I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
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Guide to choosing the right size bento box
So you ordered a bento box online, it arrives and you’re shocked at how tiny it is. People try to tell you to just eat less, but you have a sneaking suspicion that you may have accidentally bought a bento box sized for a 2-year-old instead of an adult. Here’s how to tell: check the box’s total capacity against the gender/age/height guidelines in the table below (I translated them from a popular Japanese website that’s been getting a lot of media exposure in Japan — they’re based on official Japanese nutritional guidelines).
In Japan, bento box size is described not by its dimensions (inches or centimeters), but instead by its volume or capacity (in milliliters — ml). Why? Because a rule of thumb in Japan is that when you pack a bento box normally (A: 3 parts grain dishes, 1 part protein dishes, 2 parts vegetable dishes; B: without candy, junk food or fatty food; and C: without empty space), calories correspond directly to capacity. So a 600ml box should hold a 600-calorie meal.
Capacity (容é‡) is usually written on the bento box package and also often on the bottom of the bento box in raised plastic. If you’re not sure of your box’s capacity, you can measure it yourself by filling the box with water, pouring the water into a liquid measuring cup and checking the milliliters (ml) or ccs there. Most, if not all, Japanese eBay sellers should be able to tell you the size of a box in ml if asked. (Edited to add: 240ml = 1 cup American)
Here’s a quick height conversion chart in case you don’t know your height in centimeters.
| Age (Women) | Avg. height (in cm) | Calories per meal (kCal) | Bento Box Size (in ml) |
| 3-5 | 85-110 | 450 | 400 |
| 6-8 | 116-128 | 500-550 | 500 |
| 9-11 | 134-147 | 600-650 | 600 |
| 12-14 | 155 | 770 | 700 |
| 15-17 | 157 | 735 | 700 |
| 18-20’s | 158 | 685 | 600 |
| 30’s | 157 | 670 | 600 |
| 40’s | 157 | 670 | 600 |
| 50’s | 152 | 650 | 600 |
| 60’s | 152 | 650 | 600 |
| 70’s | 147 | 520 | 500 |
| 80’s | 147 | 520 | 500 |
* Source: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/yellowstudio/c/0000000352/
| Age (Men) | Avg. height (in cm) | Calories per meal (kcal) |
Bento Box Size (in ml) |
| 3-5 | 85-110 | 450 | 400 |
| 6-8 | 117-128 | 500-550 | 500 |
| 9-11 | 133-145 | 600-650 | 600 |
| 12-14 | 160 | 885 | 900 |
| 15-17 | 170 | 920 | 900 |
| 18-20’s | 171 | 885 | 900 |
| 30’s | 170 | 885 | 900 |
| 40’s | 170 | 885 | 900 |
| 50’s | 165 | 800 | 800 |
| 60’s | 165 | 800 | 800 |
| 70’s | 160 | 620 | 600 |
| 80’s | 160 | 620 | 600 |
* Source: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/yellowstudio/c/0000000352/
Step 2: Adjust for your level of physical activity and height *
Physical activity:
Level 1: Low (spend most of your time sitting or quiet)
Level 2: Moderate
Level 3: High (lots of exercise, sports, etc.)
Adjust the size of the bento box for your height and physical activity:
Add 100ml to your bento box size for:
- Taller than average height
- High physical activity (Level 3)
Subtract 100ml from your bento box size for:
- Shorter than average height
- Low physical activity (Level 1)
* Source: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/yellowstudio/c/0000000352/
I’m not sure how much to adjust if, for example, you’re both taller than average and have high physical activity (add 100ml or 200ml?), but it’s something to start with. If you’re dieting, you might want to choose a smaller box, but these are the general Japanese guidelines for packing dense food (i.e. rice or pasta, veggies and a protein). Bulky foods like sandwiches or salads would require larger boxes than the chart above.
The Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top defines the following food groups:
| Category | Cooking Category | (Ideal Japanese Bento Makeup) |
| Grain dishes | Dishes that mainly include rice, bread, noodles and pasta (carbohydrate sources) | 3 parts |
| Vegetable dishes | Dishes that mainly include vegetables, potatoes, beans (excl. soy beans), mushrooms and seaweeds (various vitamins, minerals and fiber sources) | 2 parts |
| Fish and Meat dishes | Dishes mainly include meat, fish, eggs, soy beans and soybean products (protein sources) | 1 part |
| Milk | Milk, yogurt and cheese (calcium sources) | (occasional) |
| Fruits | Fruits and fruit-like vegetables (Vitamin C and potassium sources) | (occasional) |
Source: What is Shokuiku (Food Education)?
BTW, if you get excited about the bento boxes at the Yellow Studio website linked from the charts above, be aware that they won’t ship outside Japan. (UPDATE: You can use one of the shipping services on this page to receive orders from companies that won’t ship internationally, though.)
READ MORE:
- Bento FAQ
- How to care for your bento gear
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillers”
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
March 7th, 2007 | Categories: equipment, parenthacks, tips, tutorial or how to | 
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130 Responses to “Guide to choosing the right size bento box”
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March 7th, 2007 at 6:52 am
This is a really helpful tip.
I have not gotten around doing the bento-box yet, but I know this, once I do, I will have a lot of helpful tips laying around thanks to you.
I have a question, being a Chef myself.
I noticed you pre-make many of the components that make your meal.
The white rice, does it lose flavor due to freezing? How hard it is to heat back up and not get clumpy? Or does everything taste as good as it looks?
I am very curious to know..
March 7th, 2007 at 7:09 am
Wow, that’s very cool. Thanks for taking the time to translate and post it.
March 7th, 2007 at 7:48 am
This is extremely helpful as I had no idea what I would be purchasing looking online. Thanks for posting this!
March 7th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Wow. At 178 cm, I am -way- taller than the average Japanese woman, and still have a bit on men as well…
Thanks for this!
March 7th, 2007 at 10:25 am
What a fantastic bit of info. Thanks so much for posting. I’d heard about the rule of thumb, but hadn’t seen it being promoted with visuals and a food pyramid before. Interesting website…how I wish they shipped to the U.S.
I am also curious as to why the Japanese are having to start this little food project. Is it a company advertising gimmick or is it something the government is sponsoring? Because I always thought the East had good eating habits and a low obesity rate.
March 7th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Me too. Eheh…
Anyway, very interesting stuff.
March 7th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
@5 from sprater: The Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top and the Shokuiku Law (passed in 2005) are an official government thing (not a company advertising thing) — take a look at the Shokuiku link above.
March 7th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
@4 from dark_blade: Yup, I’m 177cm, so I’m with you! It was always fun wearing 3-inch heels to work in Japan.
March 7th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
@3 from bibliovixen: Yes, it helps you get a handle on bento box sizes — I’m lost without capacity in ml.
March 7th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
@2 from tzel: My pleasure — it’s been on my mind for a while now.
March 7th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
@1 from slr3na: Welcome! With the white rice, I use short- and medium-grain rice that is meant to be eaten sticky/clumpy, so that’s not a big issue for me. When I freeze fried rice or long-grain fluffy rice, it comes back to life fine (without clumpiness). The important things are to freeze warm, fresh rice (like out of the rice cooker within 30 minutes of it being done), wrap it tightly before freezing so that it can retain its moisture, and before eating to heat in the microwave until warm. You also wouldn’t want to keep it in the freezer for months on end, in case it develops freezer burn. Cycling through your bento freezer stash every 3 weeks or so helps with that.
I’d say any time you eat room-temperature rice you’re taking a hit on flavor, and frozen/nuked rice is no exception (which is why those little bento kits with insulated food jars just for the rice are becoming popular in Japan). Of course fresh rice is going to taste best, but I find the pre-frozen & nuked rice acceptable for bentos (and it gives me more flexibility for lunch as I only make rice every 10 days or so). Hope this helps — I welcome your comments/suggestions!
March 7th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Thanks for the great tip on finding out the ml value of bento boxes w/o the ml’s posted. I used the water method on my boxes and was amazed to find that even my smallest ones were a whopping 725 mls. I’m trying to diet and stick to a 1200 calorie a day diet…so filling these to capacity will be a no-no. I just thought because they look so small and compact that they didn’t hold that much food. I have a couple of smaller polka dot bento boxes that hold around 470 ml; I originally thought they were miniscule, but now I’ll have to take them out and use them more often.
March 7th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
XD WOW… Im average height… somewhere in the world!
But seriously… I read your post early this morning and I couldnt help but think of how helpful and informative it was. Like sprater said before me… I used to think my obento boxes were small, :X but after having learned that the ml roughly equal the calories they seem so huge. >_> Now I also realize why my boyfriend complains that bento arent enough food… XD because according to that chart, he needs a box about double the size of mine! =^.^= Shopping time it is!
March 7th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
@13 from furikakemonster: Ooh, enjoy your bento shopping! Happy to give people a rationalization for getting more bento boxes!
March 7th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
@12 from sprater: Excellent — I’m so glad that helped.
March 8th, 2007 at 1:59 am
Hello Biggie - so glad that your Flickr friends made this link - your first entry made me laugh, cos it was EXACTLY what I thought - bought online, thought it was for a 2 year old…ha ha…but this has been very interesting, and I’m now going to check out more of your wonderful tutorials and your pics on Flickr - Thank you very much - Best wishes from Cesca in Berlin (aka Bowhaus)
March 8th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Thanks for translating! That was really helpful in answering the whole “how big should the box be?” question!
March 8th, 2007 at 11:29 am
I’m loving the Spinning Top diagram. The charts are really easy to understand, using familiar japanese dishes! I love that their number 1 guideline is to “enjoy eating”. So much of the Shokuiku program is wonderful, from educating your kids about farming and fishing…and teaching them how to prepare meals…I love the holistic approach, getting corporations and communities involved with food education! great stuff. thank you for sharing that.
Also, I’m loving all the bento size guide chart! I was using a bento box too big for my daughter. I notice if I put a itty bitty piece of something, she’ll eat it. Rather than a big pile.
julie
March 8th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
@17 from commoi: Hooray! My job here is done!
March 8th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
@17 from Julie: Thanks, Julie! I’m intrigued by Shokuiku as well, especially getting kids involved.
My son also eats better if I serve him small portions from little plates, bowls or bento boxes. I was doing some reading on this and evidently it’s common for that age group — huge servings overwhelm them.
March 8th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
@16 from anonymous/Cesca/Bowhaus: I’m glad it hit the mark! I suspected that was happening, looking at some of the pictures…
March 12th, 2007 at 4:33 am
Thank you so much for this post. I plan to buy online one day but I never would have understood what was going on if I hadn’t read this post.
March 14th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
@22 from luh3417_au: Glad it helped — it’s never good to be unpleasantly surprised after you’ve shelled out good money online for something.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Thanks for posting these, they are interesting. I can’t apply the rules for myself, but they are nice to know. My bentos are 800ml but I pack mostly veggies. I pack at least 1/2 vegetables, then at least 1/4 protein, and then carbs if I have room left.
Why are other “dry” type beans not counted as proteins? It seems to me that they should be. I count those type beans as proteins, although of course they are also high in carbs. I count hard cheeses as protein also unless they are used as garnish.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:14 pm
@24 from 00goddess: I don’t necessarily stick to the guidelines either, but I find them interesting to know (as just that — guidelines). I’m not sure why all of the items are categorized exactly the way they are by the Japanese government; you may as well count them however you like for your own dietary purposes, right?
March 21st, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I agree, I find them interesting too
You are such a great resource.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:18 am
I’m trying hard to bring my own lunches to school since the bento I can order at school are kinda spendy (and often include things I can’t eat cause of food sensitivities) and I’ve gotten into a rut with what I eat at the cafeteria. I have a cute pink bento box I found at a store but have received a few comments from other staff and students that it’s too small. (I work/live in Japan, also got my B.A. majoring in Japanese ^^)
Having no background for judging the size of bento boxes, your info here is sooooooooooooo helpful! I just tested my box and its around 500 ml. I don’t pack it full on the bottom either. I think tomorrow would be a great day to get out and find a slightly larger box and avoid the many “are you eating enough? are you eating properly” questions.
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your lj. I look forward to reading more of your hints and tips. ^_^
March 30th, 2007 at 9:23 am
@27 from tenshisama: Oh boy, your comments brought back memories! It’s nice that everyone’s concerned, but sometimes I wished they’d just give me a good reliable resource to use to solve the problem myself instead of chiming in with opinions I wasn’t sure if I should trust or not.
April 15th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Thank you so much for this!! While I’ve been drooling over bento photos/blogs for quite awhile I’ve only started looking to buy a bento box within the last few days. And looking through auctions on eBay I was struck with a near constant sense of, “Uhhhhhhh…??” I had absolutely NO idea what I should be looking for! Thank you again!!
April 26th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Thank you for all of your beautiful photos. I admire all your work, too!
My son is starting preschool in September and I thought I had until then to get started, but it turns out he needs to begin taking his lunches to daycare now (starting today!) because he doesn’t like the food they serve there and his teacher is worried about him not eating. I’ve always felt that bento was the way to go and I gave it my first shot this morning.
All of this info and your posts will serve as definite inspiration and a handy resource.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
@29 from thesugarmonster: Well, the eBay sellers haven’t necessarily caught on yet that their buying public needs to know box capacity in ml, but at least now we know what question to ask to get a meaningful answer! More business will go to eBay sellers who can give us good info.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
@30 from Avalera: Ack, starting TODAY!?!? Serious panic time — I’m glad you’re here. Preschool bentos are some of the most challenging bentos to pack because our kids aren’t yet skillful with utensils (and can be picky eaters but aren’t yet able to articulate their “rules”). My children’s bento books have a few suggestions (off the top of my head): think finger food, don’t over-pack food as that overwhelms children, cut things into bite-size pieces for easy eating, include picks and little spoons/forks to facilitate eating, don’t see lunch as an opportunity to totally educate their palate with things they don’t like — just do that occasionally with one thing, and think about the *fun* aspect (dipping, little characters, etc.). They also recommend practicing together with your child beforehand — how to unpack/open the bento equipment, and how to pack/close it all back up. Make sure they’re capable of all of the latches (many preschoolers start with boxes without the flap/snap wings as they’re easier to open). If you’re using a bento box with the flap/snap wings on the sides, be sure to *thoroughly cool* all of the food you’re packing inside before closing it up. Not doing so will create a vacuum in the box, and make it difficult/impossible for your preschooler to open without the teacher’s help (and some kids are embarassed to ask for help).
Sorry about the unorganized brain dump, but you’ve got a bento emergency!!!
April 29th, 2007 at 6:18 am
THANKS for the advice. I packed him some grilled chicken breast slices, we had left over from dinner, apple slices, carrot sticks, black olives and some muenster cheese. And in two other smalls containers, some hummus and some blackberries.
Yesterday, I went to Mitsuwa and bought him a child-size bento so tomorow’s lunch should be much more compact and organized. I’ve also been eyeballing little condiment bottles on eBay.
I’ll definitely be getting loads of inspiration from your toddler lunches.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:43 am
@33 from avalera: Glad to hear back from you! With my toddler lunches, just remember that I still eat with him (he’s not in preschool yet), so I help him with eating & utensils when he needs it. This fall when he goes to preschool I’ll be focusing on foods he can eat all by himself without assistance.
April 30th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I just joined your Kids Eat flickr group! I am loving your LJ, btw. Thanks again for all your hard work and wisdom!
May 1st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
I am curious if you have any idea how many ML/Calories a full Mr. Bento would be?
I’ve been trying to find this out…
I am on a 1,300 calorie diet.. and I am used to eating only a banana for my breakfast and lunch combined… but I wasn’t able to resist the beauty and appeal of bento , so I have since then gotten a Mr. Bento for me and my fiance .. and I am imagining that I’m eating wayyy over my calorie allotment right now >_< lol
please help if you can?
May 1st, 2007 at 6:30 pm
@36 from anonymous: A Mr. Bento (or Nissan Stainless thermal lunch tote) is 1230ml total capacity: 450ml (rice), 300ml (side), 200ml (side), and 280ml soup container. If you pack it with loose, bulky food like salad, breads or soups, however, the calorie count will come down from 1:1. It’s a little too big for me for a single meal, but my husband likes it especially when one of the tiers is packed with a snack. Maybe the smaller Ms. Bento would be a better size for you?
May 5th, 2007 at 12:05 am
I was thinking of this post when I sent a note to the owner of the eBay shop ‘Japan Souvenir’ and got this reply:
May 5th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
@38 from sff_corgi: Well, I *have* seen some Japanese bento boxes where capacity isn’t marked on the box (although it’s usually on the package then — Bug’s little Thomas the Tank Engine box was like that), but most are. It’ll be telling to see if they start listing ml for boxes other than the one you asked about. Seriously, that’s the key bit of data.
May 5th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
I’ve got that rust-red square usagi box, and I’m pretty sure the volume isn’t marked on that one, either on the sticker or molded into the plastic — I had to measure it (and yes, it’s bigger than it looks! 550ml, to my surprise).
And I agree, it’ll be interesting to see if that vendor starts adding that information.
May 7th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Got Nagomi, Inc. ^_^
I just got some items from him and when it wasn’t embossed on the box, the volume was noted on an enclosure or the packaging.
May 7th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
@41 from sff_corgi: Very responsive! Smart seller.
May 28th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Thanks for your website. I stumbled upon your website via Wikipedia, and I am glad that I did. However, the link here on your website to JBOX.com gives sizes in grams and I was wondering what the equivalents are to ml - measurements? Thanks for your help
May 28th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
@43 from anonymous: Oh wow, I had no idea that this site was on Wiki! Cool.
I do have a bit of a beef with bento box sellers who don’t provide box capacity in ml — JBOX.com is not an exception, unfortunately. They provide the weight of the box in grams for calculating shipping, but only give dimensions for the boxes themselves. I’d suggest e-mailing them and asking about the ml capacity of any box you’re interested in — eventually they should get the hint and start providing the info up front.
June 23rd, 2007 at 2:51 am
Hi, I’m starting to make my own bentos as well after being inspired by you! I undertstand that the Yellow studio website doesn’t post items out of Japan but would you have any clue where to get the mapping for the Shokuiku from? thanks! Keep up the wonderful job! Jun
June 23rd, 2007 at 6:19 am
Hi Jun! Do you mean that clear plastic sheet with gridlines shown on top of the Yellow Studio boxes in the link? It appears that that’s something from Yellow Studio sold with their 3:1:2 Shokuiku line of boxes. You could always eyeball it — rice in one half, then roughly approximate one third of the remaining space for your protein. That sheet is nifty, though — wish I had one for fun!
June 23rd, 2007 at 6:34 am
Sorry, that was me in Admin mode.
June 23rd, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Thank you so much Biggie! You are one of the most inspiring people out there! My partner (his Chilean) is a chef and he is sick of gourmet food that he cooks at work all the time, and since it’s french food, the portion that he gets given at dinner time is tiny, so I decided to make him bento for work, breakfast, lunch and dinner ( do you have any suggestions of what I a first time bento maker should do??? And with the Shokuiku chart I realized that he needs at least a 900ml bento box to keep him running all day at work. So I bought a set of Lock & Lock containers that comes with a lunch bag, quite similiar to yours but there’s 3 containers in it with a water container too. I thought that with the 3 boxes, I can do a meal in each box what do you reckon? I’m in Western Australia and Japanese food are trendy here but to make Japanese or Chinese food (I’m chinese) it’s a little hard to find produce. Would you please help!!! Thanks!
June 25th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
@48 from Jun: Thanks for the kind comment, Jun! What size is each of the Lock & Lock containers? Sounds interesting! I’ve got a Lock & Lock picnic set for multiple people; I wonder if yours is similar. I love the produce markets here — great variety and excellent prices (much cheaper than in Japan). Good luck to you in your produce hunt in Western Australia!
June 25th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Hey Biggie, the pack comes with 3 containers around 800ml each, so at the moment I’m using 2 of the lunch boxes for his lunch and dinner and one of them for snack. Food in Asutralia is beautiful just harder to find bento and accessories here and postage is so expensive on ebay too.
June 30th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
[...] II of no more fat ass is about to begin with using Bento for portion control (and reminding me to actually.. you know.. eat something during the day. Also, [...]
July 6th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
This has been so helpful. I don’t have any actual bento boxes, I have been using Tupperware-like containers. My husband is starting a diet and this works for him to know just how many calories he’s getting.
On another note, he’s 1/2 Japanese and this is his first experience with bento boxes! He really likes it. So… thank you!!
July 6th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
@52 from kian:
Glad it helped! Those tables helped me get a handle on how much I should be packing for all of us, and transition up to a slightly larger box for my almost-3-year-old. Good luck to your husband on his diet!
July 13th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
[...] 3 by 3.5 inches — and they really are small. But according to a really useful chart over at Lunch in a Box, it’s the right size for me. Bento boxes size is usually determined by capacity, rather than [...]
August 19th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
[...] not the dimensions. Most sellers list dimensions only, which has the potential to be misleading. Here’s a useful chart from Lunch in a Box that can help you decide which size is best for you. If your cute box is a little smaller than you [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 5:12 am
[...] months of waffling, I finally decided to buy a real bento box. It’s a smaller capacity than what’s recommended for my age group but I’m short, have a slender frame, and tend to eat relatively light lunches anyway despite [...]
September 11th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
[...] Bento box. It’s only about 738 ml total (top portion: 450, bottom: 288), but upon looking at this chart and adjusting for activity level, perhaps it’s just right. I also have a square thing with [...]
September 12th, 2007 at 6:42 am
This was EXACTLY the info I needed. Now to find the right size bento boxes for me and my husband.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:09 am
Prem…
I always enjoy coming to this site because you offer great tips and advice for people like me who can always use a few good pointers. I will be getting my friends to pop around fairly soon….
October 1st, 2007 at 6:15 am
Hey Biggie! Yeah, I thought, “Wow” at the size of my first Bento, but am quite full at lunch time with a snackable amount left over for my 1.5 hour drive home which keeps me going until dinner is ready. I usually eat one tier at lunch, and the second with fruit/veggies heading home. Thanks for posting the chart. Definitely printing and filing for future reference!
October 1st, 2007 at 9:44 am
@59 from Prem: Thanks for the kind words, Prem! Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts you might have.
October 1st, 2007 at 9:46 am
@60 from Sunshine 9905: Glad this was helpful to you! Before I was used to packing food compactly, the little bento boxes seemed alarmingly small. But once I figured out what size box I should be using, I was able to cram it with enough food to be satisfied — helpful for portion control
October 9th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
[...] The second one is based on the Japanese Inverted Food Pyramid or Spinning Top Model, which is alot like the USDA Food Pyramid, only slight more biased towards Japanese eating styles. More information can be found here: http://lunchinabox.net/2007/03/07/guide-to-choosing-the-right-size-bento-box/ [...]
October 23rd, 2007 at 6:32 pm
this is very helpful
i choose Japan for our group
and diet as my topic
and the guidelines are perfect
THANK YOU!
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:41 am
[...] shed 30+lbs. LunchInABox has detailed instructions on the Japanese method of calorie counting by choosing a bento box size appropriate for one’s age & gender. In my case, however, I’ve been struggling with [...]
November 27th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
wow, thanks for all the tips. I really want to make a good bento for someone…I haven’t been able to master it as of yet but I’m sure I will with your help!
November 29th, 2007 at 10:16 am
@66 from Chiki: As long as you’re satisfied with what you’ve packed, that’s a great start. Is it tasty? Does it get eaten? Does it make it to its destination intact? If so, the rest is just gravy.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
This is useful information, even if I currently just use tupperware that’s lying around when I do the occasional semi-bento. (When I do order a “real” bento box I’ll have this in mind) But I’d like to add, since some people couldn’t find how many ml their box was, all you need to find out the how many milliliters all you need to find out is the volume, which could be easily found with a calculator. (Or, depending on the numbers, in your head) Then, just plop it here, round it off, and you’ll know how many milliliters there are! Also, keep in mind, a cm cubed is a milliliter!
January 7th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
@68 from Elli: Thanks for the tip on calculating ml! The other thing you can do is fill your Tupperware with water, pour the water out into a measuring cup, and see how many cc’s (or ml’s) it is. Easy peasy!
February 24th, 2008 at 12:23 am
[...] which size bento box you should buy. That’s probably not explaining it well enough, so read Biggie’s explanation here, and she helpfully links to the Japanese explanation [...]
March 7th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
I sometimes use those Wonderbread sandwich boxes I found at WalMart. It’s kind-of cute to find your meal is sandwich-shaped, and they have such a cute retro-American feel to them, especially if you use a red handkerchief as a furoshiki.
March 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
@71 from Candi: Those little sandwich boxes are a great alternative to pricey bento boxes — so cheap and widely available at supermarkets and superstores.
March 9th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I babbled briefly about this page on my blog (Honorable Lunchbox Calories #70 above), but I didn’t even properly thank you for the incredibly helpful advice. Thank you!!
I’m in Tokyo, and bento boxes have both amused and baffled me for years. I’m a vegetarian, and attempts at putting my own obento together always horrified my co-workers (yeah, that onigiri with brown rice was memorable *grin*). After a few months of that, I was too embarrassed to ask for help and so found it easier to support the local conbini.
Long story a bit shorter, I’m back to trying to put my own lunches together, I’m tired of basic tupperware, and in a search for explanations on where to start and how to put it all together, I landed on your blog.
Your explanations are terrific!
Keep up the fantastic work, and I’ll keep coming back for more inspiration!
March 10th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
@73 from Tanja: Welcome to the site, Tanja — glad to have you here! I look forward to your comments as a non-Japanese in Japan.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:48 am
[...] and the guidelines for the food that goes in them, visit Lunch in a Box’s Guideline Page (http://lunchinabox.net/2007/03/07/guide-to-choosing-the-right-size-bento-box/). She always has good ideas for bentos, and how to pack them quickly! Her link can also be found [...]
May 26th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I am 195 cm, thus your translation is not very useful for me.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
@76 from reggie: I hear you on being much taller than these Japanese height charts, reggie. I’d recommend using your own preferred authorities to figure out how many calories a day you should be consuming for your height, gender, activity level, and diet goals. Divide by three to get your per-meal calorie goal, and that’s the size bento box you can aim for.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:34 am
For those of you trying to figure out the size in ml of your bento box, actually calculating ml from cm dimensions is really easy.
As long as you have the dimensions in cm
cm x cm x cm = ml
So a box that’s 10 by 10 by 10 centimeters is 10 x 10 (=100) x 10 = 1000
(It’s 1000 ml, which we know is correct, because 10 by 10 by 10 cm is exactly 1 liter (1000 ml)
The tricky thing to me is that a lot of sellers tell you the outside dimensions of the entire box, which can be a lot more than the inside dimensions of the separate tiers.
So is there anyone who can tell me if a 2 tiered box with complete outer dimensions of 3.5 by 6.5 by 6.5 inches is really big??? (I already ordered it, but it’d be nice to figure out if it’s okay)
Also, I’m quite a bit taller than the average Japanese height, is adding 100 calories enough when you’re at least 15 cm taller?
June 7th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Hello, I wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying your site.
I am new to the Bento craze and this site has been an excellent source of info to me.
I also made my first purchases on that awesome online dollar store and am enjoying my new Bento products.
I have a question though and hope someone can help me.
Yesterday I stopped by a local asian grocery store and I purchased a unique plastic storage container that reminded me of a Bento box. I have been trying to identify it as I want to make sure it is safe for microwave and also just safe in general as it has no real identifying markings.
It is very cute though and is about 6″ long, 4 ” wide and 5″ deep and it is rectangular shaped and has these hinges on the lid that secure it. On the inside it has a smaller removeable compartment such as what is in a regualr bento box. I bought a blue and red one and on top of the lids are a decal with flowers. Unfortunately these decals are not imprinted but are more like stickers and could easily be peeled off if not careful. But the boxes themselves are very sturdy hard plastic. It also feels like it is thermal on both the lid and base as it is heavy. The only markings on the bottom say “Phoenix” and Made in Taiwan.
I have been fervently searching the net to find info on this container but have had no luck.
I will try to post a pic if someone could show me how but I hope someone may be able to identify this container. I also plan to stop back at the store and ask them if they know or have more info on it. I am really not even sure what it is..lol..but as I said it is very cute, unique and looks to me like an insulated bento or small rice container perhaps.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
[...] always get them dead on, but this is what I strive for. It’s somewhat similar to the spinning top nutritional guidelines (toward the bottom of the page) Biggie has written about, but somewhat more simpler for me to work [...]
July 1st, 2008 at 9:26 am
[...] of LunchinaBox.com. Who knew looking at preschool bento boxes would be so interesting! She has a great guide to how bento size works and how they correlate to calories. I’ve only just scratched the [...]
July 6th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
It’s really easy to figure out the approximate capacity of bento boxes. For example if a box measures as follows:
5 inches X 5 inches X 2.75 inches
you just multiply the 3 dimensions:
69 cubic inches
then go to this site to convert to mL:
http://www.easycalculation.com/unit-conversion/volume-unit-converter.php
in our example the box is approx. 1130 mL, but keep in mind that tapered sides and thick lids will mean that the capacity is somewhat lower than calculated.
July 16th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I love this page! I am slowly gathering my bento gear and have tried a couple of times. I haven’t mustered the courage to microwave my bento (on my real bento boxes) so I end up pouring the reheatable food on a paper plate. I got a question tough: I am a 162 cm tall, and exercise 5 days a week (3 times 45 min, 2 times 30 min) would it be accurate to say that a 700 ml box will fit my food needs (I am in the middle 30’s age wise)?
My husband is in the 40’s age wise, has low physical activity, but he is 178 cm tall. Will an 800ml box work for him? I need to find out because the boxes I have (2 tier models) are between 500 to 600 ml capacity depending on the model. I have microwaveable sandwich boxes that sometimes use as “make-shift” bento but the shape is limiting for placement of food dividers. A million thanks , Isabel
July 17th, 2008 at 9:39 am
@82 from Ksenia in Canada: Thanks for the link to the conversion tool! I’m sure that’ll come in handy for people trying to figure out the capacity of boxes they see online that only show dimensions.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:42 am
@83 from Isabel: I’m not a nutrition/diet expert, so I’d say you should consult a trustworthy resource to figure out how many calories per meal you and your husband should be consuming. Then the rule of thumb would be to get a box that holds approximately the same number of milliliters as the number of calories you’re aiming to consume.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I am very excited to find this site. I’ve subscribed and I have a question, if you don’t have time to answer I understand. I am wanting to learn japanese and was wondering how you learned. What is the most accurate way?
Also I’ve been told the japanese aren’t accepting at all, is this true, because I would like to visit Japan and this sounds dissapointing.Thanks for your time, I can’t wait to get a bento!
August 9th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
[...] That said, this is pretty small and you really do have to maximize filling food. According to this bento sizing chart, it’s the right size for someone of my proportions, but I’m still deciding if a more [...]
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:30 am
Oh, wow. Thank you SO MUCH for this guide. I’m just starting out and was starting to worry about the volume I needed. I’m a 5′10 female and live a moderately high-energy lifestyle - so I really shouldn’t expect myself to do a 600 mL box like all of my other bento buddies do! When I buy a box I’ll be sure to get a men’s box.
Thank you for helping me!
- zoochica at bentolunch
August 26th, 2008 at 6:57 am
[...] of the bento is around 330ml for the top case, and 250ml for the bottom. And apparently, you can judge just how many calories you put in the container by its size . So my two-tiered bento there is around 680ml, which roughly translates to 680 calories. But if [...]
September 11th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I am a bit lost, there is so many types of bento, and now I am more cinfused about the size…Suggestions for a soon to be three year old…I looked at lap top, but seems really big. Help!!
September 11th, 2008 at 6:36 am
@90 from sara: The Laptop Lunchbox is *way* too big for a soon-to-be three-year-old. You should look for a small box that is just under 300ml.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Thank you..Should I be worried about BPA and phalates? Or Led?
I so want to do this well. Any particular bento?
I found a great retailer on esty..
S
October 21st, 2008 at 11:05 pm
[...] about portion control. I think this box has a total capacity of 600 ml, which according to this guide, is right for my age [...]
October 29th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
[...] general rule of thumb for bento make-up is 3 parts carbohydrates such as rice or pasta, 1 part protein, and 2 parts fruits and vegetables, [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 2:51 am
[...] http://lunchinabox.net/2007/03/07/guide-to-choosing-the-right-size-bento-box/ [...]
December 24th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
[...] How big a box do you need? [...]
December 31st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
[...] how I felt today as I packed my little bento box for a preliminary run for my lunch. I’d read that I needed about a 600ml box and if filled “properly” (varying your foods and having [...]
March 5th, 2009 at 5:48 am
[...] the little containers of a bento box for lunch the next day, I think it’d help. I read up on how to choose a bento size on this page, and I’m left thinking that the neat looking manly-man lunch jar above is…huge. So. [...]
March 18th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
what if ur 172.5 and a level 1?
March 28th, 2009 at 2:32 am
I’m living in Okinawa, Japan for the next three years and just found out about bento. I LOVE how cute they are! I also really like the portion control. I’m aiming for no more than 1500 calories a day, so would it be a feasible idea to buy 3 bento boxes and pre-pack all my food for the day? Breakfast, lunch and dinner?
Maybe I could get three 400 ml boxes and then use the rest of my calories for a morning and afternoon snack.
April 16th, 2009 at 5:26 am
[...] but its boring, unless u cut them into small pcs for them and arrange it into an interesting way. Hopefully this helps __________________ Pink PSP | Light Blue NDSL | Meizu M6 | Black Viewty | Black EEE pc 900 Some [...]
June 12th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
[...] like a 450mL one. Also, apparently the average height for a Japanese woman my age is 157cm (see here), which is hilarious (I’m 173). The chopsticks and container I bought from the Japanese $2.50 [...]
June 27th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I go between really liking your site, and wishing I’d never stumbled on a new obsession! I’m still waiting for my first bento box to get here. It holds 977mL, according to a reviewer, so it should be good for lunch and a snack. I also fell in love with a pretty box with sakura blossoms, but it’s only 620 mL. Since I’m 171 cm (and eat like a pig) I don’t know that it’ll be big enough. Not that I can buy a second box before I’ve gottent the first. You see what you’ve started, Biggie?
July 12th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
[...] 8 ounces and the two smaller compartments measuring 4 ounces each. When filled according to the traditional bento ratio of 3 parts rice/carbohydrates, 2 parts veggies/fruit, and 1 part protein (all by volume), the box [...]
July 29th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
[...] this claim!), and I was concerned for a while that it actually was for kids. However, I found a very helpful site that allowed me to check bento capacity. Turns out this box, which holds around 600 ml, is the [...]
August 9th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
So a 6″x5″x2″ bento box is too big for a 12-year-old girl with below average height? I’m glad I found this before my dad ordered it. Where can I get one that’s the right size? So much for trying to use a 6.5″x6.5″x2″ sandwich container as a bento box in order to save money… But I think I will, anyway, since there’s nothing else I can do. My dad refuses to buy me a bento box.
August 11th, 2009 at 4:18 am
@103 from Angel: I get it, Angel! I’ve been going through old blog comments and realized I never responded to your comments. I’m sorry about the delay. Quite a conundrum you’ve got there, but without really knowing the details of your situation I’m not sure what to tell you.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Aw, I just check the bento I bought in Japan while I was there studying and it’s about 200 ml short…not that that will stop me from using it
September 20th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
oh wow! now i know my bento box is kiddy sized! its a two tiered dragon fly bento box measuring:
“3 5/8 inches tall, about 4 1/2 inches wide, and about 3 3/8 inches deep. The bottom tray is about 1 7/8 inches tall, while the top one is just over 1 3/4 inches tall”
November 21st, 2009 at 8:32 am
Loved your advice! I bought a 500 ml Japanese bento and was shocked and angered by how tiny it appeared to be for the money. Then, after seeing the recommendations on your site, I decided to give it a ‘test” and see just how tiny this bento would be actually using it as recommended. During this experiment I realized how awfully big my “normal” portions were-and how the bento sized portions really did fill me for one meal-as designed. I have come to use my bento for portion control and it works! Thanks so much for the information!
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:44 am
[...] box, and the guidelines for the food that goes in them, visit Lunch in a Box’s Guideline Page (http://lunchinabox.net/2007/03/07/guide-to-choosing-the-right-size-bento-box/). She always has good ideas for bentos, and how to pack them [...]
December 25th, 2009 at 5:32 am
hello, how can i find out if my height is average or not? I feel a little lost on this one ^__^;
May 6th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
[...] for you to place various food items into, and there are many different sizes. Check out Lunch In A Box for a more detailed explanation of the different sized Bento Boxes. What makes these lunches fun is [...]
August 2nd, 2010 at 7:06 pm
[...] Instant diet helper! I just make sure to choose the correct size for my bento box. Here’s a good guide if you’re [...]
August 5th, 2010 at 1:54 am
Hello Biggie,
I am new to bento, and I don’t get the 3:2:1 ratio. Is that a specific quantity, ex: 1 part = 100 gr? or it is just that you need to put 2 times more veggies that you put meal/fish ?
Thanks in advance! Btw your blog is r*very usefull and interesting
August 28th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
This is so helpful.. I never knew there were different sizes for different people, in America we don’t have that! Lucky for us, the bento people have thought of everything.. Thanks for the information, I’m going to be able to find the right size for me and my husband now! Kudos.
-Kenzie
Deep Fryers
October 1st, 2010 at 7:28 am
Thanks for including those charts & the suggested food ratios - when I look at the conversion, tho I’m a 60 year old woman, I’m 5′5″ - 165 cm - so closer to 800 ml/calories
I have a new stainless steel three tier ‘tiffen,’ - each tier holds ~ 2 cups. I’m just learning what to pack, & appreciate that the top tier stands alone, & can be used for restaurant ‘doggie bags’ (I usually take home ~ 1/2)
I did question the size - nice to know it’s enough for a meal & 1/2
I plan to take basic salad greens in a glass storage container to keep in the large fridge at work for several lunches, & bring extra veggies in the tiffen.
October 5th, 2010 at 9:36 am
[...] the number of milliliters of the box. See Lunch in a Box’s guide for more detail – http://lunchinabox.net/2007/03/07/guide-to-choosing-the-right-size-bento-box/ Bento boxes usually look very small compared to American lunch boxes. But the space is completely [...]
November 13th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Great info! Just made my “french version” of your pos, hope you don’t mind.
February 8th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
[...] lunch box is roughly equivalent to the number of calories of the food. Here’s a link to Lunch in a Box that explains the [...]
February 11th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
[...] choosing the right size lunch for you. This site has a neat link that shows you how to pick a bento size based on age, weight, and level of [...]
May 12th, 2011 at 6:21 am
[...] think my favorite thing I learned is that bento boxes, when packed correctly, can help you estimate exactly how many calories you are eating. They say that 100 mLs is roughly equivalent to 100 calories when the food is proportioned 3 parts [...]
June 11th, 2011 at 10:09 am
you know anthoer cool website to buy bento boxes and supplies besides jlist is http://www.fitjpstore.com/ just click on the link that saids bento boxes or japanese culture there really good price too
June 16th, 2011 at 8:39 am
[...] home everything they didn’t eat so I had an idea of how much to give them. This is a very handy guide by age to look at when packing your child’s lunch (note how women should eat the same amount [...]
June 17th, 2011 at 4:52 am
[...] sizing on the box is fairly close to what I need according to Lunch in a Box’s Guide to Choosing the Right Bento Box. Packing the box this week, along with its sister, Slim, has left me full but not overfull. I [...]
July 2nd, 2011 at 4:44 pm
[...] and cost. There is not a standard bento box size, but instead box size corresponds to the user. Lunch In A Box has an awesome article on choosing the right size bento that is based off a popular Japanese website. For me, a 23 yr old adult male, I would need a 900ml [...]
August 14th, 2011 at 10:55 am
[...] think about what size your bento box should be. Lunch in a Box, a great bento resource, has a great guide for choosing a size based on your gender, age and height. It’s really important to look at the size (usually in ml) of the box you’re [...]
November 20th, 2011 at 7:39 am
[...] portion size every day that includes vegetables, protein, and carbs in a specific amount. To quote Biggie from Lunch in a Box, “3 parts grain dishes, 1 part protein dishes, 2 parts vegetable [...]
December 29th, 2011 at 12:48 am
[...] Guide to choosing the right size bento box | Lunch in a Box: Building a Better Bento Cooking Category (Ideal Japanese Bento Makeup) Category [...]
April 18th, 2012 at 9:12 am
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