One bowl meals seem to be on every menu now, one bowl filled with grains or noodles, veggies, and protein, one-bowl meals are healthy and filling, which is a winning weeknight combo.  There are many simple, healthy creations you can make at home, all served up in one bowl! 

Nearly all examples of one-bowl dishes are incredibly well balanced when it comes to nutrition, making them a perfect meal. If your dinner plate is supposed to be made up of one-fourth whole grains, one-fourth protein foods, and one-half fruits and veggies, many of the one-bowl meal recipes perfectly align with these guidelines.

Below are some super simple healthy one-bowl recipes, or you can create your own? One-bowl meals put all the nutrients you need in one convenient place. By keeping healthy eating concepts in mind, you can create a unique one-bowl meal at home with inspiration from almost any kind of cuisine. Create your own using the following guideline.

• Carbohydrates: For a carbohydrate source, choose one full of fiber that’s full of fiber and micronutrients, look to brown rice, whole-grain noodles, or quinoa as a base to your bowl.

• Protein: The protein options for your one-pot meal are only limited by your imagination. Some great go-tos include meats, poultry, fish, tofu, tempeh, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and eggs.

• Fat: Make sure to use healthy fats like olive or canola oil for preparing your proteins, veggies, and broths. Including avocado, egg, nuts, or seeds will also help you incorporate a serving of healthy fat in your dish.

• Micronutrients: Load up your bowl with vitamins and minerals by using a colorful array of veggies (and maybe fruits depending on the dish) that have different flavors and textures, like kale, pea shoots, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, peppers, squash, and dried cranberries.

  Hot Honey Chicken Bowl

  (Adapted from a Jar of Lemons Blog recipe)

  Hot Honey Chicken

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  2 medium boneless chicken breasts

  1/3 cup local honey

  ¼ cup Sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce

  2 teaspoons minced garlic

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon pepper

  ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional

  ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

  
  

  Bowls 

  2 medium zucchini, sliced

  2 medium summer squash, sliced

  1 ½ cups shredded carrots

  1 medium avocado, sliced

  2 cups cooked rice, or quinoa

  1 medium lime

  ½ cup healthy Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing, optional

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• In a skillet, cook the chicken in the oil for about 5-7 minutes on each side on the stovetop.

• Mix the honey, sriracha, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, and crushed red pepper to create the sauce.  Set aside 2 Tbsp. of the hot honey sauce.

• Add the sliced zucchini and summer squash to the skillet and remove from heat.

• Place the chicken on top of the squash and pour the hot honey sauce over it, coating it evenly and drizzling some on the squash as well.

• Place the entire skillet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes (or until the chicken is fully cooked), stirring the vegetables halfway through.

• Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.

• Cut the chicken into cubes and coat evenly in the remaining 2 Tbsp. of hot honey sauce.

• Serve each bowl with cooked rice, zucchini, summer squash, shredded carrots, avocado slices, hot honey chicken, limejuice, and a drizzle of ranch!

  
  

  Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 451, Carbohydrates 62 g., Protein 18 g., Fat 17 g., Sodium 1068 mg., Fiber 7 g.

  
  Unstuffed Peppers 

  1 pound lean ground beef

  2 green bell peppers chopped

  1 small onion chopped

  2 garlic cloves minced

  2 teaspoons oregano 

  1 teaspoon salt 

  1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

  2 tablespoons tomato paste 

  ½ cup long grain white rice uncooked

  15 ounce can diced tomatoes 

  ½ cup water

  ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

  ¼ cup chopped parsley

  
  

  Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef, green peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until beef is browned, about 7-10 minutes.

  
  

  Add the tomato paste and sauté until well combined and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the rice, diced tomatoes and water and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

  
  

  Remove from heat but keep covered for an additional 5-10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate.

  
  

  Serve in bowls garnished with shredded cheddar cheese and parsley.

  
  

  Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 333, Carbohydrates 27 g., Protein 31 g., Fat 11 g., Sodium 815 mg., Fiber 3 g.

  
  

  Korean Beef and Rice Bowl 

  1 pound lean ground beef 90% lean

  3 garlic cloves minced

  1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

  2 teaspoons sesame oil 

  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  1/4 teaspoon pepper

  2 cups hot cooked white or brown rice

  Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

  In a large skillet cook the ground beef and garlic breaking it into crumbles over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the grease.

  In a small bowl whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for another minute or two.

  Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

  Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 238, Carbohydrates 26 g., Protein 25 g., Fat 8 g., Sodium 610 mg., Fiber 1 g.

  
  

  Asian Rice Bowls 

  2 cups cooked brown rice (or any grain) 

  1 lb. 99% lean ground turkey (or any ground meat) 

  4 cups vegetables (fresh, frozen, any mix) 

  1 tablespoon sesame oil 

  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

  1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 

  2 tablespoon water 

  2 tablespoon honey 

  1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar 

  1 tablespoon Sriracha, or red pepper flakes optional to taste 

  1 teaspoon cornstarch 

  
  

  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss your vegetables with sesame oil, garlic powder, and ground ginger. Spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and cook for 12-25 minutes, depending on the vegetables. For quick cooking vegetables like zucchini, asparagus, green beans, or sugar snap peas - you only need to cook for about 10-12 minutes. For heartier vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, or onion, you will need 20-25 minutes. If you are using a mix, just check them starting at 15 minutes until they are cooked to your liking. You can also sauté the vegetables in the sesame oil if you prefer.

  Make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, water, honey, rice vinegar, Asian garlic chili paste, cornstarch, and garlic powder in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes until it thickens, whisking often for a smooth sauce, Remove and set aside.

  Brown the meat: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot add the ground meat and brown, breaking it up as it cooks, until cooked through. If you want, cook the meat with some minced garlic, onion, or ginger to add extra flavor.

  
  

  Make the rice bowls: Start with the rice (or cooked grains) and add the vegetables and cooked meat. Drizzle with sauce and stir to combine to that the sauce is evenly distributed. 

  
  

  Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 375, Carbohydrates 47 g., Protein 32 g., Fat 7 g., Sodium 645 mg., Fiber 3 g.