Spice Up Your Lunch Routine With These 16 Bento Box Recipe Ideas

Yuka Murai
Sep 29, 2014

Now that the back-to-school craziness is over, you might be getting used to the new routine of the new season. Whether you sent kids to school, went back to school or are just settling back into the office after a summer vacay, coming up with all those lunch options and putting them together day after day can be as hectic as cooking dinner. That’s why we’re big fans of the bento box lunch. You’ll be amazed how simple and effortless it can be to BYOB (bring your own bento).

1. Paleo Lunch Bento: Jazz up your midday meal with Asian meatballs, loaded with shiitake mushroom and cilantro. Add bell peppers and broccoli to give it some vibrant colors. (via Nom Nom Paleo)

2. Hot Dog Bento: Hot dogs for lunch? You don’t have to ask us twice. If you’re not all about the tubular meat, there’s an egg salad recipe included, as well. A piece of lettuce is all you get for the veggie category, but hey, sometimes protein and carbs are all you need (or want). (via Quality of Life by Juna)

3. Sesame Beef Bento: Korean beef bibimbap and a Japanese rice bowl have come together and the result is flavor overload. Want to make it healthier? Sub brown rice in for the white stuff. (via RedBook Mag)

4. Pasta Bento: Make life easier on hectic mornings by packing a super easy breezy lunch. All you need is a little leftover pasta from last night, veggies and fruits. When getting ready to head into the office or drop the kids off at school, never underestimate leftovers. They can be a busy mama’s best friend. (via Wendolonia)

5. E is for Egg and Elephant: One of the best ways for a kid to learn their ABCs is from the food they like. Fill a bento box with alphabet-themed ingredients. In this case, an E-shaped turkey sandwich, hard-boiled egg and elephant decoration get the job done. (via Becoming a Bentoholic)

6. Pesto Noodle Bento: Want to eat a warm lunch, but don’t have any way to heat it up? Buy a box like the one above. It will keep your pesto pasta hot until it’s time for grubbing. Hot and cold lunch is served in one little box. (via Snixy Kitchen)

7. Happy Little Panda Bento: Roll up ham, cheese, avocado, green olive tapenade and greens in a whole-wheat tortilla. Cram more veggies and fruits on the side, and lunch can’t get much healthier. The panda egg is just the icing on the cake… or the protein in the box. (via Happy Little Bento)

8. Pita Pizza Bento: Who doesn’t love pizza? This easy pita recipe is suitable for everyone, from toddler to adult. (via iPackLunch)

9. Toddler Rainbow Bento: Have you ever wondered how in the world to get your kids to eat all their fruits and veggies? It’s all about the visuals, people. This bento box is the ultimate solution. Not many can deny a rainbow of sliced fruits. (via Jill Dubien)

10. Karaage Bento: This is what a traditional Japanese bento looks like. Fried chicken is one of the most popular ingredients in the Land of the Rising Sun. Pack some cherry tomatoes, a root vegtable salad and Japanese-style omelette. Hey, look at you! You just made your first authentic Japanese bento. (via Suzu7310)

11. Healthy Vegan Bento: Spinachrisotto and mashed sweet potatoes oughta fill ya right up. Throw some arugula and avocado together to act as your salad. Then don’t forget to pack homemade trail mix (in this case, almonds, goji berries and pistachios) for a mid-afternoon snack. (via Food52)

12. Butterfly Chicken Salad Bento: Since Giada de Laurentiis had her daughter in 2008, she has expanded her territory from Italian cuisine to effortlessly flavorful kids meals. This butterfly bento is a great example of her signature style of cooking, which keeps it simple while making it fun, colorful and stylish. (via Giada Weekly)

13. Li’l Taco Bento: This will be your go-to make-your-own lunch idea from here on out. Not only is it fun to assemble little tacos for yourself, it also prevents that crispy taco shell from getting soggy, ’cause nobody wants that. Just pack your leftover protein, leftover veggies and anything you have in your fridge and turn it into a tiny little taquito. (via Greatist)

14. Martha Style Brisket Bento: Feeding a crowd? There’s a bento for that. And it’s filled with brisket for a build-your-own-sandwich affair. And the crowds went wild. (via Martha Stewart)

15. Paleo Salad Roll Bento: It’s another paleo lunch experience right at your desk. This time, you’re making a salad roll using a coconut wrap. Just grab your fave veggies and fruits, and consider lunch served. Easy, healthy, tasty — it’s everything you ever wanted in a nooner. (via Pacific Wanderlust)

16. I Love You Sammie Bento: What a cute way to tell your spouse, kiddo or yourself, “I love you.” All you need are some alphabet cookie cutters. Cut out ham, cheese, veggies, fruits… CUT IT ALL! (via Jill Dubien)

What is your favorite lunch from the list? Which will you try this coming week? Give us your comment below!

Chad Michael Murray's Mysterious 'One Tree Hill' Sequel Update Is The Most Lucas Scott Thing Ever.

Break out your basketball jerseys because the Tree Hill Ravens are coming back! Multiple sources have toldVariety that Netflix will develop a sequel series to the beloved CW drama, which ran from 2003-2012. While the series hasn't officially been greenlit yet, multiple series stars have admitted they'd love to have a One Tree Hill reunion and make another installment of the show.

"I just can't see a world where something won't happen," Chad Michael Murray told E! News. "Something will happen. Whether we get everybody together and do a live reading of the show, or we create a new fictional future episode, I don't know what it will be."

"We’re all on board, we’re all friends, it would be the most fun show anybody has ever been on," Barbara Alyn Woods says in an Entertainment Tonight interview.

Here's everything to know about the One Tree Hillsequel series — including the stars rumored to return!

Who's returning to the One Tree Hill sequel?

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One Tree Hill Sequel Cast

According to Variety, Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton would return as Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer, respectively. Daneel Ackles would also return — and all three would serve as executive producers on the TV show alongside Warner Bros. Television, who was behind the original show.

When asked if he would return as Lucas Scott, Chad Michael Murray simply responded with “No clue." Considering previous reports suggested he had "no plans to return," this is promising news to me! He then added he hopes the sequel series “comes together for the fans.”

“I mean, this fandom that has grown, I mean, literally, I was just in Halifax a week ago and, sure enough, I’m running into 11, 12, 13-year-old kids who are in love with Tree Hill,” he continues. “They’re seeing it on Hulu and they’re going, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It’s stood the test of time and I think to have some new stories, whatever iteration of the show that’s created, I want it for the fans.”

Will One Tree Hill have a season 10?

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One Tree Hill Sequel Plot

One Tree Hill doesn't have a season 10, and it's unclear what kind of sequel this new One Tree Hill series would be. But it looks like star Hilarie Burton is confident the new series would be told through the female experience. "What has been really cool for [the entire cast and crew], they're all really proud of the work that we did back then too," she told Brit + Co in September. And so to see the public support this little show we made 20 years later, that's so special and it's so rare."

“Being able to work with a team of women and look at these stories [and] these characters through a female lens is something that — whether I was doing a reboot or a brand-new show or a different movie at this phase in my life, female teamwork is something that is so vital to me,” she adds in an interview with People. “It is the core of anything I've done that's successful...So I'm excited to be able to team up with people that I look up to, people that I love dearly.”

After the One Tree Hill finale featured all of our favorite characters' kids, I've always wanted to see a One Tree Hill next generation series that brings the kids into high school, which is something other fans have been wanting too!

One viral TikTok imagines an intro for a fictional Next Gen series starring Dylan O'Brien, Candice King, and Vanessa Marano. "Could you imagine this as a reboot with the kids though," one comment reads. "We can only dream."

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And good news for OTH fans! Jana Kramer, who played Alex during the later seasons of the show, teased she thinks Peyton and Brooke "are coming back as moms."

"I had spoken to Hilarie about it, about Alex making an appearance when I knew about it," she tells People. "We had discussed it before the news broke...I think their intention is to bring back people that make sense. And Hilarie was like, 'I never got to meet Alex, so it'd be fun to have us meet,' and I'm like, 'I would love that. Sign me up.' So, we'll see. TBD."

Brooke having to deal with her kids' TikToks? Peyton thinking about the future of art and AI? Mouth leading the Tree Hill podcast empire? There is so much to dive into here. But all in all, One Tree Hill is one TV show that gives me so much hope, no matter how many times I watch it. And I know that bringing back our favorite found family is the perfect way to bring some of that hope right back into today's TV.

Scott Gries/Getty Images

One Tree Hill also starred Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Austin Nichols, Bethany Joy Lenz, Paul Johansson, Barbara Alyn Woods, Lee Norris, and Antwon Tanner. Check back here for the latest updates on the One Tree Hill reboot cast!

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What do you think about the One Tree Hill sequel?! Stay tuned for the latest news and read up on how This One Moment Proves Brooke Davis Is The Best Character On One Tree Hill.

This post has been updated.

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Are Madison Bailey & Rudy Pankow ACTUALLY Feuding? These 'Outer Banks' Fans Don't Think So.

Outer Banks fans cried saying goodbye to JJ when part 2 dropped on November 7, but I wasn't expecting the Outer Banks cast's goodbye to Rudy Pankow to make me equally emotional. The TV show is a standout because of how electric the cast's chemistry is onscreen — and how close they are offscreen.

But according to some sources, a rift reportedly formed between Rudy Pankow (JJ) and Madison Bailey (Kiara) after fans picked up on their chemistry and started shipping them IRL...like, really intensely. Despite the fact the creators promise this was the plan since season 1, OBX fans are convinced their rumored fallout is the reason Rudy left the show.

Keep reading for the full breakdown on the rumored Outer Banks cast drama between Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow.

  • Outer Banks cast members Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Rudy Pankow, Jonathan Daviss, Drew Starkey, and Carlacia Grant are incredibly close offscreen.
  • It seems drama started between Rudy and Madison after fans who shipped their characters started shipping the actors in real life.
  • And a variety of OBX fans think this drama is why Rudy chose to leave the show after season 4.

Why aren't Rudy and Madison friends anymore?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey were best friends during season 1 (Madison called Rudy her "bestie," and said that in any situation, "he's the first person I'm going to call"). But rumors of a fallout came after the show went viral in 2020. Fans picked up on their onscreen chemistry and started shipping the actors in addition to shipping their characters JJ and Kiara (the internet shipped the fictional couple so hard, in fact, that the relationship was written into the show despite it not being the team's original plan).

"Madison and Kiara, and Rudy and JJ, are two different people," Madison said in a 2020 Entertainment Tonight interview after the relationship started picking up steam. "Let's keep the ships on the show. But as far as the show, I'm all for it."

After publicity for Outer Banks season 2 began, fans noticed Rudy and Madison didn't seem to have the same connection in public, and even appeared to avoid each other on set — a far cry from their adorable interactions during press for season 1.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Fans started outright blaming Rudy's girlfriend Elaine Seimek, who was originally a PA on the show, for causing a rift between the two actors. Madison herself shut down the rumors with a TikTok promising they all had no problems, while Rudy Pankow took to Instagram to defend his girlfriend.

"To those who are creating such displeasure and opinions about the one I love and my relationship, it’s time to stop," Rudy Pankow said in an August 6, 2021 post. "In this era of social engagement and enlightenment I want to express the importance to spread positivity and needing to know when it is unfair to express your own distaste for something or someone, especially when you can do it behind an anonymous identity. I was always told the best version of yourself is your most humbled self…I make this statement as my most humbled self and would be so grateful if we all would move forward in positivity and respect."

Is there drama between the Outer Banks cast?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

The Outer Banks cast drama rumors only intensified after a June 2023 dinner, when Madison Bailey and her partner Mariah Linney reportedly unfollowed Elaine on Instagram. Not to mention the fact Rudy Pankow isn't in any of the Outer Banks season 4 cast videos.

After JJ's death rocked the internet, creators Josh and Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke said that it was always the plan to kill JJ. "For a long time we had known that someone was going to die," showrunner Shannon Burke told Teen Vogue. "We thought it was going to be JJ all along."

However, the fact that JJ and Kiara have been dating for almost 2 years at this point, yet barely react to the other heading into danger has fans thinking Rudy asked to leave the show. And rumors that they filmed multiple endings to give Rudy the option to stay only adds fuel to the fire.

When new episodes of the show dropped in November of 2024, fans almost immediately clocked that Rudy and Madison appear to have used body doubles for a cuddling scene — while Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes (who dated from June 2020 to November 2021) were cozied up across the campfire.

Even though an anonymous source suggested Rudy and Madison aren't friends anymore, and that their chemistry onscreen in season 1 was because they'd fallen for each other IRL, a source told People the actors are not feuding.

When did Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow meet?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy and Madison first met after Rudy had booked the role of JJ and Madison was headed to a final audition. Despite the fact they had mutual friends, they didn't meet until they were on the same plane to Charleston. She told Harper's Bazaar in 2020 that she said hello when they crossed paths, then found a DM from him on social media. “He was like, ‘I knew you were Kiara the second I saw you,’" she said. "I was like, "Oh my God, did this guy three seats up really just DM me?’ He went and found our mutuals, found my page, and messaged me.”

Well, during press for Outer Banks season 4, when the cast was asked who would be most likely to fall in love with a stranger on a plane, Carlacia Grant (Cleo) answered with Madison, leading fans to believe she was confirming the romance rumors.

Did Rudy quit OBX?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy Pankow exited Outer Banks after season 4, and Madison Bailey finally spoke about what JJ means to her in the cast's official goodbye — and got emotional talking about how well Rudy brought the character to life.

"We all read the character on the page," she says. "And we know what you brought to it and you turned it out and really made something of it and paid respect to the depth of the character while bringing a lightheartedness that the show desperately needed."

And during a cast video hyping up JJ's (and Rudy's) best moments from the series, fans were beaming when Rudy and Madison dissected some of the best Jiara moments from season 3. "this video healed me❤️🩹 thank you netflix!" one TikTok user wrote in the comments of Madison talking about JJ and Kiara's first kiss. "I’m so happy [they're] friends bro like fr 🥺🥺," another user said.

Check back here for the latest updates on the Outer Banks cast drama. Read up on why Outer Banks Fans Are Really Not Happy With THAT Death In The OBX Season 4 Ending.

This post has been updated.

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'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 Could Come Way Sooner Than Expected

All it takes is a few episodes of Nobody Wants This to realize it's one of the best rom-coms of the year — and that Adam Brody is still super hot. The series, which also stars Kristen Bell, has gone viral for everything from its hilariously relatable approach to dating to "the best kiss of all time" to how eloquently it explains the fear that we're too much for a romantic partner. With an 8.1 out of 10 on IMDb, a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and literally millions of TikTok views, it's no surprise the show was just renewed for a second season.

Keep reading for everything we know about Nobody Wants This season 2.

When is Nobody Wants This season 2 coming out?

Netflix

Stay tuned for an official Nobody Wants This season 2 release date. The cast starts filming in February of 2025, and based on the timeline for season 1 that means we could get new episodes in the fall of 2025! Considering how many shows in recent years have had multiple years between new installments, a season a year sounds perfect to us.

What's going to happen in Nobody Wants This season 2?

Hopper Stone/Netflix

Creator Erin Foster just revealed Nobody Wants This season 2 is actually going to get rid of this tease from season 1: Morgan and Sasha's flirtationship. "I think we’re going to wrap up their weird 'Is it romantic?' thing. Because we want to see them together in season two, hanging out," she tells The Hollywood Reporter. "We want to see Esther. I think we went down that road enough that now we’re going to pull back and reposition so we can have them all in scenes together without [Morgan] being like, a full homewrecker. But we’re going to give Morgan something very fun. Justine [Lupe] came in and we pitched it to her and she was like, 'This is my dream storyline.'"

Is Morgan going to be swept off her feet? Or maybe she'll inherit a huge sum of money and become her own trophy wife. That would be SO Morgan.

“We are in a tense moment of massive upheaval, and there doesn’t seem to be many romantic comedies, period,” Adam Brody tells Variety, while Kristen Bell adds that, “There was a ton of really great, intense, hardcore television that ‘Breaking Bad’ inspired — rough-and-tumble watches — and something lovely in the rom-com space hadn’t been felt by the masses in a while.”

While Kristen hopes season 2 will give people what they want, Adam is just excited to be back with such a "clever and sweet and funny" story. "I want it to be good, and that can take many forms," he says. "I’m not too invested in the twists and turns as long as they’re true and smart and fun to play."

Is there going to be a season 2 of Nobody Wants This?

Stefania Rosini/Netflix

Yes on October 10, Netflix announced that Nobody Wants This will be coming back for season 2. And (spoiler!!!) now that Joanne and Noah have decided to be together, and Noah's decided to give up his position as Head Rabbi, I have a feeling they'll have to deal with a lot of opinions. (Namely, Noah's mother).

"Creating Nobody Wants This will forever be a career highlight for me," creator Erin Foster says in a statement. "The incredible cast, crew, producers and executives all made this into the show it is today, and to experience viewers' reactions to this series now that it's out in the world has been more than anything I could have dreamed. I’m so lucky to be able to continue this story, and to do it alongside Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, who I've been such a fan of since Girls... Justice for healthy relationships being the most romantic!”

Who's in the cast of Nobody Wants This season 2?

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The Nobody Wants This cast includes Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons, Stephanie Faracy, Tovah Feldshuh, Paul Ben-Victor, Michael Hitchcock, Jackie Tohn, Sherry Cola, Shiloh Bearman, and Emily Arlook.

Does Nobody Wants This End on a Cliffhanger?

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Nobody Wants This might not end on the same kind of thrilling, dramatic cliffhanger as Outer Banks season 4 part 1, but it definitely leaves us with a ton of questions. How will Joanne and Noah's families react to the news? What does life look like as a couple? Will Joanne be able to flaunt their relationship in front of all the teenagers? No matter what comes, these two are very much in love, and I can't wait to see them continue to heal and grow together.

Adam Rose/Netflix

Check out 10 Reasons Nobody Wants This Is The Best TV Show Of The Year — and all the other October TV shows to watch this month!

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