How to Bento

Whether you are packing a mid-afternoon snack or getting your kids meals all ready for the week, bento boxes are easy and fun ways to pack your favorite foods to go! Bento boxes keep your foods neatly tucked away in separate compartments, safe from being crushed and jostled in your bag and allow you to stay environmentally friendly with completely reusable components. It’s a total win-win! The bentos Japanese roots often mean that there’s a bit of a learning curve for Westerners but with the tips below, you’ll be making the perfect bento box in no time! 

1. Pick Your Bento 

Takenaka Bento offers a variety of bento boxes in different sizes, shapes and colors to fit your needs. Need to pack something small and lightweight? Our Bento Nibble is cute and built for your snacking needs. Going full on meal prep? Check out our Bento Bite Dual for more space and compartments for a multi-ingredient meal! All of our items are made from recycled PET bottles so any container you pick is also sustainable. Oh, and did we mention they come in a variety of colors so that you can live your life in color?

2. Plan & Pack Your Meal -- To Go!

You’ve picked your bento, now get ready to pack it. Bento boxes are able to carry a variety of food items and most definitely can carry even the most elaborate meals. So don’t be shy, dream up your wildest, healthiest meals and get ready to take them wherever you need to go. Bento boxes work best when packed tightly to discourage movement. Start with adding bulkier items first and then fill in with items like rice, beans or eggs. Finish off the bento with some healthy veggies!

Looking for recipes on how to get started? Check out our Bento Recipes!

3. Don’t Forget Your Utensils!

You’re all packed and ready to go but don’t forget about utensils to enjoy your meal with. Takenaka offers a variety of reusable utensils including chopsticks, forks, knives and even a mug to pair with your bento. Grab a set of chopsticks, wrap it in one of our furoshiki cloths
(a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) and you’ve got yourself a much chic-er brown bag lunch.

4. Show it Off

One of the more fun aspects of using a bento box is showing it off! You’ve done the hard work of  planning ahead, purchasing a beautiful bento box and you deserve to let people know. Snap a pic of your fun, colorful bento and share the love with friends and family or with us at #showyourtakenakabento on social.