All hail the mighty grain bowl!

Your weekday lunch solution. ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ ͏   ­ [Healthline]( [Wellness Wire]( In a Nutshell Ever since I started working at Healthline, I’ve been bombarded daily with the benefits of eating a nutrient-dense diet. Don’t get me wrong, I consider this one of the great perks of my job. But being hyper-aware of the healthfulness of my food also drives me to frequent moments of despair because it’s just so dang hard to have nutritious meals on hand all the time! One part grain, one part protein, two parts veggie — a grain bowl is my favorite solution to this problem. Plus, it’s easy to mix and match ingredients so you don’t get sick of the same old recipe over and over again. Below, I share my favorite grain bowl combos, as well as tips for success. • [This simple dietary swap may help lower dementia risk]( • [Which vitamins can help with stress?]( • [5 strengthening exercises for lower back pain]( Have a good weekend! Ginger Wojcik Newsletter Editor, Healthline Written by Ginger Wojcik August 16, 2024 • 4 min read [Grain bowls are your answer to everything]( what’s got us buzzing [Grain bowls are your answer to everything]( As you likely already know, [eating a balanced diet]( is one of the most impactful things you can do to prevent chronic disease and live a long healthy life. (As a refresher, that simply means most of your daily calories should come from fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and [lean proteins](.) ️ The real magic of a grain bowl is that you can pack in a variety of nutrient-dense foods into one meal. When I make mine, they usually entail three main parts: - Protein: I’ve been big on baked salmon recently. Other go-to options for me are canned chickpeas and tempeh. - Grain: Most of the time this is either brown or white rice, maybe couscous if I’m feeling fancy! - Vegetables: I usually go one of two ways here: either a roasted medley of mushrooms, red bell pepper, and zucchini or a [fresh chopped salad]( with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper. Now, the only way a grain bowl functions as an easy meal — for me, at least — is if I have the components premade in the fridge so all I need to do is heat them up in the pan. (Fun fact: the 100-year-old electrical wiring in my apartment doesn’t support a microwave.) Things like rice, salmon, roasted veggies, and chopped salad are all time consuming enough that if I don’t have them made in the fridge already, they aren’t going to make it into my bowl on a hectic weekday. ️ If you want to take a grain bowl from great to decadent, here are some choice ingredients you can throw on top: - feta (the big tub from Costco is a lifesaver) - sun-dried tomatoes - kalamata olives - avocado - sunflower seeds - salad dressing OK, friends, I hope that was some good weekend inspiration for ya. As a parting gift, here are a couple of solid grain bowl recipes from our friends at [Wellos](: - [Grain bowls with chicken, arugula, and spiced chickpeas]( - [Breakfast grain bowls with eggs and burst tomatoes]( Great finds Classy kitchen [wishacc Bamboo Book Stand ]( [wishacc Bamboo Book Stand]( Sometimes, it’s the simple things that can bring the most joy. A recipe stand is by no means a necessary kitchen tool. But you might be surprised by how useful one can be. I love the natural wood look of this bamboo stand (which, by the way, works equally well for books, tablets, or your phone). You can adjust the angle of the stand, and it comes with little metal prongs that hold back the pages of a book, for those of you making recipes the old-fashioned way! [SHOP NOW]( Every product we recommend has gone through either [Healthline's]( or Optum Store’s vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Store are owned by RVO Health. FROM OPTUM PERKS [Save Up to 80% on Your Prescriptions]( [Save Up to 80% on Your Prescriptions]( Pay less for your diabetes medication with Optum Perks’ free discount card.* Use it at over 64,000 pharmacies across the United States. [START SAVING [→]]( *It can not be combined with your health insurance. Healthline and Optum Perks are owned by RVO Health. By using this Optum Perks service, we may receive a tangible benefit. health stories you need What we’re reading next [] 🙂 [Your 5-minute read on inflamm-aging.]( While you can’t stop aging, you can take steps to ensure that you’re doing it as well as possible. 🩺 [What to know about short bowel syndrome.]( Learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatment options. 💆 [6 pressure points for anxiety relief.]( Acupressure is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that may temporarily relieve anxiety symptoms. ❤️‍🩹 [“How my new hair journey helped me cope after cancer.”]( Jennifer Bringle shares how her self-image came from her hair, not her chest. Thanks for reading, everyone! I’m off to heat up my second grain bowl of the day. Have a lovely weekend! Until next time, [healthline]( Take care of yourself, and we’ll see you again soon! 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