Packed with colorful vegetables, stick-to-your-ribs proteins and crunchy and creamy toppings, power bowls are an easy way to eat healthy. Centered around “power foods” that are nutrient-dense, these bowls are more satisfying than a salad and customizable to your taste, whether you’re a meat or fish lover, vegetarian or eating low-carb.
Eat healthy and happy with our five mouthwatering power bowls.
(Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn)
Inspired by an iconic dish served at Sqirl, the cult-favorite L.A. restaurant of chef-owner Jessica Koslow, this gorgeous bowl is packed with flavorful brown rice, feta, bacon and a beautiful fried egg. It’s topped with preserved lemon (available at gourmet stores and on amazon.com) for a citrusy punch.
(Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn)
This grain-free bowl, adapted from The Whole30 Slow Cooker by Melissa Hartwig, uses zucchini “noodles” in place of pasta. Using salty-sweet coconut aminos is a popular grain-free way to get the flavor of soy sauce for those who follow a Whole30 or paleo diet. You can find coconut aminos, along with fish sauce, in the Asian foods or condiments aisle of most supermarkets.
Related: Melissa Hartwig’s Whole30 Ginger Shrimp and Zucchini Noodle Stir-Fry
(Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn)
Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl With Chicken
This bowl is all about bold Mexican flavors—spicy-sweet corn, creamy black beans, vegetable-flecked quinoa—and it’s just as delicious if you replace the chicken with your favorite tofu. All of this goodness was inspired by a popular bowl served at the California-based chain Tocaya Organica.
(Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn)
This vegan bowl is popular at Farmer’s Fridge—a Chicago chain that stocks their branded vending machines with good-for-you fare. It’s packed with broccoli, cabbage, edamame (you can buy them already shelled at your supermarket salad bar) and topped with a flavorful sesame dressing and crunchy raw cashews.
Related: Ugly Food & CBD Make KIND’s 2019 Healthy Snacking Trend Report
(Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn)
The restaurant chain Sweetgreen, with locations from Washington, D.C., to California, helped pioneer the power bowl trend. This recipe turns a classic fish taco into a protein-packed bowl that pairs warm fish (use wild salmon or steelhead trout) and quinoa with cool arugula, crunchy cabbage and tortilla chips.
(iStock)
Cheater’s Guide to Power Bowls
You don’t have to start from scratch to build a great power bowl. You can build a power bowl in 10 minutes or less with these shortcuts.
Shelf-stable, microwaveable packets Seeds of Change Brown Basmati Rice ($2.50 at supermarkets)
Melissa’s Cooked Quinoa ($8 in supermarket produce section)
Green Giant Frozen Riced Veggies (assorted varieties, $3 in freezer case)
Not in the mood to cook? Creative power bowls are turning up in the freezer aisle too. All you have to do is heat and eat.
Lundberg Family Farms’ new Grainspirations ($6) brown basmati rice and quinoa bowls come in five varieties with 10–13 grams of plant-based protein.
Healthy Choice Power Bowls ($4.50) take inspiration from world flavors, like Korean-inspired beef, Cuban-style pork and Mediterranean chicken, feta and farro.
Luvo’s protein-packed, low-sodium bowls ($4.50) feature offerings like Hawaiian Un-Fried Rice and Chicken Harissa & Chickpeas.
Are You Turning Your Healthy Power Bowl into a Diet Buster?
Power bowls—packed with nutrient-dense good-for-you foods—might seem like the ultimate California hippie food. But according to Google Trends, we’re fast becoming a power-bowl nation, with residents in Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky and South Dakota searching most for info on the bowls.
Given the popularity, it’s time to ask yourself: Are you eating your power bowl the wrong way? We asked Birmingham, Alabama–based nutritionist Brierley Horton, RD, how to keep the bowls healthy not heavy.
“The basic components of most grain bowls—vegetables, proteins, whole grains—are inherently healthy,” she says “But what you put in or on them can veer them right out of the healthy category quickly.” Her tips:
Keep an eye on portions. Garnishes like nuts and avocado are good for you, says Horton, “but they’re also higher in calories than you might realize and can add up.”
Watch the sauce. “Remember, those sauces are really no different than a salad dressing, so be mindful of how much you use.”
Go easy on crunchy extras. “Add tasty fried bits, like fried onions or tempura flakes, in small amounts,” says Horton. A little of these goes a very long way.