Our brand-new selection of bento boxes just dropped, and we’re obsessed! These sweet snacking solutions make the perfect employee gifts or back-to-school merch. Plus, they’re a great branded item for any business that wants to promote environmental consciousness and healthy eating!

What is a bento box?

In case you didn’t know, bento boxes are Japanese lunch boxes with divided compartments for storing portions of food in an organized and attractive way. Generally, bento boxes are rectangular in shape (though circles are also relatively common), and they’re most often made from wood, metal or plastic.

Bento boxes have their roots in Japanese culture, but have risen in popularity here in North America. While this is thanks, in part, to their practical nature and aesthetically pleasing qualities, Bento boxes are also incredibly valuable tools for managing portions and encouraging balanced, nutritious eating. Not to mention, as reusable containers that almost “gamify” packing a lunch, bento boxes help reduce waste from single-use plastic and provide an enticing alternative to unhealthy fast-food choices.

How do you use a bento box?

Generally, when using a bento, you want to think about each divided compartment as a place to hold one component of your packed lunch. We find the 4,3,2,1 rule particularly helpful for crafting a balanced bento box meal. It says that your meal should include 40% rice or noodles (or other starchy food), 30% protein, 20% vegetables, and 10% treats.

While dividers are not a feature of every bento meal or box, divided compartments are useful to keep foods separated neatly, gain a visual understanding of your portion sizes, and make your food pretty! Remember that the fun of a bento box is in making your meal look beautiful - there are tons of entertaining and inspiring accounts on social media that provide ideas for fun bento combinations.

Our brand-new bentos

Our bento box selection includes boxes made from a variety of materials. Some of our boxes are equipped with built-in dividers, while others are a blank slate, allowing their users the freedom to create their own compartments when and if they choose to do so. Many also come with their own utensils for added convenience.

Below, we break down our bento selection based on all of these factors, so you can find the one that’s best suited to your audience!

Bento boxes are a trendy item that blends aesthetic charm with positive habits. With the new school year on the horizon and a growing consumer appetite for products that support a healthy lifestyle, bento boxes might just be your most loved promo product yet!