How to build your own bowl meals

Bowl meals are an excellent way to enjoy balanced nutrition in a simple dish. They are convenient and can easily be prepared in advance. You can enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

What’s in a bowl meal?

Bowl meals are one-dish meals that you can easily assemble from ingredients you have on hand. When you build your bowl, be sure to include these basic components:

• Base (whole grains, greens, zoodles, etc.)
• Vegetables
• Lean protein
• Dressing or sauce
• Extra toppings

Mix and match from this chart to build your own delicious grain bowls. Some ingredients you may want to prep ahead—cook grains, roast vegetables, blitz a sauce—so you can put together a nutritious, delicious bowl in minutes.

Peanut sauce

Makes 8 servings

Prep: 0 min | Cook: 5 min

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted natural peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup water

Preparation

Add peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, chili garlic sauce and lime juice to a blender and pulse until mixed. Slowly add water until you reach desired thinness.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 Tbsp

Per serving

Calories: 105; Total fat: 8 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Sodium: 137 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Total carbs: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 4 g; Potassium: 104 mg

Avocado Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes 6 servings

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 1 min

Ingredients

• ½ avocado
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp water

Preparation

Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor and pulse to desired smoothness.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 Tbsp

Per serving

Calories: 56; Total fat: 4 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 30 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Total carbs: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 4 g; Protein: 0 g; Potassium: 58 mg

Tahini sauce

Makes 8 servings

Prep: 5 min Cook: 5 min

Ingredients

• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup water, plus more if needed
• 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp salt

Preparation

Blend tahini, lemon juice, ¼ cup water, garlic, cumin and salt in food processor. If needed, thin with additional water.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 Tbsp

Per serving

Calories: 86; Total fat: 8 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 89 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Total carbs: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 0 g; Protein: 2 g; Potassium: 68 mg