Customizable Grain Bowl (Printable)

Layer grains, proteins, and fresh vegetables in a nourishing bowl topped with your favorite dressing and extras.

# What You'll 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 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 selected grains according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly before assembly.
02 - Cook or prepare chosen protein sources. Use freshly prepared proteins or quality leftovers as desired.
03 - Wash and chop all vegetables. Roast or steam selected vegetables according to preference.
04 - Distribute cooked grains evenly across individual bowls to create the foundation.
05 - Arrange selected proteins and prepared vegetables artfully over the grain base.
06 - Sprinkle with cheese, toasted seeds, nuts, and fresh herbs according to preference.
07 - Drizzle with chosen dressing just before serving. Serve immediately or store components separately for meal preparation.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes completely different every single time, so you never get bored even when eating the same thing for lunch four days straight.
  • Your meal prep actually stays interesting instead of turning into a depressing container of regret by Wednesday.
  • You can finally use up those random vegetables lurking in your fridge without feeling wasteful.
02 -
  • If you're meal prepping, keep your dressing in a separate container and only dress the bowl you're eating today, or everything becomes a soggy, sad situation by day three.
  • Roasting your vegetables instead of using them raw changes everything—they get sweet and caramelized, which makes even simple grains taste special.
  • The temperature contrast of warm grains with cold fresh vegetables is intentional and delicious, so don't feel like you need to eat everything at the same temperature.
03 -
  • If you're buying pre-cooked grains to save time, they're honestly worth it—nobody gets bonus points for cooking rice from scratch, and the time you save means you're actually more likely to make these consistently.
  • Roast your sweet potatoes and broccoli on the same sheet at the same temperature and they'll be ready at exactly the same time, which is a small detail that makes assembly actually enjoyable.
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