As a teacher, sometimes I feel a small pang of envy when I see pictures of friends sitting on a restaurant patio during their hour-long lunch breaks. Even a trip to the Chick-Fil-A drive-through seems luxurious when you’re used to your twenty-minute meal break with your pre-teen lunch buddies.
Because I pack my lunch daily, I often would fall prey to the bagged salad kit or a sad-looking sandwich. Not only would this not give me a meal to look forward to, but I was not meeting my macronutrient needs to keep me full and energized.
Bowls are a great way to mimic delicious restaurant lunches while maintaining a nutrient balance. I always prep these on a Sunday because between work and mom-life, there is no way I would achieve these on a weeknight.
All of these recipes- I use that term loosely- are flexible to changes based on your taste and are based on some of my favorite restaurant meals. Enjoy!
Everything But the Tortilla Burrito Bowl
This gives me all the vibes of a Chipotle bowl but can be meal prepped for the week and a fraction of the cost. Pick the amount of each ingredient to your liking/macronutrient needs.
- Base: Rice (I love Seeds of Change Brown Rice/Quinoa Blend)
- Protein: Shredded Chicken (I recommend an Adobo seasoning.)
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Black Beans
- Roasted Corn
- Diced Cucumbers
- A scoop of guacamole
Sushi Cauliflower Rice Bowl
I really look forward to lunch on the days that this is on the docket. This bowl is fresh, crisp, and delicious. Pick the amount of each ingredient to your liking/macronutrient needs. This is loosely based on the bowl I like from Nom, but I substituted cauliflower rice.
- Base: Cauliflower Rice
- Protein: Sushi-grade tuna (Fresh Market often has these at a good price.)
- Diced cucumbers
- Sliced radishes
- Shredded carrots
- Diced avocado
Top With
- Sriracha Mayo (I eyeball this- just put the amount of mayo you want in a small bowl and add a couple of squirts of Sriracha and a light squeeze of lime.)
- Soy Ginger Sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp olive oil, a squirt of lime juice
- A sprinkle of sesame seeds
Greek Chicken Bowl
There is a restaurant back in my hometown that does the best build your own Mediterranean bowls. I adapted this from what I get there. Pick the amount of each ingredient to your liking/macronutrient needs.
- Base: Rice (I love Seeds of Change Brown Rice/Quinoa Blend)
- Seasoned grilled chicken breast, sliced
- Seasoning with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, garlic, oregano
- Grape tomatoes (halved)
- Diced cucumbers
- Diced bell pepper (orange, red, or yellow)
- Crumbled feta
- Diced avocado
- Tzatziki Sauce (I do store-bought.)
- **I can’t stand olives, but add if they are your thing
