Bento boxes can be key to balanced meal

If you need an easy way to pack lunches for school or work, a bento box might be the key to having a balanced meal. Packed in a convenient box with veggies and fruit, our yummy chicken nachos — called Bento-Style Nachos — can make even fussy kids happy and grownups satisfied.

Bento boxes are Japanese lunch boxes with a few compartments for food. In Japan, they were made traditionally from wood, bamboo or aluminum. In the U.S., most bento boxes are plastic. The ideal version is free of BPA and is dishwasher-safe. Look for boxes that have three or more food compartments. Inexpensive boxes are available in various colors and with kiddie designs at supercenter stores or online.

To keep unhealthy saturated fat in check, we’ve made the nachos with low-fat cheese and ground chicken, which has less saturated fat than beef. We bring out the savory flavor of the chicken by adding cumin, chili powder and onion powder. The protein in the cheese and chicken is not only good for muscle growth but contains amino acids that help build neurons in the brain, which helps with emotional regulation and cognitive functioning, especially important for school kids. Whole-grain tortilla chips provide fiber in this lunchbox, and so do the fruit and vegetables. Try to pack the produce that your kids will eat. Because space is limited in the bento box, portion control happens naturally.

Kids can help assemble their own bento boxes. Encourage them to be creative and choose their favorite fruits and veggies for the little compartments. To ensure that any drippy foods won’t be “touching,” they can use silicone cupcake holders.

Our recipe makes two boxed lunches. But consider doubling the recipe to save time and energy.

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Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today's recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Bento-Style Nachos

Makes: 2 servings / Prep time: 15 minutes / Total time: 25 minutes

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/3 pound ground chicken breast

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

6 cherry tomatoes

14 multigrain tortilla chips

½ cup grapes

½ cup strawberries, hulled and sliced

½ cup blueberries

½ cup sliced carrot

½ cup sliced cucumber

Supplies:

2 bento-style containers with 3 compartments

4 small silicone cupcake holders

To prepare the nacho meat: Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add meat, cumin powder, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder. Crumble with a wooden spoon. Cook meat 5 minutes or until browned and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

To assemble the bento box:

For the nacho compartment, place two silicone cupcake holders into the large compartment of each bento container. Place half of the ground chicken into one of the silicone cupcake holders in each bento container. Place ¼ cup shredded low-fat cheddar into the remaining silicone cupcake holders. Place 3 cherry tomatoes atop the shredded cheese in each bento container. Place 7 whole grain chips into the remaining space in each compartment.

For the fruit compartment: Place ¼ cup grapes, ¼ cup strawberries and ¼ cup blueberries into one of the smaller compartments of each bento box.

For the vegetables: Place ¼ cup sliced carrots and ¼ cup sliced cucumbers into the remaining small container of each bento box.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

286 calories (53% from fat ), 17 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat ), 42 grams carbohydrates , 23 grams protein , 423 mg sodium , 70 mg cholesterol, 184 mg calcium , 5 grams fiber . Food exchanges: 1 bread, 1 fruit, 2 vegetable, 2½ protein, 2 fat .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bento boxes can be key to balanced meal