Fresh ingredients and bright flavors.

Making grain bowls easy, and interesting!

Grain bowls are some of our favorite make-ahead lunches. Built from a mix of contrasting ingredients, they’re a great way to eat a nutritionally balanced lunch that is delicious cold and often doesn’t require reheating. They’re also a great way to use up any leftover proteins, vegetables and grains from the weekend.

Never made a grain bowl before? Want a handy mix-and-match guide to keep things interesting? Read on to learn about common components, making preparation simple, and tips from our team.

Components

What goes in to a grain bowl, anyway?

Base

The base layer is typically made of whole grains (or greens, for a low-carb option). Some grains like rice have a nicer texture when reheated, so you may want to warm these before adding other components.

Protein

Your base or toppings might have all the protein you’re looking for. Maybe you’d like something more? We like to supplement our bowls with beans, tofu, egg, or cooked meats that are cut into bite-sized pieces.

Vegetables

We love to mix a cooked and a fresh component for textural contrast. For a mediterranean-themed bowl this means something like roasted eggplant paired with diced cucumber or tomato.

Sauce

This is where a lot of your bowl’s personality comes from. Especially if eaten cold, your sauce can be a vibrant fresh element. This may compliment your protein and vegetable choices, such as a yogurt tahini drizzle to go with falafel or a salsa for roasted sweet potato and black beans

Topping

Toppings are a great way to provide a fun finishing touch to your bowl. This can be as simple as some chopped fresh herbs or toasted nuts, or heartier options like feta cheese crumbles. Store-bought options are also great here, such as pickled jalapeños, crumbled nori sheets, or kimchi.
 

Mix-and-Match Guide

Pick one item from each category. Some items such as grains and sauces may be components in larger recipes, so you’ll only need to make that portion of the recipe.

Base

Protein

Vegetable

Sauce

Topping

1 to 1½ cups

½ to 1 cup

½ to 1 cup

2 - 4 tablespoons
¼ cup

Coconut Rice

Couscous

Farro

Green Rice

Jasmine Rice

Quinoa

Air-Boiled Eggs

Cannellini beans

Chicken breast (Roasted / Grilled)

Chickpeas

French Lentils

Shrimp (Roasted / Grilled)

Salmon

Steak (Broiled / Grilled)

Tofu Steak

Tuna Steak

Asparagus

Broccoli

Broccolini

Brussels Sprouts

Carrots

Cauliflower

Green Beans

Mushrooms

Button and Cremini

Portobellos

Squash

Acorn

Butternut

Delicata

Sweet Potatoes

Zucchini

Chermoula

Chimichurri

Creamy Miso

Garlic Tahini

Hummus

Beet

Carrot

Romesco

Peanut

Pesto

Yogurt

Cumin

Honey-Dijon

Lemon

Egg Pan Frico

Spiced Pecans

Sourdough croutons

Toasted nuts (Check out June’s Cook-Programs!)

Cheeses

Store Bought elements 

 

Preparation

June takes what could look like a daunting amount of work and makes it simple. Using our Cook-Programs and Guided recipes to guarantee delicious results every time, you can have something cooking in the oven and focus on preparing your next element. Here’s how we structure our cooking time:

Start with grains.

We like to get our grains going first so we can wash and prep our veggies and proteins while they cook. The Nonstick Pan helps grains cook evenly without anything sticking to the bottom.

Next, cook the vegetables.

Let the grains cool in the Nonstick Pan while the vegetables cook. If you only have one Nonstick Pan, transfer the grains to a large bowl to cool.

Make your proteins and your sauce.

Cooking your proteins last is ideal, especially if you’re planning to use the Reversible Cast Iron Grill/Griddle or planning to slow cook some beans. With the Food Thermometer, you don’t have to worry about anything overcooking. While the protein cooks, make your sauce. We like to make two so we can mix it up during the week.

Store your foods separately.

As your proteins rest, transfer your grains and vegetables to separate containers. Depending on what vegetable you cooked, you may need to cut it into smaller pieces before storing it so it’s ready for assembly and easy to eat. Once your protein is ready, cut into smaller pieces and store.

Prepare any toppings.

If you have any toppings that need to be cooked – such as toasted nuts – or cheeses that need to be crumbled, you can prepare those now. If you plan to use fresh herbs, wash those now - but cut them right before serving if you'd like to prevent discoloration.

Tips

Suggestions from the team...

It’s all about balance.

It might be tempting to load your bowl up with a ton of crumbled cheeses or proteins, but part of the enjoyment of a grain bowl is getting a little bit of everything in every bite. Don’t be afraid to taste and make adjustments. Lots of soft elements? Add a crunchy topping. Feels a little too savory? Brighten things up with some fresh herbs or a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

Prep-work matters.

Making sure all your vegetables and proteins are the same size as you cook them will help ensure they cook evenly. Cutting them up into bite sized pieces before storage helps you get to the eating faster when you’re hungry.

Don’t be afraid of store-bought shortcuts

Sometimes you don’t have the time to prepare all the components from scratch. Use pre-cut and washed vegetables to reduce prep time and consider picking up a rotisserie chicken, low-sodium canned beans or your favorite salad dressing.

Two-for-One Recipes

Many of June’s recipes can be reimagined as grain bowls. Here are just a few examples:

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favorite recipe
Beet and Fennel Gratin with Mint-Coconut Cream Sauce