad with mayonnaise, 120 cal
• About 3/4 cup sweet pepper and onion confit with zucchini, 90 cal
• 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, 55 cal
• 3-4 black olives, 30 cal
• 1 boiled egg, 80 cal
• Lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, celery, parsley, 10 cal

Total calories (approx): 645 (how calories are calculated)

Type: Pasta salad!