Does your lunch box spark joy? The organizational surge has taken over many parts of our home lives, including the classic sack lunch in the form of a compact bento box. Whether you’re a fresh college graduate navigating the lanes of the workforce, an overstretched full-time working parent or a restful and honored retiree, a nutritionally-balanced meal is the backbone of a successful day, and this bento box meal-building formula might just be the missing ingredient your’s needs.

The bento box system originated more than a thousand years ago in Japanese culture, containing rice, meat or fish and a pickled vegetable. The bento-style lunch box is recognized by its clean, seamless appearance and cute, self-containing compartments to organize and individualize your meals. The appealing aesthetic design feeds the body through taste and tongue sensations by emphasizing nutrient variety, encouraging foods with bright, contrasting colors and textures in small, unintimidating portions.

In Japan, packing a meal in a bento box for someone is considered an act of love, and although many of us willingly do this for our children or spouses, most never take the moment to show that small amount of love to ourselves. Who better to understand and help nourish your body’s needs than yourself? If we can learn to intuitively listen to our bodies, it might have a lot to say.

When it comes to planning a meal for yourself or your family, regardless of the destination — home, office, school, in nature or while traveling — try a 1-2-3 simple meal planning method. A bento box pairs perfectly with this formula, because it was originally designed with nutrition and aesthetics in mind. We’re going to take that a step further and implement a three-step menu planning system:

__1. Pick your protein.__

Choose from leftovers or quick-serve chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs, game meat or dairy cheeses, or from vegetarian sources like beans, nuts, nut butters or soy-based proteins.

__2. Add flavor with a fruit or vegetable.__

Bento box meals are designed to first eat with your eyes, so let the rainbow inspire your plate. Bright colors from fruits and vegetables add visual contrast, which brings excitement to the plate. But also, the deeper the color, the more nutrition it brings to the table. For a traditional Japanese bento-style meal, explore with pickled vegetable varieties like cucumbers, green beans or cabbage. Don’t be scared to be bold! Accent with reds like fresh cherry tomatoes or bright raspberries or strawberries, or create a sunset of red, orange and yellow bell peppers. Cool your colors with calming blueberries, fresh spinach, steamed broccoli or roasted brussels sprouts, or lighten the meal with crisp yellow apples, jicama sticks or sliced summer squash.

__3. Add the energy!__

A strategic carbohydrate plus fat combination will add quick energy plus long-lasting satiety to endure all afternoon. Try pairing naturally-occurring fat sources like nuts, nut butters, avocados, full-fat dairy, or heart-healthy oils like olive or avocado-based salad dressings or dips for crusty breads.

This 1-2-3 method naturally lends itself to nutrient variety, meaning that throughout a week’s time of planning meals with nutrition intention, most macro and micronutrients your body needs will be satisfied. Whether you could happily spend hours in the kitchen or the anticipation of packing tomorrow’s lunch causes you stress, a bento box can work for your lifestyle. Allow your mind to build meals with simple, whole foods. Focus on including quality ingredients, not complicated recipes.

An easy way to add variety and nutrition to your lunches is to shop seasonal. Our local grocery stores and farmers’ markets do a great job of rotating and highlighting seasonal produce. Challenge yourself to expand beyond your staple fruits and veggies, and be on the lookout for new ones to add to the list. If they’re in season, they’re likely less expensive. When trying something new, the worst-case scenario is that they’re not your absolute favorite — but through taking a chance, you have learned something new about yourself in the process!

Try these recipes on pages 34 through 37 to get started with packing nutritious lunches in your bento box.

__Bento Box Packing 101__

Ace the bento box lunch life with these three packing tips.

1. Practice lunch packing.

To avoid lunch box sauce slip-ups, practice packing a test-run of your lunchbox’s security with a few messy foods. Mimic daily routines like tossing it in a gym bag or accidentally dropping it. After each test, open the box up to see if everything stays put. If it does, you’re good to go! If you need to create more contained space in your box, use a silicone cupcake holder to break up the larger compartments.

2. Skip the silverware.

Throw in a couple of toothpicks for festive disposable serving. If you’re serving dressing or dips, look for a small, lidded container for a mess-free clean up.

3. For kids’ lunches, snip the corner of prepackaged items to avoid hangry panic.

And if you’re feeling extra, use a metal cookie cutter to create fun shapes of sandwiches or fresh veggies. Or, if you’re low on fresh fruits or vegetables, add frozen options like berries, frozen avocado or mixed veggies that will thaw by lunchtime.

Cranberry pistachio bars with ricotta cheese, mixed berries and honey prepared by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, are arranged in a bento box. The bento box originated in Japan.Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Cranberry pistachio bars with ricotta cheese, mixed berries and honey prepared by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, are arranged in a bento box. The bento box originated in Japan.Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

__Cranberry Pistachio Bars__

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped

1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

1 tablespoon chia seeds

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup honey or maple syrup

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sea salt to taste

1. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment

paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pistachios, cranberries and chia seeds.

3. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook the butter, honey and brown sugar until it starts to bubble, approximately five minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook at low boil for approximately two minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and stir.

4. Pour the syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.

5. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan with a spoon or clean hands. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

6. Set in a refrigerator to cool for approximately 15 minutes. Cut into 1x3-inch rectangles and serve.

Build a bento box by pairing with a cup of full-fat plain or vanilla Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese or wedge of fresh mozzarella cheese, fruit such as a fresh banana or sliced mango and mixed berries.

Recipe adapted from page 100 of “Whole Food Baby Food,” by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, and Laura Morton MS, RDN, LD.

Tuna quesadillas, avocado, peppers, beans and Greek yogurt prepared by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, are arranged in a bento box. Traditional Japanese-style bento boxes include rice, meat or fish, and a pickled vegetable.Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Tuna quesadillas, avocado, peppers, beans and Greek yogurt prepared by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, are arranged in a bento box. Traditional Japanese-style bento boxes include rice, meat or fish, and a pickled vegetable.Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

__Easy Tuna Quesadillas__

1 (2.6-ounces) pouch chunk light tuna

in water

¼ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch of cumin

Pinch of garlic powder

2 (8- to 10-inch) whole wheat tortillas

1 tablespoon butter

1. In a small bowl, combine the tuna, yogurt, cheese, lemon juice, cumin and garlic. Divide the filling mixture evenly between two tortillas, smoothing to cover the entire surface to edges. Fold the tortillas in half.

2. In an iron skillet on medium heat, add butter and swirl the pan to coat. Place the folded tortillas in the skillet and cook until desired brownness, carefully flipping over the quesadillas with a small spatula and cooking on the other side.

3. Let cool before serving. Cut quesadillas into quarters for easy serving.

Build a bento box meal by pairing tuna quesadillas with avocado slices sprinkled with fresh lemon or lime juice to prevent browning, crinkle-cut carrot chips, sour cream, diced cherry tomatoes or salsa, and a handful of dark chocolate chips and nuts.

Recipe adapted from page 122 of “The BLW Baby Food Cookbook,” by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, and Laura Morton MS, RDN, LD.

Cheesy zucchini bites, ham rolls and bread prepared by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, are arranged in a bento box. Building meals from simple, whole foods will help ensure your body gets the micronutrients and macronutrients it needs.Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Cheesy zucchini bites, ham rolls and bread prepared by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, are arranged in a bento box. Building meals from simple, whole foods will help ensure your body gets the micronutrients and macronutrients it needs.Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

__Cheesy Zucchini Bites__

1½ cups shredded zucchini

(approximately 1 medium

zucchini)

2 eggs

½ cup (approximately 2 ounces)

shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

or 1 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Spread the shredded zucchini on a clean dish towel or paper towel and squeeze to remove any excess moisture.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, garlic powder and basil, and mix well.

4. Scooping up 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, form the batter into patties with your clean hands.

5. Place each patty on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

6. To build a bento box, pair the patties with a savory protein like a boiled egg, meat stick, smoked sausage or sliced beef kielbasa; hummus and pita chips; and a sweet side of fresh orange slices dipped in melted dark chocolate.

Recipe adapted from page 72 of “Whole Food Baby Food,” by Ellen Gipson, MA, RDN, LD, and Laura Morton, MS, RDN, LD.

__5 local spots for a picnic__

Whether you need a quick lunch break escape or are taking a weekend afternoon exploratory adventure, the Southeast Missouri region is packed with many tranquil treasures. Here are five favorites:

__Riverfront Bridge Park__

1 Morgan Oak St. in

Cape Girardeau

Amenities: River overlook benches, parking, picnic tables

Starting from Downtown Cape Girardeau, Riverfront Bridge Park preserves the original Cape Girardeau Bridge and offers a short walk-out with views of the Mississippi River, along with renovated picnicking space and open lawn format.

__Cape Rock Park__

1 East Cape Rock Dr. in

Cape Girardeau

Amenities: Picnic table, benches, river overlook with uneven steps to walk

Cape Rock Park gives you an elevated look of the Mississippi River. Here, you can catch a glimpse of the water right from the comfort of your car or take a short hike up a few dozen stairs to see a sight that commemorates the original trading post set up by Ensign Giradot, for whom the city is named.

__Fountain Park__

Cape Girardeau

Amenities: Water fountain with goldfish pond, benches and picnic area with 1-mile trail that winds through the wooded area west of Cape Rock Drive. Side-of-the-road parking for two to three cars at a time, small sitting bench, steps down into unpaved walking trail

Fountain Park is a mini park located west of East Cape Rock Drive. For a lunch-hour walk, this park offers a one-mile unpaved trail. Or, sit and enjoy the goldfish glistening in the sun under the fountain.

__Lake Boutin__

429 Moccasin Springs Rd. in Jackson

Amenities: Sand swimming beach, accessible paved sidewalk, restroom/change house

Lake Boutin Beach at Trail of Tears State Park is a 20-acre beach destination for fishing and picnicking.

__Bollinger Mill__

Park and Burfordville Covered Bridge

113 Bollinger Mill Rd. in

Burfordville

Amenities: Tours, picnicking area

Bollinger Mill Park and the Burfordville Covered Bridge are iconic sites with a four-story stone mill and Missouri’s oldest covered bridge. If you have time, stay for a guided tour, and you can see how the water still powers the mill. Although the bridge is closed to street traffic, visitors are invited to walk through to admire the time-tested carpentry. The park also offers picnicking areas and a chance to learn about 19th-Century Missouri.