Customizable Grain Bowl (Printable)

Build a vibrant bowl with grains, proteins, fresh vegetables, and dressings. Adaptable for any taste.

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup cooked brown rice
02 - 1 cup cooked quinoa
03 - 1 cup cooked farro
04 - 1 cup cooked couscous

→ Proteins

05 - 1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed
06 - 1 cup baked tofu, cubed
07 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 cup cooked shrimp

→ Vegetables

09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
11 - 1 cup roasted sweet potato, cubed
12 - 1 cup steamed broccoli florets
13 - 1 cup shredded carrots
14 - 1 avocado, sliced

→ Toppings and Extras

15 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
16 - 1/4 cup toasted seeds or nuts
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
18 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

→ Dressings

19 - 1/4 cup lemon-tahini dressing
20 - 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
21 - 1/4 cup soy-ginger dressing
22 - 1/4 cup green goddess dressing

# How-To Steps:

01 - Prepare grains according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly before assembly.
02 - Cook, bake, or prepare selected protein components using preferred cooking method, or utilize prepared leftovers.
03 - Wash and cut vegetables into uniform pieces. Roast or steam selected vegetables according to preference.
04 - Distribute cooked grains evenly as foundation in each serving bowl.
05 - Arrange selected proteins and vegetables over grain base in organized sections.
06 - Distribute cheese, toasted seeds, fresh herbs, and sesame seeds across bowl surface.
07 - Drizzle selected dressing immediately before serving. Alternatively, store components separately for meal preparation purposes.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get to be the chef and choose exactly what goes into your bowl, so there's no settling for flavors you don't want.
  • Meal prep becomes actually enjoyable when you can store components separately and mix-and-match throughout the week.
  • It's naturally flexible enough to honor dietary preferences without feeling like you're cooking multiple dishes.
02 -
  • Dressing quantity matters more than you think, so start with less and add more only if needed, because underwhelming bowls usually come from skimping on flavor, not ingredients.
  • Keeping components separate until eating time is the real hack to meal prep that doesn't taste like cardboard by Wednesday.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds and nuts separately in a dry pan for just a couple of minutes before adding them, because that warmth and toasted smell transforms them from an afterthought into a moment of flavor worth noticing.
  • If your bowl feels like it's missing something, it's probably missing acid, so a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime right at the end usually fixes it.
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