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    Home » Recipes » Fall Recipes

    Lunch Box || Mediterranean Bento Box

    A stainless steel bento box packed with Mediterranean flavors of falafel, baby bell peppers, rainbow carrots, cucumbers, fresh figs, dried apricots.
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    Are you suffering from lunch box burn out? Do you pack yourself and your loved ones the same thing over and over every single day of the week? Today, I'm teaming up with Sabra to inspire you to break out of your lunch box rut and try something new like this Mediterranean Bento Box Recipe!

    {{This Mediterranean Bento Box was made in partnership with Sabra. We received compensation and product in exchange for it. Opinions are always our own. If we don’t love it, you don’t hear about it. Thanks for your continued support!}} 

    A stainless steel bento box is filled with falafel, baby bell peppers, rainbow carrots, cucumbers, apricots, fresh figs, feta, and hummus. The lunchbox is sitting on a weathered wooden table. There is a small white wooden cutting board in the bottom of the frame that has cucumbers sliced on it and a knife is laid on top. There is a drawing of a monster farmer wearing overalls on a yellow post it note. In the top corner of the image is a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The parchment has pieces of falafel on top. There is also a container of Sabra Classic Hummus on the table.

    Every member of my family is a fan of Mediterranean inspired bento boxes, but I'm pretty sure that I love them the most. Mediterranean style lunch boxes are one of the most versatile lunches to pack with tons of ingredient options and loads of flavor. I can literally swap up my family's lunches a million different ways in a week, and no one EVER gets tired of them!

    Packing delicious, colorful lunchboxes like this is simple! All you have to do is pick a protein from the list below then add 3-6 vibrant plant based sides to pair with it.

    Close up of a stainless steel bento box. It is filled with Mediterranean inspired foods like hummus topped with pine nuts, rainbow carrots, sliced cucumbers, fresh figs, dried apricots, and feta.

    Choose your Mediterranean bento box protein:

    Falafel || Falafel is a great, portable, plant based protein packed treat for a bento box recipe! You can vary the flavors and the variety of your falafel by changing up the legumes that you use. Typically, I go for the quintessential golden fried falafel made with garbanzo beans. But every now and then, I change it up and try new falafel flavors like the 6-ingredient baked lentil falafel pictured above. Typically one recipe's worth of my homemade falafel will get our family of 4 through a week's worth of lunch boxes.  That means that you can cook once, and then mix and match different variations of Mediterranean lunchboxes for the entire week!

    Chicken || My husband is a vegetarian and is happy to stick to falafel and hummus. However, the kids LOVE when I send chicken in their lunchboxes!  Store-bought rotisserie chicken is definitely the way to go when it comes to packing lunch. It's not only fast, easy, and affordable, but it tastes great warm or cold.

    Hummus || Sabra offers SO many delicious hummus options to choose from. I can really change up my family's Mediterranean Bento Box recipe profile without much trouble at all. I can go spicy for Todd by packing him the jalapeño or supremely spicy hummus, while also keeping it more mellow for the kids with flavors like roasted red pepper or classic.

    fresh figs, apricots, 2 falafel patties, 2 baby bell peppers, rainbow carrots, and a small dish of hummus with pine nuts are all packed in a stainless steel bento box

    Now choose the plant based sides for your Mediterranean bento box :

    Vegetables || Cherry tomatoes, baby bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, and carrots are all classic produce choices for a Mediterranean lunch box. They also happen to be crisper drawer basics in most households, so chances are that you have some of these items on hand already.

    Fruit || Fresh figs, stone fruit, and citrus are all great choices for a Mediterranean bento box. It's also nice to swap up the flavors and textures by adding dried or freeze-dried fruit to your lunch box too.

    Marinated & pickled things || Raid your pantry for jars of artichoke hearts, olives, and roasted red peppers. Also, check out the olive bar selection at your local grocery store for easy Mediterranean bento box sides. There is no prep work required from you!

    Nuts || Seriously, any thing goes here. ANYTHING! My family's favorites though are roasted almonds, pine nuts, and pistachios.

    Looking for even more lunchbox inspiration? Check out some of our favorite lunch box recipes here!

    Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? It’s easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, or PINTEREST to see cooking demos and peeks into our day to day life.

    What are the health benefits of chickpeas/garbanzo beans?

    As a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, chickpeas may offer a variety of health benefits, such as improving digestion, aiding weight management and reducing the risk of several diseases. Additionally, chickpeas are high in protein and make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets!

    Click here for more information on the health benefits of chickpeas.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is in a traditional bento box?

    Bento boxes are a Japanese innovation. Fish, rice, and fresh vegetables are traditional ingredients in a Japanese bento box.

    What can you make for a bento box?

    Bento Box ingredients can be adjusted to whatever suits each individual's taste. They are usually filled with a balanced selection of carbs, proteins, fruits, and vegetables.

    Is a bento box healthy?

    Bento boxes can be especially healthy when packed with fresh proteins, fruits, and vegetables. While bento boxes can contain just about anything, the point is to produce a balanced meal that covers the full range of necessary nutrients.

    Are bento boxes eaten cold?

    Bento Boxes are usually meant to be eaten cold or at room temperature. Make sure to include items that don't need to be heated up to enjoy.

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    About Meg

    Individual Strawberry Crisps

    Life can get pretty complicated, especially around dinner time. Whether you’ve got picky eaters, or bonafide allergy concerns, we’ve got some inspiration that’ll get you excited to bring all of those wants, needs and like-to-have’s around your family table. I’ve put together a couple of quick articles and guides to help you get started on your journey, or maybe just to help you get to know us a little better. So dig in and see what we’re all about. Just don’t judge – because we’re a total mess! More About Us

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