Build-A-Bowl: Our Easy Guide

Bowls are the newest lunch craze they’re here to stay. Much more satisfying than salads, bowls are packed with nourishing and tasty ingredients that help you push through the end of the work day.

Bowls easy to assemble and transport, which is why they are one of our favorite options for a healthy lunch. Unlike salads, which are built on a base of lettuce, bowls are built on a mixed base of grains and proteins, which are proven to keep you full and energized.

Another perk of bowls? You don’t need many ingredients to mix up your healthy lunch from day-to-day. To make a simple single serving size bowl, we recommend following this easy guide:

Grain (1/4 of bowl)

The fiber in grains is what sustains us until our next meal, but it can be easy to choose a grain that doesn’t fully deliver. Couscous is an excellent example. Touted as a health food in recent years, couscous is a combination of semolina wheat and water, which making it more like pasta. As such, it doesn’t have a high content of nutrients as whole grains do, and it has a glycemic index- 65 in comparison to brown rice’s 50.

We Recommend: Brown rice or quinoa.

Protein (1/4 of bowl)

Protein not only gives us a boost of energy, it’s savory and adds depth to a meal. There are plenty of protein options for meat lovers and vegans alike, and we like to blend a little of both.

We Recommend: Black beans, chicken, edamame, chickpeas, tofu, or egg.

Vegetables (1/2 of bowl)

You can’t go wrong with vegetables, especially a mix of flavorful, roasted and juicy raw options. Get creative, mix it up, and try adding a vegetable you’ve never had before.

We Recommend: Roasted vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potato, red peppers, beets, and broccoli or raw vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and sprouts.

Toppings

What you add to the top of your bowl is what ties it together; a bowl’s toppings are enjoyed with every bite. Toppings such as dressings can set the flavor tone of the entire bowl, but make sure to choose an option that ties into your healthy lunch theme instead of adding sugars and other ingredients your body doesn’t need.

We Recommend: Hummus, homemade dressing, avocado, herbs, shredded cheese.

Assembly

There’s no correct way to assemble a bowl, but to keep with its colorful charm, we recommend separating ingredients instead of piling them on like a salad. Keep grains in one corner, proteins in another, and add your vegetables on either side.

While enjoying for lunch, simply dip your fork in each corner for a perfectly blended bite.

Inspiration

We could live off bowls for weeks. Select a handful of ingredients to mix and match so everyday is something new. We love making a Mediterranean quinoa salad into a bowl, and are also fans of the savory sweet potato and black bean burrito bowl. Both are vegetarian and can easily be adapted for meat lovers with the addition of chicken, turkey, or beef.

Try a single serving or enjoy the same bowl a few times a week. We love the versatility, deliciousness, and health benefits bowls have to offer. They’re here to stay in our book.

Meet Rootasters:

Meg is a dreamer, entrepreneur, and homesteader based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She loves her cats, feasting, and road trips in her green VW Bug.