Feed Your Body Friday: 3 Bento Box Lunches
Goodbye plastic bags and hello bento box!
For some time now we’ve been seeing bento boxes everywhere! These pretty little boxes are super convenient - and they allow us to pack our favorite foods without mixing our tastes.
With an infinite number of presentation options, you can customize your bento to your taste. Bento boxes are also very compact and fit very well in a variety of lunch bags.
With the trend of bento boxes, you can now find these small boxes more and more easily, with a wide choice of colors and shapes, to keep your meals creative and fun as you experiment.
Today we are going to look at 3 different ways you can theme your favorite bento boxes - with Mediterranean, Asian and Mexican inspired food themes - each tastier than the next. Get started with these taste inspirations and then let your imagination go, the possibilities are endless!
1. Mediterranean Style Bento Box
- Chickpea Mediterranean salad
- Hummus store-bought
- Pita cut in triangles
Chickpea Salad Recipe
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomato, cut in half
- ½ English cucumber, cubed
- ½ cup feta cheese, cubed
- ¼ cup kalamata or black olives
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- In a bowl, mix the chickpeas with the tomato, cucumber, pepper and olives
- Mix the ingredients of the dressing and add to the chickpea mixture
- Garnish with feta
2. Mexican Style Bento Box
- Mexican Chicken Salad
- Easy Guacamole
- Corn tortilla chips
Mexican Style Chicken Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- 1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
- 3 cups of romaine lettuce
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
Preparation:
- Add the lettuce to the bento box
- On top of the lettuce, add chicken, corn, cheese, sour cream and salsa
Easy Guacamole
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- 1 large avocado
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce
Preparation:
- Mash the avocado with lime juice and sriracha
3. Asian Style Bento Box
- Ramen Salad
- Grilled Tofu
- Spiced Edamame
Ramen Salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- 2 package plain ramen noodles
- 1/2 cup carrot chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- ¼ cup radish sliced
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. chopped coriander
- 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seed
- 2 tbsp. canola
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. sriracha
Preparation:
- In a small saucepan, cook noodles according to package directions
- Once cooked, rinse the ramen under cold running water and drain well, then transfer to a small bowl
- Add the vegetables, coriander and roasted sesame seeds.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, rice vinegar, sriracha and soy sauce
- Add to the noodle mixture mix well to combine everything
Spiced Edamame
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup edamame
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- In boiling water, cook edamame for 5 minutes
- Once cooked, rinse under cold water
- Add to a bowl and mix with the spices
Grilled Tofu
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- 1 Package firm tofu cubed
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- In a skillet, over medium-high heat, add canola oil
- In a bowl add tofu, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and mix to combine everything
- Add the tofu to the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown about 12 minutes
So, if you thought bento boxes were just for sushi, you now realize that you can put everything in these little boxes! Plus they are adaptable to your needs and they transport well and allow to you create a variety and simple and delicious meals! Get creative and enjoy the combinations you come up with!
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