GRAIN BOWLS
Grain bowls are a delicious way to create a meal that incorporates the healthy foods our bodies crave. A nice thing about the grain bowl is with only a little bit of weekend food prepping, you can quickly mix and match ingredients to make something tasty and original each day during the week. It is easy to build a grain bowl using these simple steps.
Grains - ½ cup
Start by putting your choice of grain into a large bowl (or re-sealable container if you are taking it to work or storing it for later). Your choice could include rice, barley, millet, steel cut oats, quinoa, or farro. You’ll want to experiment to find out what type of grains you enjoy. You can prepare the grains on the weekend to save on time during the week. I personally like mixing grains to get a larger variety of nutrients. My favorite mix is farro, quinoa, wild rice, and lentils (which isn’t a grain).
Protein - ½ cup
Add a little protein to make your meal more sustaining and nutritionally complete. Adding protein is a great way to use up leftovers. You can throw in some cubes of chicken, steak, fish, tofu, or another plant-based protein. I personally like using lentils (mentioned above), black beans, chickpeas, or edamame (the grain quinoa is also a great source of protein).
Vegetables - 1 cup or more
Be sure to add in more than one type of vegetable to get a variety of flavors, textures, and colors. Roasted, steamed, or grilled Brussel’s sprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets, or carrots are all great choices and can be prepared ahead of time. You’ll also want to add raw vegetables into the mix. Leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, or something crunchier like carrots, radishes, cabbage, or bell pepper can add variety. Include as many vegetables as you’d like to create a hardy meal that is low in calories. I like keeping a selection of fresh, frozen, canned, or roasted vegetables on hand so there is always a variety of vegetables to choose from.
Dressing/Sauce – 1 Tbs or soAdding a dressing or sauce helps to tie the dish together. It also enhances the flavor and adds a little moisture to the meal. There are a lot of healthy options such as a cilantro lime dressing, tahini satay, salsa, curry, cashew cream, or vinaigrette. Black bean salsa or a loose humas are my toppings of choice.
Toppings - As a garnishTop off your bowl with herbs, seasonings, microgreens, dried fruit, or seeds for additional flavor and nutrition. I also like adding a few olives, avocado, or seeds to incorporate a healthy fat which helps the body better absorb all the wonderful nutrients in the bowl.
With the basic formula in hand, you can use your creativity to make as many different types and flavors as you want. Depending on the dressing and ingredients you choose you can make a bowl that is Mediterranean, garden veggie, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, and so on. You can even make wonderful breakfast grain bowls by exchanging the vegetables for fruit and using nuts and seeds as your protein. I think you’ll love how quick and easy it is to make a nutritious meal that keeps your body nourished and sustained for hours!
More Meal Ideas Using Whole Grains
A Couple Cooks.com/easy-grain-bowls/
Whole Grains Council.org/recipes
Whole Grains Recipes | The Nutrition Source | Harvard School of Public Health