Make a Well-Balanced Meal all in One Bowl from Mary Donkersloot, RDN

If you’ve never tried a grain bowl before, you’re in for a treat. You can create this complete meal just by layering a variety of nutritious ingredients over a simple cooked grain. This new trend allows for the perfect balance of high-fiber, slow-release carbs topped with a protein and a seasonal vegetable with an easy olive oil and lemon dressing.

Grain bowls are easily assembled; you can add whatever greens, vegetables and protein you have on hand for a great on-the-go lunch or quick dinner.

Make adjustments depending on your energy needs and goals: to boost the calories, increase the grains. For a lighter bowl, have more veggies.

My go-to grain bowl is perfect for Sunday afternoon batch cooking. Prep enough so you can enjoy different versions of it several times throughout the week.

I like to start with brown rice or quinoa in the bottom of my bowl, and then I add a bit of sauerkraut. Next, I layer on veggies like some roasted sweet potato, which adds a creamy texture and lots of beta-carotene.  I love a crunchy topping like spicy pumpkin seeds, but you can also use sunflower seeds or chopped raw almonds. Mix with a bit of hearty kale or green of your choice, plenty of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. I top it with a couple of poached or hard-boiled eggs to give it the protein I need.

Remember, it’s all about flexibility, so use your imagination and anything you have on hand!

Mary’s Grain Bowl:

• SimplyNature Organic Quick Brown Rice (Other options: SimplyNature Organic Quinoa)
• Deutsche Küche German Style Sauerkraut
• SimplyNature Organic Kale (Other options: SimplyNature Organic Baby Spinach, SimplyNature Organic Arugula, romaine lettuce)
• Southern Grove Pumpkin Seeds toasted with chili oil (Other options: Southern Grove Walnuts, Southern Grove Almonds, Southern Grove Shelled Pistachios)
• Roasted sweet potato (Other options: Happy Harvest Small Peas, Happy Harvest Whole Kernel Corn, carrots)
• 1-2 hard-boiled Goldhen Eggs (Other options: Sea Queen Medium Cooked Shrimp, Kirkwood Never Any! Chicken Breasts, Dakota’s Pride Lentils, SimplyNature Organic Black Beans, tofu or whatever protein is left over from the night before)
• Drizzle of Carlini Extra Virgin Olive Oil and lemon