Tuesday Tip: Bento 101 (With Recipe!)

Bento boxes seem to be the latest trend in quick, healthy, and delicious lunches. There is a ton of variety and customization available and you can even get a little creative with their presentation. There are, however, a few guidlines that should be followed to ensure that your bento nutritious, appealing, and wallet-friendly!

For this example, I am using a two-tier bento box with Chicken Kijiyaki, ginger-sesame rice, and soy green bean soboro. I'll include the recipe at the bottom.

Bento Basics

There are a few, but very important, rules to follow for making bento boxes. For me, it is about making sure that the food is not only nutritious and affordable, but also that it is safe to eat in the first place. The rules that I follow are:

1. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple): Most of us don't have the time or patience to make and pre-cook a lot of different food items, especially if you are making bentos a few days ahead. Keeping it to a maximum of 3-5 items not only cuts down on preparation time, but saves money and calories as well
2. 2:1:1 Bento Balance: For an ideal bento, use the ratio 2:1:1. This is 2 carb to 1 veggie to 1 protein. Your carb can be anything from rice to noodles to potatoes, and should take up a large portion of your box. The veggies and protein can be anything you wish to add. This balance makes for a nutritious and generally low calorie meal, averaging around 600 calories for an adult-sized bento box.
   
   
3. Keep it Safe: If your bento box is going to be sitting at room temperature for some time, ensure that you have practiced proper food safety. Before packing or storing any cooked foods, be sure that they have cooled down completely. Packing hot food creates a warm, moist environment ideal for bacteria. If your bento is going to be out at room temperature for a long time, an ice pack is another good way to keep harmful bacteria at bay and to keep food from spoiling. There are some foods that should just be avoided in bentos to begin with, such as raw fish, raw tofu, rare meat, soft-boiled eggs or any dressings made with eggs. You can also use your best judgement. If a food seems "off", it is probably best to not eat it.
4. Cut Costs: Bentos are a great way to avoid the cost of going out to eat. The best ways to save when preparing bentos are to buy economical or bulk cuts of meat (you can always freeze what you don't immediately use), buying local and seasonal ingredients, and trying not to imitate the bentos you see online. While they are cute and intricate, they are time consuming and also use a lot of ingredients, many of which might not be available where you live. This isn't to say that you should ditch creativity (on the contrary, keep it colorful and eye-catching!), but try not to get caught up in a shopping spree just to make a rice ball that looks like your favorite movie character.
5. Plan and Prep: One of the greatest aspects of bentos is that many of the components can be made ahead of time and used throughout the week. You can cook an store just about anything from rice to veggies and meats to noodles. One of the best ways to streamline bento making is to plan out your week of lunches and cook it all in one go ahead of time. On my first try, I was able to cook a week of lunches for two in about two and a half hours. To be fair, it was mainly watching rice boil and panicking when oil popped in the pan when cooking chicken, but it kept us full, fed, and happy.

Chicken Kijiyaki with Ginger-Sesame Rice and Soy Green Bean Soboro Bento

 Chicken Kijiyaki

• Chicken thigh with skin, boneless/deboned
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Ginger, chili powder, garlic, spices to taste

1. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add chicken skin side down. Fry until skin is crispy and browned.
   
   
   
   
2. Using tongs, flip chicken over and cook until done (juices run clear or inside has reached 160°F)
3. Once chicken is done, remove to plate and remove pan from heat.
4. Mix soy sauce, spices, and sugar in a small cup or bowl. Either wipe the frying pan clean or use a new frying pan and place the sauce over medium heat until it bubbles.
5. Add chicken to the pan and coat both sides thoroughly. Remove to plate and let cool. If any sauce remains in the pan, pour it over the chicken.
   
   
6. Once the chicken has cooled completely, slice into strips and store.

Ginger-Sesame Rice 

• 2 Cups of medium-grain rice 
• 2 1/2 Cups water
• 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Ginger to taste

1. Add water, rice, and spices to a large cooking pot over high heat.
2. Once mixture has reached a rapid boil, reduce heat to low-medium and cover. Allow to steam for 15-20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure that rice on the bottom of the pot is not burned.
3. Once all of the water has been absorbed, place rice in containers and allow to cool completely.
4. Cover and store.

Soy Green Bean Soboro

• 2 Cups finely diced fresh green beans
• 3/4 Cup of water
• 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
• Pepper to taste

1. Add all ingredients to a medium cooking pot over medium heat.
2. Cover and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes (green beans should be cooked, but not mushy).
3. Drain liquid and remove green beans to container. Allow to cool completely.
4. Cover and store.

This makes enough for three balanced bento lunches, though you could certainly add/subtract amounts to suit your dietary needs.

I do hope that this guide is helpful and inspires you to create your own bento lunch!

Have you ever made a bento lunch? What ingredients did you use?