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The Japanese bento, a traditional lunch box, is a great idea. It's very common in Japan and has many variations. In all of them, though, there is nutritious steamed white rice. Along with the rice, you can expect to find vegetables and noodles along with different kinds of meat.

My favourite bento includes prawn and vegetable tempura, teriyaki beef and wheat noodles. When the wheat noodles are eaten with some soy sauce and wasabi, a kind of Japanese horseradish, they are absolutely delicious. Sometimes you get an umeboshi, a pickled plum, on top of your rice which is also great because I really love pickled plums.

Many other foods can be found in a Japanese bento box. Sometimes you get sweet potato and pieces of fried and breaded potato. Other times you get a western salad, sliced carrots and cabbage, corn, slices of raw fish such as salmon and tuna, sushi, fried chicken and sometimes also a bit of fruit. Not only is the bento box very tasty but it's also beautifully arranged. The presentation seems to be as important as the taste. In fact, bento boxes are often very beautifully wrapped with fancy paper. They can be found at street corners, train stations, bus stations and subway stations throughout Japan. When you take a train, you can often buy one onboard from the vendor.

The bento box is traditionally eaten with a pair of chopsticks. Though this may seem difficult, I have found that Japanese chopsticks are the easiest ones to use. The reason is that unlike their Chinese and Korean counterparts, Japanese chopsticks are short and light. The chopsticks used with the bento box are wooden ones, so they are especially light and easy to manipulate. In contrast, Korean chopsticks tend to be made of steel so they are heavier. Chinese chopsticks are usually made of plastic so they are not so heavy, but they are much longer than traditional Japanese ones.

Though it's true that Japanese normally buy bento boxes when they want to eat lunch, it's also possible to make them. The key is to prepare the bento box in advance because normally at least three or four different dishes are needed. Every bento box includes steamed white rice. Along with the steamed white rice, you can decide what else you would like to include. A salad or vegetable dish is common as well as a meat dish such as fried chicken, slices of beef or prawn tempura. If you like noodles, you can also put noodles in your bento box. The only limit to what to include is your imagination. Finally, I recommend that you include some fruit as a nutritious and delicious dessert. This is often a few orange slices but you may also wish to include some pineapple or pear. I don't recall ever eating pear or pineapple in a bento box, so this may not be traditional, but I think these fruits are also ideal for the bento box.

The next time you need an idea for a nutritious lunch box, consider the Japanese bento box. It's nutritious, delicious and can be prepared in many different ways. It makes a great lunch.

Learn more about this author, Les Zsoldos.
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