{"id":3825,"date":"2016-09-10T19:32:34","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T23:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/?p=3825"},"modified":"2018-01-18T13:24:55","modified_gmt":"2018-01-18T18:24:55","slug":"building-a-balanced-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/2016\/09\/10\/building-a-balanced-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Balanced Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kate Killion, Junior Nutrition and Health Student, SAR ’18<\/em><\/p>\n

Has anyone else noticed the current food trend of piling up ingredients into one big bowl of food? I always thought they looked pretty on Instagram, but I\u2019m telling you\u2014they taste even better than they look (try out a bowl at Whole Heart Provisions in Allston, and you\u2019ll be hooked!).<\/p>\n

Even better, they are super easy to make on your own. All you have to do is mix and match a few ingredients, top it with some flavor, and you\u2019ve got a gorgeous, health-promoting meal that will keep you full for hours.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Fill \u00bc of your bowl with a base carbohydrate for quick energy.<\/strong>
\nIf I have lots of time on my hands, I like to dice and bake sweet potato. If I\u2019m looking for a quick bite, I\u2019ll opt for some simple brown rice that I batch cooked earlier in the week.*<\/p>\n

Step 2: Pick a protein for longer lasting energy and fullness.<\/strong>
\nBeans are my current go-to as I navigate a college budget. Otherwise, I will thaw and cook some frozen salmon or chicken breast. Eggs are also great low-cost, quick-prep bowl toppers. Make this about \u00bc of your bowl.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Load your bowl with colors from fruits and vegetables.
\n<\/strong>I like to choose a couple different vegetables to give the bowl some variety in color and texture. Any and all vegetables (cooked or raw) will work here. You could also add a sweet note to your bowl with some fresh fruit. Fill \u00bd of your bowl with these filling nutrient powerhouses.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Spice up your bowl with flavor and heart healthy fats.<\/strong>
\nThis step allows you to turn a plain old bowl of rice, beans, and vegetables into an incredible dish. I usually choose a heart healthy fat, add some acid, and combine with herbs and spices.<\/p>\n

After a few times creating your own, it\u2019ll come easy, I promise! Use the chart and examples below to give delicious bowl-making a go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Whole grain\/Starchy veggies<\/strong><\/td>\nProtein<\/strong><\/td>\nVegetables<\/strong><\/td>\nFat<\/strong><\/td>\nAcid<\/strong><\/td>\nExtra Flavor<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
-Whole Grains: brown rice, wild rice, farro, corn, quinoa, barley, bulgur, whole grain pasta
\n-Sweet Potatoes
\n-Russet Potatoes
\n-Squash<\/td>\n		-Legumes (black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, etc.)
\n-Fish
\n-Eggs
\n-Poultry
\n-Lean pork\/red meat<\/td>\n		-Leafy Greens
\n-Eggplant
\n-Summer Squash
\n-Tomatoes
\n-Broccoli
\n-Asparagus
\n-Peppers
\n-Onions
\n-Brussel Sprouts
\n-Carrots
\n-Cucumber
\n-Any other veggies you like!<\/td>\n		-Extra Virgin Olive Oil
\n-Avocado
\n-Nuts\/seeds
\n-Nut butter<\/td>\n		-Lemon Juice
\n-Lime Juice
\n-Vinegar (white\/red wine, balsamic, rice, distilled white)<\/td>\n		-Salt and Pepper
\n-Garlic Powder
\n-Onion Powder
\n-Soy Sauce
\n-Cumin
\n-Chili Powder
\n-Red Chili Flakes
\n-Chipotle Powder
\n-Curry Powder
\n-Paprika
\n-Basil
\n-Parsley
\n-Cilantro
\n-Mint
\n-Dill<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Examples:
\n<\/strong>1. Brown rice + black beans + steamed asparagus + brussel sprouts + drizzled with a quick tahini dressing (tahini, lemon, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper or hot sauce, and a bit of water to thin). If available top this bowl with fresh cilantro or cubes of avocado.<\/p>\n

2. Corn + chicken + leafy greens + cucumbers + bell peppers + avocado + drizzled with lime-cilantro dressing (lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper \u2013 think Chipotle\u00ae!)<\/p>\n

3. Quinoa + salmon + spinach + roasted zucchini + feta cheese + drizzled with simple oil and vinegar dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper<\/p>\n

*My favorite tip for a busy college student<\/strong>: Batch cook! I like to cook a bunch of brown rice, roasted veggies, and proteins at the beginning of the week. Then, when I am low on time throughout the week, I can just throw a quick bowl together with my pre-made ingredients.<\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kate Killion, Junior Nutrition and Health Student, SAR ’18 Has anyone else noticed the current food trend of piling up ingredients into one big bowl of food? I always thought they looked pretty on Instagram, but I\u2019m telling you\u2014they taste even better than they look (try out a bowl at Whole Heart Provisions in Allston, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10571,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3825"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3825"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4383,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3825\/revisions\/4383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/scnc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}