It’s pretty obvious that salads and bowls are my thing. Not only are they incredibly nutritious, but their simplicity, endless combinations, and deliciousness make bowls our favorite thing to meal prep. In just an hour (or less!), turn one bowl combination into five magical servings you can enjoy all week (while saving time, money, and your sanity). Read on to learn how to build the perfect, prep-ahead bowl.
To build the perfect power bowl, simply pick your ingredients from the lists below, prep the components, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble (and eat!). The combinations are endless; create your own or try some of our summer favorites.
OUR SIMPLE FORMULA FOR DELICIOUS, PREP-AHEAD BOWLS
Green Base + Protein + Veggies and Fruit + Healthy Carb + Something Fancy + Dressing
GREEN BASE
+ choose 1
(1 large handful per serving)
lettuce
spring mix
baby spinach
baby kale
lacinato kale
arugula
shredded cabbage
PROTEIN
+ choose 1
(1 palm-sized portion per serving)
chicken or turkey
beef
lamb
pork
fish or shrimp
canned tuna or salmon
tofu
tempeh
hard-boiled eggs
VEGGIES + FRUIT
+ choose 2-3
(1/2 – 1 cup per serving)
cucumber
red peppers
cherry tomatoes
roasted eggplant
broccoli or cauliflower
carrots
asparagus
green beans
zucchini or yellow squash
berries
HEALTHY CARB
+ choose 1
(1/2 cup per serving)
whole grains (rice, quinoa, farro)
lentils
roasted sweet or regular potatoes
noodles or pasta
beets
corn
plantains
SOMETHING FANCY
+ choose 1-2
(1-2 tablespoons per serving)
nuts or seeds
cheese
olives
fresh herbs
avocado or guacamole
dried fruit
tahini
kimchi or sauerkraut
nutritional yeast
DRESSING
+ choose 1
(about 1/4 cup per serving)
balsamic vinaigrette
spicy peanut dressing
greek vinaigrette
basil yogurt dressing
cumin lime dressing
make your own
Once you choose your bowl ingredients, it’s prep time! Decide on an hour to prep (we like Sunday or Monday night), turn up the music, pour a glass of wine, and get prepping. Store your prepped ingredients in separate air-tight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your bowls (I’m kinda obsessed with these Glasslock containers). And voilà: a week’s worth of fast food that’s actually good for you.
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Matti says
How do you keep your guacamole from turning brown so that you can use it the next day to make your salad.
Ally says
Hi Matti! This article has some good tricks about keeping guacamole green: http://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-way-to-keep-guacamole-green-tips-from-the-kitchn-193462
Enjoy!