Low FODMAP Bento Box Lunch
Looking for an inspirational and perhaps aspirational approach for a take-along lunch? How about a bento box Lunch? This Green Theme Bento is from Bento Power, by Sara Kiyo Popowa.
Check out her Facebook page, ShisoDelicious, for even more of Sara’s fabulous ideas.
Dream, Then Create!
When I received this book I flipped through the pages and was so entranced by all of the neat, orderly, colorful, perfectly executed bento boxes – and I know that the bento box lunch approach is not for everyone. But for those of you who want to truly expand what the low FODMAP diet can mean to you and how you can still enjoy and create with food, then this book is for YOU!
In fact, after dreaming about one of these bento boxes for a while, I finally realized that one was not going to just magically appear. So I decided to create!
Shopping for the bento boxes was an exciting journey unto itself – there are so many to choose from, but this stainless steel one is a fantastic choice.
We have adapted the original recipe just oh-so-slightly for our low FODMAP diet.
Published with permission. Bento Power: Brilliantly Balanced Lunchbox Recipes, by Sara Kiyo Popowa. Published by Kyle Books.
From Sara: This is one of my bento classics, from when I was just getting in to the swing of making and Instagramming them. If you have a rice cooker, then this is one of the easiest types of bento to make; just load your cooker at night to have rice ready in the morning, when you quickly fry your egg and pack your veggies (that are simply cut and placed in the box with seasonings drizzled over). Plain rice always tastes great with nori, (black) sesame, and salt!
Let’s Make A Bento Box Lunch!
FODMAP IT!™ Green Theme Bento
Love bento boxes but eating low FODMAP? This Green Theme Bento - and this entire book, Bento Power - will be your new kitchen friend.
Ingredients:
Sesame-Fried Egg:
- A little toasted sesame oil, to fry
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, any type, not toasted
- 1 large organic egg
- A pinch of sea salt
Green Theme Salad:
- 2- ounces (55 g) savoy cabbage, saving 1 leaf to use as a separator in your bento
- 1/4 green bell pepper
- 1/2 kiwi, peeled and sliced or flesh scooped out
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- A pinch of sea salt
Assembly:
- 1 cup (180 g) of cooked and cooled rice, preferably half white and half brown
- 2 teaspoons toasted black sesame seeds
- A good pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 nori sheet, cut or ripped into confetti or other small shape
- 1- ounce (30 g) firm tofu, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon tamari
- Pomegranate seeds, optional
Preparation:
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For the Egg: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a little oil and scatter half of the sesame seeds into the oil to fizzle for a few seconds, then crack the egg on top. Scatter the rest of the seeds, and salt, over the egg. For speed you can pop the yolk (avoid runny eggs, for bento food safety). When the yolk seems firm, flip and fry for a few more moments, then slide onto a cutting board and cut into bite-size strips (easier to pick out of the boand let cool.
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For the Salad: Finely shred the cabbage and bell pepper and place straight into your bento box. Add the kiwi and drizzle over the sesame oil, vinegar, and salt—no need to mix them before.
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For Assembly: In one end of the box you‘ll already have your salad. Arrange the rice in the other end of the box (or in a whole single box, if using a double-decker like in the imagand scatter it with sesame seeds, salt, and some nori. In the remaining space, use a small piece of cabbage as a bowl, or separator, to arrange the sesame-fried egg and tofu. Drizzle the tamari over the tofu and scatter with nori. Finish with pomegranate seeds, if using. Close your box and pack in a bento bag or furoshiki with a fork or chopsticks.
Notes:
Tips
- Making a bento box requires preparation before assembly. Read the recipe through to acquaint yourself with the process for results just like the images!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! My question is about storage. My son is low fodmap, leaves for school at 7:45 and doesn’t each lunch until noon. He doesn’t have access to refrigeration. I’ve wondered about food safety for the bento box. Is it best to put it, still hot, in an insulated bag? Refrigerate it overnight and put an ice pack on bottom and top? Both of those seem to defeat the purpose of the box. Do you have suggestions? Thanks for sharing!!
What a lucky son! This dish is room temperature. I would pack it with ice packs. It will keep it safe and not chill it so much that the rice would become overly chilled. It’s a more contemporary approach, but I treat my bento boxes as I would any other “container” and as such they are usually also in an insulated bag for transport.
I’m at home but I used this to make a lunch bowl. Very nice. Thanks.
YAY! So glad you enjoyed. Thank you for letting us know.