Paw Patrol 1

Rule 1: Divide the Meal Proportionally

Dividing the meal proportionally will help you assemble a nutritiously balanced meal. It should at least have 4 types of food: carbs (carbohydrates), proteins, vegetables, and fruits. Be conscious about what types of foods to put in bento box when you are packing lunch.

My children’s bento ratio is 4 : 2 : 1 : 1 (4 parts carbs : 2 parts protein : 1 part vegetables : 1 part fruits). I sometimes pack 2 parts of veggies inside the bento (skip fruit section) and prepare a separate container just for fruits.

Rule 2: Keep in Mind to Add Colors

When making choices of which foods to include in the bento box, choose bold colors to provide visual impact. Not only do colorful vegetables and fruits add beautiful colors, but they are often the healthiest.

Red: tomato, carrot, red radish, bell pepper, apple, grapes, strawberries, plum, raspberries, nectarines, etc.

Yellow & Orange: corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, bell pepper, orange, lemon, banana, etc

Green: lettuce, cucumber, green onion, edamame, broccoli, spinach, okra, shiso, snap peas, asparagus, parsley, bok choy, green beans, Brussels sprouts, green peas, kiwi, etc

White: daikon radish, potato, onion, lotus root, enoki mushroom, white sesame seeds

Black & Brown: blueberries, shiitake mushroom, gobo (burdock root), wakame(dried seaweed), nori (dried seaweed sheet), hijiki (dried seaweed), black sesame seeds, etc.

If I have similarly colored dishes like broccoli and asparagus, I separate them and put other foods in between to make the bento more visually appealing. Sprinkling colorful furikake (rice seasonings) or garnishing with chopped parsley and green onion gives nice accents to overall presentation.

Rule 3: Pack the Foods Tightly

It’s important to pack the foods tightly to prevent the food from shifting in bento box. You don’t want to see messy bento when you (or your children) open the bento box at lunch time. Try packing in following order.

1. Pack pre-shaped or bulky food first.
2. Then put more flexible-shape food in remaining spaces.
3. Finally add some small accent food like cherry tomatoes and steamed broccoli to fill in the small gaps to prevent from shifting.

Now Let’s Pack Bento!

Step 1: Put Carbs

I usually fill 1/2 of bento box with carbs. Of course, you can pack brown rice, pasta, wraps, sandwich, bread, etc instead of white rice.

Step 2: Put Proteins

Any kind of beef, chicken, pork, tofu, beans, eggs, or other protein source can be packed in 1/4 of bento box. If possible, add 2 kinds of protein dishes in the spot.

Step 3: Put Vegetables & Fruits

Vegetables and fruits should be filled up in the remaining 1/4 of bento box. Packing at least 2 kinds of vegetable dishes is ideal. If you have more vegetable dishes, pack the fruits in a separate container.