Sometimes I wish I could offer you a glimpse into my meal planning but I can’t…because I don’t meal plan.
I can’t decide Sunday morning what I want for dinner on Tuesday and the thought of preparing foods and having to eat them just because I planned it is really not appealing to me.
Of course I need some form of organization though in order to whip up a meal and have it done in a flash.
Did you know I have very little patience for food to be cooked, especially when I am hungry?
My idea of organization is stocking the house with the staples and being able to combine them quickly based upon what I feel like eating.
Enter the plant-based power bowl.
It sounds vegetarian fancy but all it means is gather your veggies, pick a plant-based protein, choose a complex carb and flavor it up depending upon mood.
Roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, roasted brussels sprouts and chickpeas mashed with avocado.
It’s possible that being a vegetarian has made my process of preparing meals easier.
It’s nice to have those nights where there’s no need to defrost steaks and chicken in advance and no need to worry about cook time or contamination.
I still cook carnivore for my son just not every night and no, he doesn’t enjoy power bowls unless I leave out the vegetables which takes most of the power out of the power bowl.
Even if you aren’t a vegetarian, today is Meatless Monday so why not give a plant based power bowl a try?
Not only will you savor it but you will adore the ease of preparation and nutrient dense variety it adds to your meal plan!
Power bowls are awesome because you can use whatever you have on hand and switch up the ingredients all of the time to keep things interesting, flavorful and healthy all at once.
Fresh or frozen veggies of your choosing, a complex carbohydrate based on your mood along with seasonings to match your cravings.
Sometimes I like things a little bit plain, relying on the flavors of the roasted vegetables and avocado to satisfy my taste buds.
Sometimes I want hummus, reminiscent of my favorite Maoz salad bowl which surprise, is really just a plant-based power bowl!
Maoz plant-based power bowl of spinach, kale, roasted broccoli/cauliflower, beets, carrots, chick peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, barley and hummus <—we can make this at home!
Sometimes I want Asian flare so I create more of a stir-fry.
Chick peas, brown rice medley and stir-fried vegetables cooked with Trader Joe’s sweet chili sauce plus avocado.
Sometimes I feel like a spicy barbeque sauce.
Sweet potato fries, steam-fresh vegetables, chick peas and avocado with Trader Joe’s Carolina Gold barbeque sauce.
Speaking of barbeque sauce, my favorite bbq ranch chicken salad (without the chicken) from The Cheesecake Factory is technically a power bowl too.
Lettuce, black beans, cucumber, tomatoes, corn, avocado and my favorite – onion strings.
I make it at home often although my onion rings are in short supply since Trader Joe’s stopped carrying them.
At all times, you can find the following ingredients in my house in order to create these plant based power bowls:
- Organic beans and lentils
- Sweet Potatoes
- Quinoa
- Frozen Brown Rice Medleys
- Vegetables (fresh and frozen)
- Avocado
- Condiments: Spices, Hummus, Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce & BBQ Sauces
If it would make you feel better to prepare some stuff in advance, here’s what you can do:
*Roast up a bunch of your sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes) and vegetables.
They will store well in the refrigerator and can be reheated or eaten cold (I love cold roasted vegetables!)
*Prepare a few servings of quinoa, lentils, rice (and other grains) on the weekend to use throughout the week.
I actually love to buy the frozen pouches of brown rice from Trader Joe’s. They have a few varieties and also sell quinoa in the same section.
You can also make extra servings of your plant based power bowls and use the leftovers for lunch!
There are really so many options, please let me know if you give them a try and/or if you have any questions.
I am linking up today with Tina and Deborah’s Meatless Monday fun so please be sure to check out all of the other meatless recipe ideas!
[bctt tweet=”How to build a plant based power bowl #meatlessmonday #plantbased #powerbowl #vegetarian”]
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Do you prefer to plan your meals for the week, wing it or just plan out one or two nights worth of dinners?
Which condiments do you use the most to flavor your food?
Best thing you ate all weekend?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
As you know I am a planner:) But you brought up a good point that if you’re not dealing with meat you don’t need to think as much in advance about what you’re going to cook. I feel like I would have less pressure to meal plan if I were just cooking for myself, but I feel like I need to pull together foods that both Rob and I like, which seems to be easier to do when I think about it ahead of time. I also try to avoid going to the grocery store more than once a week, and planning ahead definitely helps with that!
I love roasting veggies on the weekends and eating them cold! My lunches are usually some sort of greens with roasted veggies and olive oil, but I usually add either chicken or steak to them.
I remember what it was like when I was planning dinner for more than just my son and me. We had our usual rotation of staple meals and luckily, my ex-husband liked to cook lol.
GREAT idea Meri!!! I love making these, at least 2-3 times a week we have something like this, and as you showed, they are so adaptable! So happy you are joining us for meatless monday with this, it would be a wonderful way for others to learn from the pro how to make them 😉
This is totally how I come up with my eats throughout the week, by and large. Except when I just say aw hell and have a schmorgasbord of ridiculous things!
YUmmm I am usually a planner but as my kids get older it just doesn’t work out anymore they won’t eat what I cook and then I’m making 3 meals rather than 1 and it turns into a huge waste of time and food. So now I prep my own meals and leave the husband and kids dinners up to them to decide on the day of. I’m heading back to work full time and I’m excited to get to make my lunches ahead of time now too! Best thing I ate all weekend was a roast beef sandwich from my favorite bar in town!
My son lately wants no part of what I am making him. The things he loved two weeks ago he has now decided he hates lol. I used to love a good roast beef sandwich!
This is super helpful! I get tied up with menu planning, too, but agree with you that this vegetarian-template is really easy to use. Hope it makes your dinner prep easier!
Definitely makes things easier!
You are such a “cool” girl. You figured out the secret to a happy life. A planner never finds true peace and happy because they spend their lives constantly planning and miss out on the actual moments. Life becomes one big constant list to accomlish and get done. The process over takes the daily living. I know because it took me a lot of years to get now to the point to truly understand the journey is more more important then the end. You are spontaneous, flexible, fun, and seem to have a handle on the hard stuff. I take my hat off to you because like me it seems all self taught. You are very uplifting and motivating to read. Have a great week girl!
And you just made my day. Thank you 🙂
Ok, this is amazing because I’ve been looking for something exactly like this for a while! Definitely pinning and using it for lunches.
I usually do plan out my dinners each week, so that I can go shopping on Saturdays. It’s easiest for me, and helps me save a lot of money at the grocery store. Usually I’ll just mindlessly pick things out, and then end up paying a ton for pre-made food, then never end up eating it!
I can see how it helps save money which is something I am ALWAYS looking to do. I usually just buy our staples and add in something different on occasion based on what I feel like making for my son for a change of pace.
I love love power bowls! It’s the item I always pick off of menus if its on there. I eat one at my local vegan restaurant and I can’t figure out which dressing they put on it! Thank you for giving me ideas for some wonderful combos!
You are very welcome. So many combinations, it’s hard to get tired of the concept!
We are kind of on the same wave length today with these bowls! They are great w endless possibilities. Thanks fro linking up!
Totally endless delicious possibilities!
I love throwing everything into a bowl and enjoying! Sometimes I come up with the weirdest combos but I think they are delicious.
The weird combos end up being the best combos.
I definitely do a paleo version of a power bowl with veggies protein fat and starch, basically for every meal, although lunch is the only one I actually eat in a bowl! I also can’t officially meal plan – I know I have ingredients but I won’t commit until the afternoon of that day.
I love eating from a bowl, I don’t know why but it’s what I gravitate to more often than my plates!
I usually just plan out one or two dinners. I love what you said about your son not eating the power part of the meal. Ha! My kids would do the same thing. Actually, one of my kids loves veggies (he’s the one with a blood disorder so his body probably really craves them) but the other kids, not so much. Maybe if I call them power bowls they’ll want to eat them? 🙂
I wish my son would eat more vegetables. Sometimes he gets on a kick where he will and then he falls off track with it, forgetting he liked it and telling me no way am I allowed to add any to his plate.
I almost always plan my meals. I’ve always been a huge planner when it comes to something that is really important to me, and obviously that is FOOD! Although for my lunches, I assemble a base salad that can be customized on the fly and by the end of the week they usually become “garbage bowls” which is where I throw in anything that’s laying around. Power bowl sounds much nicer!!
I love those types of salads! It’s usually how I go about my lunch!
Mmmm…these power bowls look amazing! I am a meal planner…I eat so much food that I have to make it in advance. I also work until 8 or 9 most nights so coming home to nothing prepared is not a good thing because I get HANGRY!
I found that if I fail to plan, my husband forgets that we have to have dinner if I am not home to remind him. My mom always told me that you can’t expect men to do things, so that is why if we don’t have anything prepped for dinner, I let him know what he has to do!
I make my food for the days in advance and prep small things that make dinner prep a breeze. I also usually make at least 1 crock pot meal on the weekends and we decide based on our schedule when we want to have it. There are definitely times that I will get home from work and my husband will say he wasn’t in the mood for what we had planned but for the most part it works out best!
Good stuff! I’m not a vegetarian, but can definitely get behind these veggie/mixture bowls. I love to put a few things together for a meal for variety. And I’m with you on meal planning, I buy a few staples that I know my husband and I like for dinner, but we don’t set out the exact nights for meals. We choose what’s happening that night usually. The best thing about these bowls? They are tasty whether they are cold or hot! 🙂
I love this idea of a power bowl! Normally I love meal prepping, but since I became pregnant in Nov. and stopped bodybuilding, it’s just not that fun for me anymore! I don’t even like to cook and when I am hungry, like you I just want food now! I def will stock with some of these to make “bowls.” Thanks! 🙂
It looks like we were on the same wave length this week without even realizing it. My Chipotle burrito bowl could absolutely be one of your plant based power bowls. Love it. Also, I adore this: “My idea of organization is stocking the house with the staples and being able to combine them quickly based upon what I feel like eating.” I couldn’t agree more.
I thought that too when I saw your post! It definitely counts as a plant-based bowl — My son loves Chipotle style dinners. How weird though that I rarely make it for myself? I don’t know why I never crave those flavors but if I am in a restaurant, I totally enjoy it!
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