Day 1: Buddha Bowls

By the time dinner rolls around, I am usually beat from the day’s events. I don’t want to spend my evening in the kitchen–and then worse: cleaning up. So! Spend less time in the kitchen, clean as you go, and once you’re done eating pop those plates in the dishwasher and press start. Done.

Tonight’s dinner can be made is SO many ways. I’ll give you the basics and you can add what you see fit. Because here’s another truth: we don’t all like the same things. And leading a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t mean we suffer. Experiment. Try new foods. Figure out what you don’t like. But I’m a firm believer in enjoying the food we eat.

PS I despise kale.

Quinoa & Sweet Potato Protein Bowls

Serving size: 2

• 1 c. uncooked quinoa
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 tbsp avocado/sunflower oil
• 1 1/3 c. sweet peas
• 2 eggs
• Spices:
  • Season salt
  • Parsley
  • Pepper
• Sauce Suggestions:
  • Pesto
  • Ranch
  • Oil-based dressing
  • Honey Mustard

Directions:

1. Add uncooked quinoa to 2 cups of water in a pot on medium heat until it boils. Put to low heat, cover, and let cook for 15-20 minutes.
2. Peel and cube sweet potato. Add the oil to a pan. (I always cook my food between low and medium because we have stainless steel cookware and a gas stovetop. You know your stove best). Sauté the sweet potatoes until they’re you’re desired consistency (we like ours a little more firm).
3. When the potatoes are almost done, add the peas and a dash of water to the pan and cover.
4. I like to cook my eggs over-easy so the yolk spills into my bowl. You can cook your egg however you like it best!
5. When the potatoes and peas are done, add the spices to your taste.
6. Assemble your bowl to your heart’s desire. If you’re like me, I like to make it look pretty before consuming. 😉

Some fun facts about this dinner:

• There’s a whopping 20g of protein per serving in this dish.
• It’s meat-free but feel free to half a chicken breast per bowl (adds ~20g protein).
• Sweet potatoes contain large amounts of vitamin A and potassium.
• Quinoa is a complete protein.

Some food for thought: Eat by color. Different colored foods provide different vitamins. Don’t like peas? Replace it with another green.