NOURISHING BALANCED BOWLS | healthy 1-bowl meals for lunch or dinner (gluten & dairy free)

Today, I’m sharing 3 nourishing balanced bowl recipes that are full of flavor, color, and nutrients! These balanced bowls are 1-bowl meals that can be prepped in advance at the beginning of the week as part of your weekly meal prep. All of these nourishing balanced bowl recipes are gluten free and dairy.

What is a Balanced Bowl?

A balanced bowl (aka nourish bowl) is a well balanced, healthy meal filled with nutrient-dense foods and typically contain a good balance of healthy fats, proteins, and carbs. They’ve been given many names over the years, including Buddha bowls, macro bowls, nourish bowls, power bowls, etc. But, the idea remains the same, which is a one-bowl meal that’s super healthy and full of healthy, nutritious foods.

How To Meal Prep Balanced Bowls

The best and easiest way to meal prep your balanced bowls is to prep the individual ingredients in advance. And, when ready to serve, reheat the foods that need to be reheated, toss all the ingredients in a bowl, and enjoy! You can also serve balanced bowls cold if you don’t have a way to reheat the foods (it’s still delicious!).

How To Build Your Own Balanced Bowl

The whole idea behind a balanced bowl is to get creative with healthy, nutritious foods that you enjoy. Below, I’ve shared 3 of my favorite balanced bowl recipes to get you inspired. But, feel free to mix and match the ingredients to suit your taste preference. Here’s an easy guideline on how to build your own balanced bowl…

• Pick a Base: I typically choose a healthy, starchy carb as my base, such as quinoa or rice. If I’m wanting a lower carb bowl, I’ll use sauteed cauliflower rice as my base.
• Choose your roasted or sauteed vegetables: Since balanced bowls aren’t salads, you’ll want most of the ingredients to be cooked, not raw. Some of the roasted vegetables I like to add include sweet potatoes, beets, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc. Or, sauteed kale, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, etc. There are exceptions to the “cooked” rule though. For instancae, below I paired the Cod Fish Bowl with a fresh strawberry pineapple salsa. So, basically, there are no rules… just do what you enjoy!!
• Add a healthy fat and protein: Finish your bowl off with some sort of healthy fat, protein, or both, including wild caught fish, grass-fed beef or steak, chicken, eggs, avocados, olives, etc.

Use High Quality Ingredients

Today’s post is in collaboration with Butcher Box, which is a monthly subscription box that delivers high quality fish and meats right to your doorstep. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Butcher Box as I’m a longtime fan of theirs. They offer super high quality grass-fed beef, steaks, etc., organic chicken, as well as wild caught fish, such as salmon and cod. I’ll be using their fish and meats in today’s bowl recipes.

LIMITED TIME: They’re offering 2 lbs of FREE grass-fed ground beef with every box when you sign up today!

Balanced Bowl #1 – Blackened Cod with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa over Cilantro Rice

This fish bowl is hands down one of my favorite balanced bowl recipes! It’s light, fresh, and perfect for spring and summer. I paired a wild-caught blackened cod with a fresh strawberry pineapple salsa and it’s the perfect flavor combination (IMO) and chock full of nutrients. I served this over cilantro rice, but feel free to substitute the rice with sauteed cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.

How to Meal Prep: Prep & store the salsa, rice, and fish separately. When ready to serve, reheat the fish and rice, add everything to a bowl, top with avocado, and enjoy!

Blackened Cod Bowl –> GET THE RECIPE & MACROS HERE

Balanced Bowl #2 – Savory Breakfast Bowl with Grass-fed Beef Sausage

Yes, a balanced bowl can be served for breakfast as well! I paired with popular grass-fed beef sausage patties with sauteed kale, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and a soft boiled egg served over quinoa. Again, you can substitute the quinoa with sauteed cauliflower rice for a lower carb option. But, this breakfast bowl is not only full of flavor, but the healthy fats and proteins from the egg and beef patties will keep you full and satisfied for hours.

How to Meal Prep: Prep & store the beef sausage patties, quinoa, and sauteed vegetables separately. When ready to serve, reheat the beef patties, quinoa, and vegetables, soft boil an egg (you can also use a hard boiled egg), and enjoy!

Breakfast Bowl –> GET THE RECIPE & MACROS HERE

Balanced Bowl #3 – Steak & Quinoa Bowl with Homemade Chimichurri Sauce

Okay, I know I said the fish bowl was my favorite, but this steak bowl with chimichurri sauce gives it a run for it’s money! The chimichurri sauce really takes this bowl to the next level. Not only is it super flavorful, but it’s also very good for you as the main ingredient is parsley, which is rich in antioxidants, supports bone health, has cancer fighting properties, and contains lots of beneficial nutrients.

How to Meal Prep: Prep and store the quinoa, steak, roasted vegetables, and chimichurri sauce separately. When ready to serve, reheat the ingredients (except the chimichurri sauce) and enjoy!!

Steak Bowl –> GET THE RECIPE & MACROS HERE

Balanced Bowls Recipe Video

Looking for More Healthy Recipes?

Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite healthy, easy recipes.

• 5-Day Weight Loss Meal Prep Menu (grain free & dairy free!)
• Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Butter Cream Sauce (dairy free, low carb!)
• Loaded Burger Bowl Salad-In-A-Jar (lunch meal prep!)
• 5-Day Fat Loss Meal Prep Menu (breakfast frittata & chicken meatballs!)

FTC Disclaimer: Today’s post and video is sponsored by Butcher Box. I received free product and compensation for this post. The occasional sponsored post helps me to keep my blog up and running. I really appreciate your continued support! All of the opinions are my own.