A bento (or obento) is a Japanese single-portion takeout lunch packed in a box;Â that may be prepared at home, bought at a combini (convenience store) or from a restaurant.
A bento generally consists of rice or noodles and some form of protein (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, tofu) accompanied by side dishes of raw, simmered, or pickled vegetables.
It’s not uncommon for Japanese mothers to prepare an elaborate boxed lunch, playfully and creatively decorated, to entice their children to eat all of their food when they’re at school.
Food color and texture is also considered in choosing what goes together in a box, ensuring contrast that’s pleasing not only to the eyes but to the palate as well.
Here are some of the most creative japanese lunch boxes; we have put together…
Contents: Sunflower sprouts, rice, tomato, mushroom, turkey kebab meat, cucumber black radish, carrot kimpira.
( photo by nonochan )
Contents: Broccoli, white rice, cheese, carrot.
( photo by yucca )
Contents: Tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, cheese, hard boiled egg.
( photo by sandee sun)
Contents: Fish sausage, fried chicken, flower shaped pasta, quail egg with sausage, red sushi rice.
( photo by lucky sundae )
Contents: Broccoli florets and leaves, monterey jack cheese, basmati rice, tomato basket with green onions, parsley, carrots, purple bell pepper.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Garlic bologna, mustard, colby cheese on wheat bread, edamame and swiss cheese, beans.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Meat roll, radish, apple, green bean
( photo by nonochan )
Contents: Asparagus, broccoli, okra, ham meat, apple, chestnut and chocolate cake.
( photo by nonochan )
Contents: Cucumber, horse radish, carrot, meat balls, mushroom, tamagoyaki, apple.
( photo by nonochan)
Contents: Fresh cilantro, yellow pear, butter sauce, Roma tomato, jasmine rice, cayenne pepper.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Colored rice, cheese, green salad
( photo by nonochan )
Contents: Cauliflower, rice, tangerine, candies.
( photo by nonochan )
Contents: Rice, chicken, raspberries, broccoli.
( photo by pikkopots )
Contents: Cheese and wheat crackers, radish wedges, strawberry apple sauce, hard boiled egg, rice, cheddar stars, egg yolk.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Red pepper and onion sauce, white rice with black beans eyes and nori mouth, carrot, green potato salad with lettuce leaves, fish cakes and olives.
( photo by los dragonnes )
Contents: Broccoli, green beans, carrot.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Bean salad, strawberries, melon chunks, hard boiled egg, rice with ume stuff, white mamenori, carrot strips.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Frozen grapes, sandwich gyoza, trader joe’s pear sauce, star shaped rainbow cereals, tiny silicone cup filled with edmame, Cherry lattice-top mini-pie, bologna and cheese, yogurt.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Crab cake, salami, thin layered egg, mayo, cheese, kamaboko, fish sausage.
( photo by bentomom )
Contents: Red cabbage, coconut, turkey meat, egg white tinted with food coloring, peanut chicken filling, carrot, frozen grapes, peanuts, mini cadbury egg, wheat crackers.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Mixed steamed veggies, baked version of Thai peanut chicken, pumpkin pudding, rice, roast beef lunch meat, cilantro, cloves, nori.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Broccoli, hard boiled egg, rice, tomato.
( photo by chaya )
Contents: Ham, tomato, rice, nori.
( photo by sandee sun)
Contents: Pea pods, green apple, carrots, red currants
( photo by sakurako kitsa)
Contents: Broccoli, sesame seeds, nori, red pepper.
( photo by martin hsu )
Contents: Nori, white rice.
( photo by luckysundae )
Contents: Broccoli flower, purple potato, carrot, cantaloupe, vegetable spring roll, tonkatsu sauce, strawberry, hard boiled egg.
( photo by bentomom )
Contents: Broccoli, tomatoes, cheese, rice.
( photo by sandee sun)
Contents: Crepe style fried egg, ham, sliced cheese, ketchup.
( photo by luckysundae )
Contents: Green grapes, apple gummy candy, mini carrot cakes, mango gummy candy, plain jasmine rice, fish sausage, nori, furikake ground, green beans, corn, shrimp tempura, carrot, banana.
( photo by laura bento )
Contents: Brown rice, tamagoyaki, peas, chicken nuggets, cheese, grapes.
( photo by bentomom )
Contents: Grapes, brown rice balls, chicken nuggets, sliced ham, cherry tomato, snow peas.
( photo by bentomom )
Contents: Yellow pear tomato, mushrooms, fresh green bean, uncooked soba reeds, blue colored pear sauce, sesame seeds, blue rice, nori with mushroom accent.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Tomatoes, mozzarella, baby carrots, nori, rice.
( photo by cristal delamer )
Contents: Mini egg rolls, plain white rice, mini ham burgers, mayo noodle salad, cucmber, tuna, tamago.
( photo by eudocia )
Contents: Tuna stuffed onigiri, rice, cheese, arugula, meat balls, peas.
( photo by cristal delamer )
Contents: Fish cake, nori, teriyaki chicken, Japanese style fried egg.
( photo by luckysundae )
Contents: Fruit cup- pineapple, melon, strawberry, blueberries, lunch box-cheddar cheese slice, mottled blue rice, grape nuts, broccoli with pink rice, Mottled Colby jack cheese, 1/3 of a kumquat.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Contents: Cheesy bacon, broccoli, soccer ball made with rice and nori, soy pepper, cheese, jasmine rice, egg white dyed with red food coloring, Mexican flag.
( photo by laura bento )
Contents: Boiled egg with paprika, blue rice, cranberries and endamame, mozzarella, turkey, apple.
( photo by sakurako kitsa )
Here is how you can make your own bento.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_hbPLsZvvo
Please your palate with tuna dishes and recipes tastefully served for nutritious craving.
