Unlike other food trends that come and go, the popularity of nutritious, colorful grain bowls continues to rise. Build your own bowl creations by starting with a base of nutritious grains such as quinoa or farro. Keep a container of precooked grains on hand to reduce prep time. Toppings are limitless and should include a variety of tastes and textures. Choose vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and plant or animal based proteins that complement each other or a specific ethnic cuisine. Finish your bowl with a dip, sauce or dressing that ties the ingredients all together. A few of my favorite toppings include Sautéed Broccolini, Crispy Chickpeas, White Bean Hummus, and Tzatziki
Dr. Blake’s Top Tip: These bowls work for meat lovers, vegetarians, and gluten free eaters with a few easy substitutions. Leave the chicken off and substitute crispy chickpeas. Swap the farro for brown rice for those who can’t eat gluten. Homemade hummus is a perfect topper for vegans.
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons No Sodium All-Purpose Seasoning, page xx
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces baby kale or spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked farro
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cucumber, sliced
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, page 248
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a medium bowl and toss with the No sodium all-purpose seasoning to coat. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and sauté until just wilted, 1 minute.
- Divide the farro between 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with ¼ of the chicken-kale mixture, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, scallions and feta. Drizzle each bowl with a tablespoon of Red wine vinaigrette.
Notes
Modification for Lower Potassium.
1. Omit tomatoes.
2. Use shredded cabbage instead of kale/spinach.
Sources of Potassium:
218mg 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
15mg 1 ½ teaspoons No Sodium All-Purpose Seasoning, page xx
139mg 4 ounces baby kale or spinach
190mg 1 ½ cups cooked farro
121mg 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
39mg 1 medium carrot, grated
23mg ½ cucumber, sliced
9mg 2 scallions, sliced
6mg ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
4mg ¼ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette
48mg 4 oz cabbage, shredded
