Healthy Japanese Breakfast Bento Box (Printable)
Nourishing Japanese breakfast bento with grilled fish, rice, pickles, and fresh fruit for a balanced morning meal.
# What You Need:
→ Fish
01 - 2 small salmon or mackerel fillets (about 3.5 oz each)
02 - 1 tsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tsp mirin
04 - 1 tsp vegetable oil
→ Rice
05 - 1 cup short-grain Japanese rice
06 - 1 1/4 cups water
→ Pickled Vegetables
07 - 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
08 - 1/2 cup julienned carrots
09 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
10 - 1/2 tsp sugar
11 - Pinch salt
→ Sides and Extras
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1 tsp soy sauce
14 - 1/2 avocado, sliced
15 - 1/2 cup steamed edamame, shelled
16 - 1/2 apple, sliced
17 - 1 sheet nori, cut into strips
18 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
# Steps:
01 - Rinse Japanese rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice and water in rice cooker or pot. Cook according to rice cooker instructions, or bring to boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
02 - Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in small bowl. Add cucumber and carrots, toss well. Let marinate at least 15 minutes.
03 - Pat fish fillets dry and brush with soy sauce and mirin. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grill fish skin-side down for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and golden. Set aside.
04 - Beat eggs with soy sauce. Cook scrambled eggs or thin omelet in small nonstick pan, then slice into strips.
05 - Place portion of rice in each bento box, sprinkling with sesame seeds and nori strips. Arrange grilled fish, pickled vegetables, egg, avocado slices, steamed edamame, and apple on the side.
06 - Serve immediately, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for portable breakfast.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything can be prepped the night before, making mornings feel surprisingly luxurious instead of rushed
- The balance of warm fish, tangy pickles, and fresh fruit hits every craving sensor simultaneously
02 -
- The rice needs to cool slightly before packing, or it will create steam and make everything soggy
- Pickled vegetables actually taste better after sitting for at least 15 minutes, so make them first
03 -
- Toasting your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds before sprinkling them on makes an incredible difference in flavor
- A small pinch of sugar in your rice vinegar pickling liquid helps balance the acidity