A Week of Make Ahead Meal Bowls

Can we talk about meal planning for a minute? For someone who likes food as much as I do, it’s surprising how much I hate planning for it. One assignment from my nutritionist was to keep a food journal, and I lasted about 2 days. Because, frankly, it made me crazy. I quickly go to the food obsession place where I can’t stop thinking about food, and then I want to eat everything. My goal is to spend less time thinking about food, not more!

Enter the easy-to-assemble meal bowl. With a few tricks from my friend, chef Laura Wallace, the whole ‘just throw a meal together’ now seems actually doable. Prep a few things on Sunday and you’re set for lunch or dinner for the entire week.

A Week of Make Ahead Meal Bowls

Each of these four bowl recipes starts with the same base: a grain, a protein and tons of veggies. That’s what you’ll prep on Sunday and have in the fridge ready to go. When it’s time to assemble, you can add extra veggies and a source of good fat.

Grain

We used farro, but you can use rice or quinoa or whatever you prefer. Farro is one of my new favorites but it has a mild flavor and rice-like texture. To make farro, place 2 cups of water and 1 cup of farro grains in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until tender, 10 minutes approximately.

Protein

We used chicken, but you can use fish, beans, etcetera. Boiling is an easy way to quickly cook the chicken. We cooked four organic, free range chicken breasts. Bring a bit pot of water to boil, add chicken breasts and cook for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool and then shred them with a fork or with a KitchenAid using the paddle attachment.

Veggies

Go crazy with the veggies! The more you have in your fridge, the more of them you’re likely to eat. We roasted kale, tomatoes, red onion, zucchini and squash. Spread them on a sheet pan, sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Ready to put the bowls together? Here are 4 ways to change up the flavor profile for each meal. Seriously, they’re all so different you definitely won’t feel like you’re eating the same basic ingredients each time!

1. Pesto Chicken Bowl

Ingredients

• Shredded chicken
• 1 cup farro
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• Zucchini yellow squash, kale, tomatoes

Instructions

1. Add 1 tbsp of pesto to the farro, mix and place into a bowl.
2. Top with remaining ingredients.
3. Enjoy warm or cold.

2. Greek Chicken Bowl

Ingredients

• Shredded chicken
• 1 cup farro
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• Half of a lemon juiced
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• Tomatoes onions, kale

Instructions

1. Mix farro with chicken, balsamic, herbs, olive oil, tomatoes, onions, and kale.
2. Place into a bowl and top with feta, olives, and lemon juice.
3. Enjoy warm or cold.

3. Southwestern Chicken Bowl

Ingredients

Shredded chicken

• 1 cup farro
• ¼ cup black beans
• 2 tbsp tomatillo sauce
• ½ avocado
• ½ tsp chili powder and cumin
• Cilantro
• Onions zucchini, yellow squash

Instructions

1. Mix farro with 1 tbsp of tomatillo sauce, chicken, chili powder, and cumin.
2. Place into a bowl and top with remaining ingredients.
3. Enjoy warm or cold.

4. Asian Chicken Bowl

Ingredients

• Shredded chicken
• 1 cup farro
• 1 cup shitake mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup Nappa cabbage shredded
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• Cilantro
• ½ avocado
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp sesame seeds
• Zucchini onion, yellow squash

Instructions

1. Sauté the cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots for 3 minutes or until tender.
2. Mix farro with chicken, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cilantro, and ginger.
3. Top with remaining ingredients and cabbage mixture.
4. Drizzle with extra soy and oyster sauce if desired.
5. Enjoy warm or cold.

Recipes by Laura Wallace, Photos by Susan Hudson