School is back in session, and whether you have kids or not, things are busier. Once again there is homework, evening work engagements, team practices or pick-up games. Your monthly book group has begun again. All your pals want to set summer catch-up dates on the calendar. The quiet of summer has come to a close. Gulp!
Eating healthily can be a real challenge with our packed schedules, and it’s super easy to resort to opening that box of mac n’ cheese when your time is limited. Healthier options, however, simply take a little pre-planning, and they result in us feeling happier and more vibrant. It is worth taking the time to build some healthier new habits and tricks to make eating well a priority!
Following are a few tips for how to compile a healthy “bowl” with just a few minutes of prep each day. These can be eaten for either lunch or dinner.
- I always have a batch of homemade hummus on hand. It can either serve as a “dressing” for a more composed salad bowl, or you can make a hummus bowl, where it is the base with loads of veggies piled on top.
- Keep a box of organic arugula and a head of red cabbage in your crisper box.
- Trader Joe’s makes a frozen cauliflower rice that allows you to fill up without gluten or even grains.
- Have a variety of toppings on hand in your pantry and fridge: oil cured black olives, artichoke hearts, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, onion, parsley, scallions, crunchy salted almonds.
Once you’ve made a few bowls, you’ll find that no two are the same, and you’ll begin to identify what you like. I always crave greens, something salty, some crunch, a more substantive ingredient like cauliflower, hummus, or beans, and then loads of juicy or crisp veggies.
Here is the recipe for the healthy bowl you see here:
Red Beet Hummus, Cauliflower + Arugula Bowl
1 recipe Red Beet Hummus
Handful of arugula
Frozen cauliflower rice
Cherry tomatoes
Red cabbage, slivered
1/2 an onion, cut in rounds
microgreens
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
(everything here is optional and can be switched up!)
Pre-make the hummus (consider doubling the recipe!) so that you have it available for crudité hors d’oeuvres, hummus bowls, and lunch bowls. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil, and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Then add the cherry tomatoes (whole) and the red cabbage. Cook for about 5 more minutes, then set aside. In the same pan, add more olive oil and then sauté the cauliflower rice until lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes. In a low shallow bowl, add a smear of the hummus, and arrange the riced cauliflower, the arugula, and the cooked veggies and microgreens. Makes a very filling, nutritious, and tasty meal!
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