Our how-to on making nourishing power bowls

We like to start the process of constructing a power bowl with roasting a couple pans of vegetables along with cooking a few servings of our favorite grains, such as brown rice or quinoa. Then, it’s time to grill some protein, like chicken, shrimp, tuna or salmon. While the protein is cooking, we cut up a variety of raw vegetables.

Once everything is prepped, we package items separately in containers and store it all in the fridge until we are ready to build the power bowls. The best part of keeping these ingredients on hand is the fun we have mixing textures and flavors for our power bowls. To help keep them interesting, we recommend making sure to have a few of your favorite dressings, salsas and sauces on hand to add fun, bold flavors.

Below is a template for putting together a well-balanced power bowl. We will leave the creative combinations to your own taste!

POWER BOWL RATIO

1 cup mixed greens, fresh baby spinach or shredded cabbage

1⁄3 cup cooked grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, barley or farro

½ cup or 4 ounces of lean protein (grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, turkey, chickpeas, edamame, tofu or beans)

1 cup roasted vegetables (combine ingredients like sweet potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, asparagus, red onions or bell peppers)

1 cup raw vegetables (shredded carrots, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes)

¼ cup toppings (chopped avocados, toasted nuts, sunflower seeds, wasabi peas, dried cranberries, salsa, feta or shredded cheese, hummus)

¼ cup dressing or sauce of your choice

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Place the greens into a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of your desired dressing.
2. Top with 1⁄3 cup of the cooked grain of your choice, followed by 1 cup of roasted vegetables (see roasting tips on next page). Drizzle with another tablespoon of dressing or sauce.
3. Add 4 ounces of protein along with another tablespoon of dressing or sauce.
4. Finish building your power bowl with 1 cup of raw vegetables and ¼ cup of your favorite toppings. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of dressing and serve.

This article was originally published in the June 2021 issue of 225 magazine.