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Bento Lunchbox Ideas for Adults

adfabus
adfabus Posts: 178 Member
edited October 2024 in Recipes
Hello everyone! I am starting a Bento box lunch thread and am asking folks to add to the list below. I am looking for ideas on low calorie meals/snacks that I can take to work. (I am tired of salads) What is your favorite low calorie food? What do you take to work for lunch? I will cont. to add to this list to include your ideas! Thanks!!


Red grapes 1 cup 100 calories
Baby carrots 3 oz 35 calories
Orange 1 medium 69 calories
Cucumber - w/o skin 1 cup 16 calories
Strawberry 1 medium 6 calories
Nature's Own bread 1 slice 40 calories
Hard boiled egg 1 large 70 calories
Turkey Breast - Deli 2 oz 60 calories
FF cream cheese 2 TS 30 calories
Celery stalk 1 large 6 calories
Bagel thin - Lenders 1 bagel 100 calories
Weight Watchers string cheese 1 stick 50 calories
Iceburg lettuce 1.5 cups 15 calories
Lite Tuna in water 2 oz 50 calories
Kraft - Miracle whip lite 1 TS 20 calories
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Replies

  • deb54
    deb54 Posts: 270 Member
    morning star spicey blackbean pattie...120 cals..and oh so Yum.., foldit -hungry girl flatbread.wheat and flax...90 cal...with Frenche's spicey brown mustard...5 cal......also Chaboni greek yogurt, app. 140-160 cal ( depends on which one you choose ) with 1/8 cup ( 15 grams ) healthy harvest trail mix !
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    Deb54- Thanks for the additional ideas!
    Guybrush- Great Bento!!
  • fattybumclaire
    fattybumclaire Posts: 91 Member
    *bump*

    I got a bento box for a christmas pressie so looking for great lunch ideas. Thanks
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    Does anyone else have any ideas?
  • Why not some traditional japanese bento foods?

    Riceballs with some kind of lean meat or veggie in the middle!
  • MarthaLoraine
    MarthaLoraine Posts: 34 Member
    bump
  • horseplaypen
    horseplaypen Posts: 442 Member
    Olives!

    Where did you find your bento boxes? I found a small one at a Japanese dollar store, but it only had 2 compartments. I know I could just throw a bunch of tupperware in a bag, but the real ones are so cute!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Check this out: http://www.jbox.com/home

    they have bento boxes you can order
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    search amazon.com they have a selection.
  • TXtstorm
    TXtstorm Posts: 163 Member
    Cold Smoked Salmon, 2oz - 100 cal
    Sabra Hummus - 3 or 4 varieties are 2 Tbsp for 70 calories and taste yummy on that celery.
    Raw red bell pepper strips
    Lean deli ham, I don't recall the serving weight, but 70 cal per serving. I like it with cantaloupe cubes.
    Butter lettuce leaves... make lettuce wraps using these, a bit of lean meat, and your fresh veg... drizzle on a bit of low-fat sesame ginger dressing.
    A few steamed shrimp, maybe in the lettuce wraps mentioned above?
    Make some vegetable & shrimp or chicken dumplings using wonton wrappers. Steam and freeze for future use.
    Steamed asparagus tips.
  • buzzcockgirl
    buzzcockgirl Posts: 260 Member
    Laptoplunches - a great site with cool bentos you can buy (4 compartments) and lots of pics. My son uses the black and red one... I love it!

    http://www.laptoplunches.com/
  • horseplaypen
    horseplaypen Posts: 442 Member
    Another idea... pickles!

    Thanks for the suggestions, I love the laptoplunches! If anyone else is looking, I also found these: http://www.gogreenlunchbox.com/products/products.html

    Hard to choose! :)
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    I found these at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=137


    Celery sticks with peanut butter and several raisins on top
    Rice cakes with peanut butter (good for getting a protein punch)
    Low-fat cheese cubes
    Hardboiled eggs
    Deviled egg (wrapped in plastic wrap)
    Fruit yogurt cup (add in some fresh fruits or nuts for a boost
    Trail mix
    Nuts or nut mix (stick to just a handful)
    Vegetable sticks with a little packet of dip (lowfat salad dressing packets found in salad bars work as easy-to-pack dip)
    Broccoli or cauliflower bites
    Half of a turkey or tuna sandwich on whole-wheat bread
    Cucumber slices (lightly salted or with nonfat Italian dressing)
    Yogurt and granola
    Leftover chicken or turkey slices (great to eat cold)
    Healthy fiber-rich or grain cereal (great to eat dry from a baggie)
    Pickles (wrapped in foil or plastic wrap)
    Box of raisins or other dried fruit
    Half a large whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese
    Apples, bananas, strawberries (any fruit works, these are naturally portable)
    Mixed berries (these freeze well in plastic bags)
    Whole-wheat crackers and low-fat string cheese
    Grapes in a baggie
    Fruit smoothie in a thermos
    Tuna and cottage cheese in mini-containers
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    And these....
    Low-fat cottage cheese (4 oz): 80 calories
    Raisins (50 or about 1 oz): 85 calories
    Skim milk latte (8 oz): 85 calories
    Air-popped popcorn (3 cups or 1 oz): 95 calories
    Graham crackers (8 small rectangles): 100 calories
    Thin pretzel sticks (48 sticks or 1 oz): 100 calories
    Celery (5 pieces) with peanut butter (1 Tbsp): 100 calories
    Unsweetened applesauce (1 cup): 100 calories
    An apple (small) with low-fat cheese (2 oz): 150 calories
    Baby carrots (10) with hummus (1/4 cup): 150 calories
    Peanuts (a handful or 1 oz): 160 calories
    Raw almonds (a handful or 1 oz): 165 calories
    Low-fat yogurt (6 oz): 175 calories
    Tortilla chips (12 chips or 1 oz) with salsa (1/2 cup): 175 calories
    Whole wheat Ritz crackers (10 crackers or 1 oz) with peanut butter (1/2 Tbsp): 175 calories

    Any others??
  • Have you checked out justbento.com?

    This is the bento lunchbox I've wanted for a while...but I just keep packing in ziploc containers.

    http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-SL-JAE14-Bento-Stainless-Silver/dp/B000246GSE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357233577&sr=8-1&keywords=Mr.+Bento
  • MystikPixie
    MystikPixie Posts: 342 Member
    Have you checked out justbento.com?

    This is the bento lunchbox I've wanted for a while...but I just keep packing in ziploc containers.

    http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-SL-JAE14-Bento-Stainless-Silver/dp/B000246GSE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357233577&sr=8-1&keywords=Mr.+Bento
    I have that one!! You should get it, it makes life so much more simple!!! Especially if you do tiny meals throughout the day which is what I do.
  • bump
  • Poupet
    Poupet Posts: 14 Member
    my latest favorite....cottage cheese with avacado and tomatos..YUM!!!!!!
  • springbound
    springbound Posts: 7 Member
    I have one of the laptop lunchable things and I love it. I tend to have small meals through the day, so I love to have different containers for lots of little things. I tend to eat a lot of chicken/turkey/roast beef wrapped around various cheeses, beans/edamame salads with cheese and chopped marinated artichoke hearts, yogurts with some berries mixed in and hummus with various things to dip.

    There's a bunch of stuff on pinterest for inspiration, too.
  • lrfrank65
    lrfrank65 Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks!
  • i brougt small cucumbers and red peppers (i eat them whole) to work today with a sandwich made of 2 slices of whole grain bread (27 cal per slice that we get here in Jerusalem - Bermans brand) and 70 grams of 3% cream cheese with a touch of sweetner (yeah...i know it's bad, but lost 41 kgs so far and the FAT was killing me!) and a ton of cinnamon:flowerforyou:
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    Wow..I would love to find a 27 calorie slice bread here in Texas! Thanks for the information.
  • kee5246
    kee5246 Posts: 3 Member
    Saving for later!
  • LouPsych
    LouPsych Posts: 30 Member
    Bentos special on Groupon.com today - two for $18
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    Bentos special on Groupon.com today - two for $18


    Thanks! I just put my order in for the oval and double stack in orange!!!
  • LouPsych
    LouPsych Posts: 30 Member
    I had hoped to buy a set and ship to daughter stationed in Alaska. Groupon won't ship there; I don't think Mom will mail them after I see them!! May need to order another set at that price!
  • AJ_MotherRunner
    AJ_MotherRunner Posts: 175 Member
    bump
  • limesublime
    limesublime Posts: 118 Member
    I want a bento box! Bump for future reference :)
  • tajmel
    tajmel Posts: 401 Member
    California roll, with a salad or bowl of miso on the side. Roll in lots of veggies and some crab.
    Baked falafel patties with yogurt sauce to dip, and a cucumber salad or couscous.
    Pitas stuffed with smoked salmon or falafel, and lots of veggies.
    Pasta/bean salad.
This discussion has been closed.