BASE – Don’t be scared of having rice. It might be a good idea to divide in half into a whole grain and greens for your base. Get both! You want carbs in your meal, this is what will give you energy. The greens are great micronutrients to add into your bowl.

Example: brown rice and kale, quinoa and field greens

PROTEIN – you want to make sure you’ve got protein in your bowl. I usually double the portion because I find that it isn’t enough protein for me. Chicken is my usual go to!

EXAMPLE: Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu, Steak

TOPPINGS – 

Corn – I usually skip out on the corn. It is one of the most genetically modified crop. If I am unsure that the corn is organic, I’ll opt for another topping. As you see in this photo, the person gave me corn anyway, & yeah I still ate it lol. 

Beans – If you are not getting a meat protein, choose beans with your rice. Being a vegetarian or a vegan you want to make sure you are getting your proteins. Getting beans WITH rice is going to make sure you get a complete amino acid profile of proteins rather than having rice alone or beans alone! Don’t be worried if you don’t want beans and rice together or if you want lower carbs, choosing one is also fine. Your body will store the amino acids and you can have a “complete” profile when you do have more different vegetable based protein throughout the day.

Beets, tomatoes, cucumbers – great additions. Low cals and nutritious foods.

Salsa: Love salsa! I like to get salsa instead of sour cream especially when in a fat loss phase.

Choose a fat – You want to have a small portion of fats in your meals. This CAN get tricky sometimes because if they cook some of the things on your bowl with oil then that can add onto the fat content of the bowl. Usually I’ll pick one or two fats in small(er) amounts.

EXAMPLES: Avocado, cheese, olive oil dressing, sour cream, peanut sauce

TIP: 

• Get your dressing on the side!
• Carbs and protein are what make up most of your bowl. Fat is the top of the triangle. 
• Opt for healthy fats like avocado/olive oil instead cheese/sour cream
• Ask how veggies are cooked. Are they cooked in olive oil or canola or are they steamed? How healthy are the vegetables you’re getting?
• Remember it is all about balance so if this is causing you a lot of stress, it isn’t worth it and just get the foods you love in your bowl. This is supposed to be helpful, not stressful. The journey is yours and you should enjoy it.