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Healthy bento box lunches on the table.
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Healthy Bento Box Lunch Ideas

Looking for new lunch recipes? These 6 healthy bento box lunch ideas are packed with a healthy balance of protein, fresh veggies, and whole grains. The best part? The boxes can be enjoyed at room temperature. School lunch and work lunch break approved!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Asian, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 serving
Author: Sara Trezzi

Ingredients

Vegetarian Bento Box

Curry Bento Box

  • 1 serving 10-Minute Chickpea Curry
  • ¾ cup cooked brown rice - around ¼ cup uncooked rice per bento box - can substitute with naan bread
  • ¼ cup roasted spicy cashews - or sub for roasted chickpeas
  • 5 cherry tomatoes - diced
  • ½ cucumber - diced
  • 1 tablespoon red onion - chopped
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice - or lemon juice, or vinegar
  • salt
  • Cilantro leaves

Mexican Bento Box

  • ½ cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup fresh sweet corn - if not in season, substitute with frozen sweet corn
  • ½ medium red bell pepper - diced
  • 5 cherry tomatoes - diced
  • 1 tablespoon red onion - chopped
  • 1 cup romaine lettuce - finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro - chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • salt
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon red onion - chopped
  • 1 slice jalapeno - chopped
  • ½ tablespoon cilantro - chopped
  • salt
  • ½ fresh sweet corn - boiled or roasted
  • tortilla chips

Japanese Inspired Bento Box

  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mirin - substitute with rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon raw brown sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup red cabbage - finely shredded
  • ½ white cabbage - finely shredded
  • 1 small carrot - cut into matchsticks
  • 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
  • 4-5 cilantro leaves
  • ½ teaspoon miso paste
  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • ¾ cup cooked brown rice - around ¼ cup uncooked rice per bento box
  • ½ cup spicy salt & chili edamame
  • 2 slices smoked wild salmon - or fresh sushi-grade salmon

Chicken Teriyaki Bento Bowl

Vegan Bento Box

Instructions

Vegetarian Bento Box (click here for notes and tips)

  • Prepare the Mediterranean quinoa salad according to these instructions.
  • Assemble all ingredients into your bento box. Let everything cool down at room temperature before sealing.

Curry Bento Box (click here for notes and tips)

  • Prepare the chickpea curry according to these instructions.
  • Prepare the roasted spicy cashews according to these instructions. Or you can add roasted chickpeas, as an alternative.
  • Prepare the salad: mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  • Assemble all ingredients into your bento box. Let everything cool down at room temperature before sealing.

Mexican Bento Box (click here for notes and tips)

  • Prepare the salad dressing: mix all the dressing ingredients in a small glass jar, and set aside.
  • Prepare the Mexican salad: In a small bowl, mix all the salad ingredients. If eating the bento box after a few hours, add the dressing. If you plan to eat the bento box after a few days, keep the dressing separate and add it just before eating.
  • Prepare the guacamole: In a small bowl, mash half avocado, add the lime juice, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, and chopped jalapeno, and season with salt.
  • Assemble all ingredients into your bento box.

Japanese Inspired Bento Box (click here for notes and tips)

  • In a small bowl, beat the egg well using a fork. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and a tiny pinch of salt and mix until all the ingredients are combined. If you don’t have mirin, you can add rice vinegar and a ½ teaspoon of brown sugar to give it a bit of sweetness.
  • Heat a small skillet at medium-high temperature, and with the help of a pastry brush or a kitchen towel, spread a light layer of oil. Pour a thin layer of egg mixture into the skillet. Once the egg has cooked slightly, roll it into a cylinder and let it cook for another few seconds. Remove the omelet from the pan, let it cool slightly, and press it a bit before slicing it into thin rolls.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, miso, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water and set it aside. In another bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, cilantro leaves, and sesame seeds together with the dressing.
  • Assemble all ingredients into your bento box.

Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box (click here for notes and tips)

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and let it brown for 3 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Combine the sauce ingredients and pour into the pan. Let the sauce come to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken. Then add the chicken and its resting juices back into the pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes, turning it quite often until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is nice and sticky. Remove from the heat, let it rest for a few minutes, and cut into slices.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water and set it aside. In another bowl, toss the mixed salad leaves, radish, and sesame seeds together with the dressing.
  • Assemble all ingredients into your bento box.

Vegan Bento Box (click here for notes and tips)

Notes

How to Store: Food safety and properly storing a bento box go hand in hand. The food should be cooled to room temperature before being closed inside the box to prevent bacterial growth and to avoid the food going soggy.
*For nutritional information, check each recipe individually.