{"id":58979,"date":"2017-05-27T09:15:45","date_gmt":"2017-05-27T13:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=58979"},"modified":"2017-05-29T10:16:18","modified_gmt":"2017-05-29T14:16:18","slug":"healthy-diy-bento-boxes-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/recipes\/healthy-diy-bento-boxes-lunch\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Healthy Bento Boxes Better Than Starbucks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If portion control<\/a> is your kryptonite, bento boxes are a great way to avoid going overboard. But instead of grabbing a pre-made bistro box from Starbucks or Pret a Manger, why not design your own with the foods you love? Putting them together is half the fun.<\/p>\n

Melissa Rifkin<\/a>, RD, MS, CDN, CSO, says, \u201cBento boxes help prevent me from getting stuck in the same snack routine and keeps me satiated throughout the day.\u201d The ideal snack or meal should consist of lean protein<\/a>, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats<\/a> and fiber (fruits and veggies). Just beware when adding condiments that could have sneaky sodium and sugar, Rifkin says.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t own a bento box? Check this one<\/a> out, or take a rectangular Tupperware and use muffin paper cups, parchment paper or mini containers as dividers. (We\u2019ve got plenty of meal prep inspiration<\/a> right here.) These bento boxes are guaranteed to make your co-workers wish they had your snack instead!<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>21 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

6 DIY Bento Boxes That\u2019ll Make Meal Prepping Fun<\/h3>\n

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1.\u00a0Protein Snack Bistro Box<\/a><\/h3>\n

While we\u2019re steering clear of Starbucks\u2019 unicorn frapp, we\u2019ll take a cue from their protein snack box. This one has the ideal portion of carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber. Plus, it\u2019s got a good mix of sweet and salty foods to satisfy your cravings. A small packet of nut butter will keep you from devouring a jar. And taking the time to peel the Babybel cheeses and hard-boiled egg will help you savor your food longer. Photo and recipe: Stephanie \/ Sustaining the Powers<\/em><\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0Cottage Cheese, Blueberries, Sliced Turkey and Cheese<\/a><\/h3>\n

For just 271 calories, this simple snack will keep you fueled for your workout. Turkey and Swiss cheese roll-ups are a healthier alternative to sodium-heavy beef jerky<\/a>, while cottage cheese and blueberries offer a different take on parfaits. Photo and recipe: Miranda Mendoza \/ Slashed Beauty<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>20 Meal Prep Tips From the Best Preppers We Know<\/a><\/p>\n

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3. Egg Salad Sandwich, Broccoli, Fruit, Dark Chocolate-Covered Peanuts<\/a><\/h3>\n

This box will make you want to lie in the park on a summer day. The bright egg salad atop a bed of spinach is sunshine in a box, while the jewel-colored blueberries and raspberries pop like flowers. Don\u2019t forget the broccoli florets, lined up like trees on the sidewalk, and the sunset-red radishes. Dark chocolate-covered peanuts are a sweet ending. Photo and recipe: Alison \/ Celebrating Sweets<\/em><\/p>\n

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4. Sandwich-On-a-Stick<\/a><\/h3>\n

If you want to slow down and enjoy your lunch, Weelicious uses a genius hack of cutting your sandwich into cubes and forking them with a skewer to hold the food in place. Savoring your food and chewing each bite fully helps with digestion and regulating hunger. We also love the beautiful mix of golden and black berries and edamame that balance the nutrients and colors in this meal.\u00a0Photo and recipe: Catherine McCord \/ Weelicious<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>8 Quick and Easy Egg Sandwich Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

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5.\u00a0Turkey Sandwich, Edamame, Hummus and Pretzels, Hard-boiled Egg and Veggies<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

You won\u2019t believe how much you can pack into a bento box until you see this one. Inside is a whole-wheat mini bagel with turkey and sprouts for your main. Then, you\u2019ve got some tasty sides of pretzels and hummus, salted edamame, cherry tomatoes and a hard-boiled egg and fresh berries. Photo and recipe: Cassie \/ Wholefully<\/em><\/p>\n

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6.\u00a0Buffalo Chicken Meatball Bento Box<\/a><\/h3>\n

If you want to cut back on the gluten<\/a> and not go with a basic sandwich, this bento box features chicken meatballs dressed in a healthy buffalo sauce. The bite-sized protein balls are the perfect complement to some leafy greens and a side of homemade ranch dressing. Pack some fresh berries to top your meal off with something sweet. Photo and recipe: Lauren \/ Wicked Spatula<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Move over Mason jars, bento boxes are the new make-ahead snacks and lunches. These creative meals will inspire you to make better choices on the go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":58991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,424,9,427],"tags":[59,151,292,87,341,388],"class_list":["post-58979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy","category-lunch","category-recipes","category-snacks","tag-healthy-substitutions","tag-lunch","tag-meal-prep","tag-snacks","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}