Try These 4 Healthy Bento Recipes to Nourish You at Lunch
Bento is inspired by the East, particularly Japanese, style of a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal. In a sense, it’s like the lunchbox your parents prepared back in your primary school days.
The only difference is that the bento box has rice, is larger with more compartments for other viands, and is prepared more stylishly. Sometimes, bento uses multiple layered boxes. So, why do we recommend pro cheerleaders to try having a bento for lunch?
With a bento box, there are lots of delicious foods to choose from to fulfill your daily nutritional needs in a balanced and well-rounded way. The compartments help you with portion control. Bento lunches also help you lose weight depending on what you prepare before heading out.
Lastly, bento lunches are very convenient. They’re easy to carry in a bag, help you save money from eating in restaurants, don’t leave a lot of trash, and can make onlookers envious when they see you’re eating a portable gourmet.
Here are four healthy bento recipes you can make at home for your pro cheer lunches.
1. Pork Shōgayaki Bento
Also known as ginger pork, this recipe is very tasty while fulfilling your protein needs due to the added hard boiled egg. Then there are tomatoes for omega-3 and antioxidants, shredded lettuce for vitamins and fiber, and spinach for iron.
If you want, you can choose to replace all the rice with shredded lettuce. But the highlight here is the lotus root — an ingredient that will help slow your flow when it’s that time of the month.
Get the recipe here.
2. Tuna Protein Bento
Want a fish meat bento that’s easy to prepare? Then choose this. The celery sticks will help ease your digestion while the carrot sticks will keep your blood sugar under control. Dip the sticks in the tuna salad for a tasty snack-like lunch.
Wash your palate with calcium-rich cheddar cubes. Rinse and repeat the process. When you’ve finished the tuna salad, veggie sticks, and cheddar, seal the deal with a filling hard boiled egg. Then enjoy your grape and blueberry dessert.
Get the recipe here.
3. Tropical Jerk Chicken and Gingered Broccoli Bento
Pork? Check. Fish? Check. Now let’s move on to poultry. This recipe is so savory due to the seasoning and glaze for the protein-packed chicken. Add lemon and broccoli for immune-system boosting benefits and you’ll have a well-rounded meal. Trivia: Pineapple can speed up your post-workout recovery so make sure to never skip making the salsa.
Get the recipe here.
4. Clean-Eating Bento Box Lunch
The last recipe on this list is one you should have on backup if your morning is hectic. Slices of cheese will cover your protein needs, snap peas will maintain your digestive function, apple slices will control your cholesterol levels, and hummus will keep your blood sugar level normal. Seeded whole-grain crackers are optional but we don’t recommend excluding them as you may need some carbs for an afternoon energy boost.
Get the recipe here.
A lunch is never considered a bento if the container only has a few compartments and doesn’t follow certain rules of preparation. So buy a lunchbox that has more than 3 divisions or is two-layered. More importantly, avoid putting deep-fried, processed, and sugary foods in your bento box.
Discover other healthy recipes here!
- 3 Healthy Homemade Bar Recipes to Fuel Your Workouts
- 4 Sandwich Recipes for a Healthy Snack or on-the-Go Meal
- 5 Healthy Pastry Recipes to Reward Your Fitness Efforts With
- 9 High-Protein Vegan Recipes to Support Your Fitness and Health
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