Delicious Bento Box Lunch Ideas for Anyone

Back to school season is here, which means hectic schedules and less time in the kitchen. But, thanks to the Japanese tradition of bento boxes, planning lunches can be easy. The best part about bento box lunches is that they are eaten at room temperature or cold, which cuts down on the prep work.

Why make a bento box lunch?

Bento box lunch ideas include nutritious and balanced choices with lots of protein and vegetables. Choose food items that pack easily and are already portioned out. Bento boxes are divided into compartments so you can pack items separately. Here are some bento box lunch ideas for adults and kids, and you can find the items via Instacart:

Bento box lunch ideas for adults

While many of these bento box ideas work for adults and children, these bento lunch ideas cater to a more sophisticated palette:

1. Sesame ginger beef zoodles

These sesame ginger beef noodles are a delicious low-carb lunch. They’re easily prepared with ground beef, spiralized zucchini, and a savory garlic and ginger sauce.

2. Vegan sushi bowl

This sushi bowl tastes like sushi without all of the rolling, and it’s easy to divide into compartments. Place basmati rice that’s been cooked with seaweed in one, and vegetables like edamame, radishes, and cucumbers in others.

3. No-cook Greek salad box

This bento box idea allows you to use shortcuts, such as deli-sliced chicken or premade tzatziki sauce. Then all you need is the vegetables and feta cheese for the Greek salad and mini pitas.

4. Tuna salad sandwich and melon salad bento box

Tuna salad is a classic. To make it more sophisticated, there is a melon and mozzarella salad and plantain chips as sides.

5. Butternut squash and curry

Make the main dish butternut squash curry and brown rice.  Fill the side compartments with juicy grapes and cut up vegetables, and dip. Add a few pieces of dark chocolate for dessert.

6. Whole-wheat chicken wrap bento box

Pack a whole-wheat chicken tortilla wrap filled with chicken, hummus, peppers, and basil. Add fruit, almonds, and more peppers to snack on.

7. Easy Italian bento box

Assemble your bento box with roasted Italian sausages and zucchini slices, along with fresh slices of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.

Bento lunch ideas for kids

These kid-friendly bento box ideas allow you to get creative at lunchtime, so you don’t have to send the same thing daily. They’re easy to prep, tasty, and you may want to pack one for you to take to work too:

1. DIY fun character lunch

Instead of store-bought Lunchables, make your own fun kids themed lunch with slices of turkey and cheddar and whole-wheat crackers or bread. Add some cut-up vegetables with ranch dip and a handful of berries.

2. Creamy pasta salad

Kids will this creamy pasta salad made with whole-wheat elbows, broccoli, and raisins. Add some apple slices and mixed nuts as side dishes.

3. Buffalo chicken meatballs

These buffalo chicken meatballs are easy to make out of ground chicken and almond meal. They taste delicious at room temperature dipped in Ranch, along with other vegetables.

4. Yogurt parfait

If your child loves yogurt, send them a yogurt parfait bento box, with the largest container filled with vanilla Greek yogurt and the side compartments with granola and berries.

5. Pizza roll-ups

Pizza roll-ups are fun since you can fill a tortilla with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your child’s favorite toppings. After heating, slice into pieces and pack with vegetables and dip and cookies.

6. Egg and waffle bento box

Does your child prefer breakfast? Pack two whole-grain waffles with pure maple syrup, a hardboiled egg, and a fruit salad.

7. Turkey and cheese pinwheels

Bite-size pinwheels of turkey, cheddar cheese, and lettuce look appetizing in this kid-friendly bento lunch box. Baby carrots, fresh blueberries, and popcorn, and chocolate round out this lunch.

Extra healthy bento box ideas

Bento box lunch ideas are most often healthy. However, sometimes that can be difficult to achieve when planning lunches for kids, so these six ideas feature clean and wholesome ingredients and are easy to make:

1. Vegetarian bento box

Make a vegetarian wrap with hummus and chopped vegetables and cut it into pinwheels. Supplement the lunch with cheese cubes, a hardboiled egg, and a cup of fresh berries.

2. Cooked quinoa with veggies and chicken

Prepare the largest container with cooked quinoa, grilled chicken, roasted carrots, broccoli, and peppers. Add grapes and nuts and dark chocolate chips for something sweet to snack on.

3. Grilled chicken kebobs and broccoli pesto

These chicken kebobs are prepared with grilled chicken, mozzarella balls, and cherry tomatoes. They are served with cauliflower rice and broccoli pesto on the side.

4. No-cook taco salad

Everyone loves tacos, and you can assemble this bento box with your favorite fixings, such as black beans, corn, crisp lettuce, and pico de gallo. Place tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and Mexican dressing in separate containers.

5. Tuna protein box

The tuna protein box is loaded with protein-rich foods like tuna salad, a hardboiled egg, and cheese cubes. Carrot and celery sticks and a bunch of red grapes complete the meal.

6. Your favorite salad

Make a healthy comfort-meal salad to get picky eaters to eat their vegetables. Place the lettuce and vegetables in the main compartment while putting turkey, avocado, bacon, and eggs in other ones.

Final Thoughts on bento box lunch ideas

The key to packing bento lunch boxes is to keep them simple by using leftovers or items you already have in your fridge. Choose lunches that can be prepped ahead of time so that you won’t be rushing in the morning. Purchase some bento lunch boxes that both you and the kids will love. Try to find colorful reusable plastic ones that make them excited for lunch. Plan your meals early and shop for the ingredients via Instacart!

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