Simple Grain Bowl (Printable)

Customizable nourishing bowl with grains, protein, and fresh toppings for easy meal prep.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 cup uncooked brown rice
02 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa
03 - 1 cup uncooked farro

→ Proteins

04 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can drained and rinsed
05 - 2 cups grilled chicken breast diced
06 - 2 cups firm tofu cubed and pan-seared
07 - 2 cups cooked shrimp

→ Toppings

08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
09 - 1 cup cucumber diced
10 - 1 cup shredded carrots
11 - 1 avocado sliced
12 - 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
13 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese optional
14 - 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs parsley cilantro or basil

→ Dressing

16 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
17 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
18 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
19 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
20 - 1 clove garlic minced
21 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Cook your selected grain according to package directions. Transfer to a shallow dish and allow to cool to room temperature before assembly.
02 - Prepare your chosen protein using appropriate cooking method. Grill chicken until cooked through, pan-sear tofu until golden, or use pre-cooked chickpeas and shrimp as directed. Season with salt and pepper.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk vigorously until emulsified.
04 - Divide cooked grain evenly among four bowls. Layer each with selected protein, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, avocado, red onion, feta if desired, and pumpkin seeds. Garnish with fresh herbs.
05 - Drizzle each bowl with prepared dressing immediately before serving. Toss gently to combine flavors throughout.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You can throw together a completely different bowl every time depending on what you have on hand or what sounds good.
  • It keeps beautifully in the fridge, so you can prep a few servings and actually look forward to lunch all week.
  • Everyone gets to build their own, which means no complaints and no compromise.
02 -
  • Dont dress the bowls until youre ready to eat, or the vegetables will get soggy and the whole thing loses its appeal.
  • If youre meal prepping, store the dressing separately in a small jar and shake it up before pouring.
  • Toasting the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet for a few minutes makes them way more flavorful and crunchy.
03 -
  • Cook a big batch of grains at the start of the week so you can throw together a bowl in under ten minutes.
  • If your dressing tastes too sharp, add a tiny drizzle of honey or maple syrup to balance it out.
  • Leftover grain bowls make incredible next-day lunches, and they actually taste better once the flavors have had time to marry.
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