Simple & Nourishing Veggie Bowl

Easy, healthy, tasty weeknight meals are always on my radar. I like to have something at least partially prepared to make our weeknights efficient while still feeling our best. Enter veggie bowls. I almost always prepare some sort of bean or legume and a gran on the weekend to have on hand. I can just roast whatever veggies I have on hand and voila - dinner is done. My husband likes to add protein like chicken or fish to his. I love that these bowls are so easy and versatile. We can both add our own variations without cooking two completely separate meals.

Some of the powerhouses in this variation are:

Sweet Potatoes are another excellent source of vitamin A that supports eye health. They are a complex carbohydrate that can help regulate blood sugar and are a good source of fiber.

Brussels Sprouts are an extremely nutritious vegetable that promote health in a variety of ways including cancer prevention, bone support, and enhancing immunity. Brussels sprouts are a great source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate.

Kale is packed full of essential vitamins and nutrients – vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, copper, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, phosphorus. Talk about a “superfood”.

Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fats that help to protect the heart and brain. Oleic acid, one of the monounsaturated fats found in avocados helps the body absorb carotenoids (antioxidants like beta carotene) and fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, and K).

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Olive oil

2 cups cooked brown rice (1 cup uncooked)

2 cups black beans, cooked or canned

2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes

2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half

2 cups kale, torn into bite sized pieces

1 avocado

Olive Oil

Dressing of choice

Instructions:

1. Cook rice and beans if needed as instructed on packaging.

2. Preheat oven to 400. Toss sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts in separate bowls with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on to two different baking sheets and roast until desired crispness – about 30 minutes for sweet potatoes and 20 minutes for Brussels sprouts.To assemble bowls, add ½ cup rice and a ½ cup beans to 4 bowls as a base. Divide the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes between the bowls. Add ¼ of the avocado and ½ cup kale to each bowl and top with desired dressing/sauce.

3. Enjoy!