Customizable Grain Bowl (Printable)

Mix and match grains, proteins, and fresh vegetables for a nourishing bowl that's ready in under an hour.

# 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 and cubed chicken breast
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, optional
16 - 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds or almonds
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
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:

01 - Prepare grains according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly before assembling.
02 - Cook, bake, or use leftover protein components as desired. Ensure chicken, tofu, chickpeas, or shrimp are properly cooked and cooled.
03 - Wash and chop all fresh vegetables. Roast or steam selected vegetables according to preference until tender.
04 - Distribute cooked grain as the foundation layer in each serving bowl.
05 - Top grain base with selected protein and vegetable components, arranging in sections for visual appeal.
06 - Sprinkle crumbled cheese, toasted seeds or nuts, fresh herbs, and sesame seeds over the assembled components.
07 - Drizzle chosen dressing immediately before serving, or store dressing separately for meal preparation purposes.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It bends to your preferences without requiring apologies or substitutions.
  • You can prep everything Sunday and actually enjoy lunch during the week instead of scrambling.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about building your own plate rather than accepting what someone else decided you should eat.
02 -
  • Overloading the dressing is the quickest way to turn a fresh bowl into mush—start with less and taste as you go, because you can always add more but you can't take it back.
  • Cooking grains in salted water instead of plain water changes everything; they absorb flavor from the start rather than tasting like an afterthought.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds and nuts just before serving so they stay crispy and don't soften from sitting in the bowl.
  • Double-batch your grains on Sunday and you've already won half the battle for weekday meals.
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