I’m a big fan of getting all the nutrients from a meal in one dish; I like one dish casseroles, soup and stew and absolutely a “Buddha” bowl of health!

Since the holidays have come and gone there’s no better time to either start a healthy body, healthy diet regimen. All it takes is making the right choices, portion control and a little bit of exercise every day. Today I’m going to share a simple strategy for making a Healthy One Bowl for lunch or dinner. Don’t be fooled, this might not seem filling and satisfying but I promise you it is!

Pick a base layer:

Brown rice, quinoa, rice noodles, barley, bulgur

Pick a protein:

Beans (rinsed well and drained or fried that has been soaked overnight and simmered until soft), tofu, lean chicken or fish, or omit this option depending on what you feel like or have on hand that day

Pick your veggies: (and fruit if you wish)

Steamed, sautéed or raw – sweet potato (baked), squash, kale, spinach, pea sprouts, beets, carrots, celery, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, bean sprouts, other sprouts, any greens you enjoy… Fruit choices, sliced or chopped apple, pear, pineapple, mango, kiwi, orange/Clementine

Choose your toppings:

Hard/soft boiled eggs-chopped, chickpeas, avocado, berries, nuts, seeds

Add a sauce, olive oil salt and pepper work well, *tahini paste blended well with olive oil, lemon juice and nutritional yeast makes a great drizzle for any “One Bowl”.

*thin it with water if needed until it’s thin and syrupy enough to drizzle.

Leftovers from dinner, or make extra for a few lunches following, make great addition to a Healthy One Bowl. The only rules to a healthy one bowl are choose low-fat/fat-free, whole, natural foods. Make meal time easy for yourself and remember that mealtime is merely a time to fuel your body.