Want to learn how to make bento? From food choices to food safety, here are the answers to your frequently asked questions for bento making.
What is bento?
In Japanese, bento (弁当 bentō) or obento (お弁当 obentō) refers to a compact, nutritiously-balanced, visually appealing meal served in a box (we call the box “bento-bako” (弁当箱)).
What are the benefits of bento?
- Healthy – If you follow the bento packing rule of thumb, you naturally have a good portion of carbs, proteins, vegetables, and fruits in your lunch box. You also try to fit food in the bento box container so it’s a good reminder for how much food you consume as well as what you consume.
- Save Money – Bringing food (or even leftover) from home is always more economical than spending money at restaurants.
- Eco-Friendly – Bento box is reusable; therefore, you can reduce the amount of plastic bags, disposable containers, and waste.
Do I need to pack Japanese food? What do I pack?
No, you don’t have to pack Japanese food. I do because I cook Japanese food most of the time and I often pack leftover in bento boxes. If you eat pasta the night before, pack the pasta! However, you should not put soupy, wet, moist food in bento boxes.
How do I make bento?
I have written step-by-step pictorial instructions on How To Make Bento. For the video click, click HERE.
Is it time-consuming?
Yes and no. No for me because most of bento dishes that I put in bento boxes are all pre-cooked; either from previous dinners or meals that I had cooked and kept in the freezer. All I need to do is to reheat the food (for food safety) and pack fresh vegetables and fruits in the morning. I typically need to cook only one thing in the morning if I am missing one more food item to fill out the bento box.
When do I prepare it? Can I make it the night before?
I recommend preparing bento the morning of the day you are planning to eat because some foods suffer texturally from an overnight stay in the refrigerator, and it’s also not ideal in terms of food safety. If the majority of food is prepared previous night, all you need to do is to re-heat in the morning, and it should not take more than 15 minutes. Prepare bento before breakfast, and let it cool down (for food safety) while you eat breakfast. Once you get the hang of it, it’s very simple.
However, if you cannot spare 15 minutes in the morning, you can make bento at night and continue to keep it cool till lunchtime. Right before lunch, reheat the bento using a microwave oven. If there is no option of reheating, pack some food that can be kept cool throughout the day and still enjoyable at cool temperature.
How do you make the hot foods hot and cold foods cold?
Use an insulated food container like a thermal lunch box to keep hot foods hot. Include an ice pack or two into your lunch bag to keep cold food cold.
Can we eat bento at room temperature? What if there is no microwave to heat up bento?
Traditionally, Japanese bentos are mostly sold or eaten at room temperature. I carefully choose bento menus by considering what kind of foods can be eaten at room temperature and still taste delicious. For example, foods that are soaked in oily sauce doesn’t work as oil gets solidified. Deep-fried foods actually work well as long as you bake them in a toaster oven in the morning until crispy and let cool completely before closing the bento box lid. Each person has a preference in terms of what’s okay to eat at room temperature, so you might want to decide for yourself after experimenting. Eating bento throughout my school days, I still remember which dishes are good in bento. 🙂
That being said, you still need to remember that bacteria thrive on moisture and protein at room temperature. If you are not familiar with this topic, please read Food Safety Tips for Bento. Remember, 1) re-heat thoroughly, 2) let cool completely, and 3) keep it cool with ice packs until the mealtime.
If you have a microwave oven available, pack foods that are meant to be eaten warm separately in a microwave-safe container so you don’t microwave the salad or fruits.
Any tips for making kids bento?
I have a few tips that I can discuss here based on my own experience.
- Do NOT overpack their lunch — Children are happy to show empty bento box when they come home (especially when mommy asks “how was lunch?”). If you want to encourage them to eat “everything”, do not overpack. My children’s lunch AND playtime is just 30 minutes (I assume their actual “eating” time is just 10 minutes). They really want to go play with their friends, so I pack less portion compared to what they would normally eat at home for lunch. I usually give some healthy snack after school to complement the small lunch portion.
- Make FUN bento! — Picky eaters are more likely to try foods when the foods are presented in a fun and appealing way. Cute colorful bento always gets more attention (and appetite) than dull looking bento. You can start with easy food art like apple bunny and ham flower to get their attention. Or start with cute food picks!
- Try ONE food at a time — You can’t put everything that kids want to eat. All kids need to eat their veggies and fruits. If your children are picky eaters, try with one food at a time that your child dislikes. Start with just a few pieces, then once he/she starts to finish that portion, slowly increase the amount.
Is there a place you could recommend in the UK or that ships to the UK for bento equipment? OSS
Hi Amber! Try the following links:
http://en.bentoandco.com/
http://casabento.com/shop/en/
Hope this helps. 🙂
This are great tips for bento making!
I always have trouble with my food, since i am used to eating a huge plate of whatever my mother cooks for me. As a high-school girl, i am quite aware of my weight and at the moment I am getting really fat (Partially because i eat a big plate of anything and partially because i like to eat lots of junk food) Since i started watching Anime/Manga i saw that they ate ‘bentos’, i googled it and i found what it was.
I hope this helps me to get a better nutrition!
Also, I wanted to say that since i found your website i’ve been trying out several recipes and they turned out fabulous! Oh and a quick question, Can i eat a bento for both Lunch and Dinner or is it just for lunch time? If so, what could you recommend to do for Dinner?
Love your blog!
With love,
Josephine
Hi Josephine! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy cooking my recipes. Thank you for trying them. 🙂
Yes, you can eat bento for lunch and dinner. It’s commonly served during the lunch time, but nothing wrong with eating bento for dinner. Just the same concept – balanced meal in the bento box. If you usually eat more portion for dinner, then change accordingly. The bottom line is to pack various kinds of food in the box. When all the food is packed in the box, you can easily tell what’s missing. If mostly brown due to meat, then add more colors (veggies)… etc. Check the portion to make sure you don’t have too much of one item. 🙂
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for the reply! I will make sure to eat accordingly!
Love your blog,
Love
Josephine
Thank you so much Josephine! I’m happy to hear you enjoy my blog. xo
Thank you so much!!!! This has really helped to get my family to eat healthier! The kids love the presitation, and I would have never thought of it if I had not found your blog! So thank you so much!!!
Hi Hannah! Aww I’m so happy to hear this bento post was helpful and thank you so much for taking your time to write your kind feedback. I really appreciate it! 🙂
I absolutely love bento lunches and just bought my very first Bento Lunch box from online at Amazon.com. I can’t wait to make my first lunch from it. Your website is filed with so many helpful tips. But at my job I usually work 3-10 so I would be eating my lunch around 6:00 to 7:00. Can I still prepare my bento in the morning and prepare for later in the evening or should I wait a little later on in the early afternoon to prepare it?
Hi Rebecca! You can prepare in the morning, and keep it cold in the fridge and insulated bag to bring to work. If the workplace has a microwave, you can heat up or eat it at room temperature. 🙂
A friend of mine wants to buy her own bento box but wants to buy a wooden one. Amazon really doesn’t seem to have a wide variety section for wooden bentos. Is there any other website that is good and reliable that you could recommend?
Hi Rebecca! This website is a great site for bento box and related items: http://en.bentoandco.com/collections/wooden-boxes Hope that helps! 🙂
I’ve wanted to pack something like this for my youngest daughter for her lunch. How do you get the containers returned and washed properly, or do you worry about that with middle school kids?
I just got her to eat lunch again, and I’d love for her to really look forward to it!
Sadly, kids in middle school make fun of almost everything, ruining it for the sensitive ones!
Right now, instead I cook her a big meal for breakfast, and to munch on the bus in the morning.
Thank you!
Hi Momma J! What do you mean “how do you get the containers returned and washed properly” means? You’d bring it home (without washing) and wash it at home. Is that what you asked? Sorry if I misunderstood. 🙂
My kids are still in elementary, and so far no one really mentioned about bento (except for positive feedback from their friends and teachers). Living in California, a lot of people/kids know about bento, and it’s not so strange to bring international foods. So in that sense, I think the kids never asked me to bring something else. 🙂
Do you reheat cooked rice for the bento box? Or do you make the rice fresh in the morning? My new rice cooker keeps rice hot for 12 hours. My Korean grandmother used to always make the rice fresh in the morning for kimbap, but I don’t have the time when I have to wake up so early as is. Any advice is appreciated.
Hi Mrs. Tee! In most days, I reheat the frozen rice (https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-freeze-rice/). Cooking a big batch of rice makes the taste so much better, so I usually cook more and freeze the leftover. I don’t keep the rice for more than… maybe 3 hours. Rice turns yellow-ish when it’s kept for a longer time and it gets dry. The best way to preserve the delicious rice is to freeze the rice after it’s cooked. Hope this helps!
Thanks for your reply, Naomi! I’ll look for some of those containers here in Hong Kong. However, just after commenting on your post, I purchased a new Toshiba rice cooker which keeps rice hot for 24 hours! It was a splurge for the appliances but my sushi rice has never been better! I love your recipes and so does my family. Thanks for sharing your talent!
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy the new rice cooker! Thank you for your kind support, Mrs. Tee!
What kind of food can be eaten on room temperature?
It depends on you (for example, you may dislike any deep fried food if it’s at room temperature). Japanese have different mind set for bento box. We love karaage that is hot, but we are also okay if it’s in the lunch box and at room temperature. So decide what’s okay with you, and that’s important.
is all the bento recipe can be eaten room temperature?
We utilize thermo lunch box to keep some food hot/warm for food that tastes better when it’s warm, but otherwise, we we pick food that tastes good even at the room temperature.
Thank you so much for all your tips on preparing bento meals and food safety. I’ve been doing it all wrong. In the morning, I would heat food in the microwave for kids to take to school but I never thought of cooling it down before packing it. My thought was to keep the food as warm as possible so by the time it’s lunchtime for the kids, the food would still be hot. Didn’t think about bacteria thriving in moist area. Thank goodness, we live in a non humid area and the kids haven’t gotten sick because of my food preparation. However, to be on the safe side, I will take your advice in the future and prepare food properly. I love your website!
Hi Amy! If your bento box is thermos, you can keep your food warm. Add hot boiling water, drain (I do twice to make sure it’s super hot), quickly wipe and add hot food and close. My kids say it’s warm when they eat. But when I tried it with crispy food, they said food gets soggy (from warmth and moisture trapped inside). So when lunch menu is crispy food, I encourage them to eat regular bento style room temperature food (not in thermos). 🙂
The discount code for lunch a porter doesn’t work anymore!
Hi Michelle! I apologize. This post was written in 2013. I have deleted the discount code.
Not quite sure the best place to post this question, but bento FAQ seems as good a place as any!
I notice that some of your bento pictures sport beautifully glossy soft-cooked egg. In regards food safety, what do you recommend for children’s school lunches? Occasionally, my daughter loves the yolkiness of a soft-cooked egg, but I worry about the time stability. I do not have a grocer that sells pasteurized eggs, but am able to pasteurize fresh eggs at home with a circulating cooker (sous vide). Should this process provide enough safety or should I stick to hard-cooked eggs or omelette for school?
Thanks for your input.
hi Erin! I would keep it cool until lunchtime with iced pack, or make hard-boiled egg (just a tiny bit soft in the middle) for lunch box. 🙂
How do you meal prep for bentos? I’m trying to use your recipes but my biggest issue is trying to figure out what groceries to buy on the weekends. I would like to be able to buy groceries that I can use for multiple meals/dishes but not sure how.
Thanks!
Hi Bell! In Japan, we use meal pre all the side and main dishes ahead of time and then assemble every morning. I try to show that in this post.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/meal-prep-3-dollar-bento-challenge/
The key is to make a lot of side dishes that you want to add ahead of time. And just pick and choose (like a buffet) to make each bento.
Some meal prep can be frozen so you need to reheat, too in the morning.
It might be a good idea to write down what you want to put in the bento. 🙂
I forgot and I could locate the article , on what order of food goes into a 3 tiered bento box, does the hot food go bottom right?
Hi Angela! Usually, the bottom is carb (heavy) like rice or noodles. Then middle can be the main dishes, and the top can be fruits and light dishes. 🙂 In general, bento should be eaten at room temperature and there should not be “hot food” in the box because it will create condensation that leads to bacteria growth. We eat everything at room temperature when it’s served in a bento box. 🙂
i love your website so much – recently started on my japanese cooking adventure and your website is SO helpful! everything you need to know is pretty much in here! amazing! thank you for all that you do and for sharing all this information
Hi quinn, Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We are glad to hear you enjoy our website and cooking more Japanese foods! Thank you for trying many recipes.☺️