Crunchy Lentil Sweet Potato Bowls - The Hack To Easy and Healthy Meal Prepping!
When I first dove into my wellness journey, I was extremely overwhelmed by all of the ‘meal prep’ talk. There were so many tips from what day(s) of the week to meal prep, to what foods and ingredients to use. All this talk had me overthinking my meal prepping, to the point that I wasn't even enjoying making or eating it!
After spending countless hours in the kitchen experimenting with recommended meals that still left me hungry, I knew something was missing. What it came down to, was that these ‘healthy’ salads were really not that healthy. They were missing a balanced amount of macronutrients, that would help keep me full and my body fuelled.
Soon after tasting the plentiful amount of bowls offered at Toronto’s healthy restaurants, I noticed myself feeling nourished and satisfied. What was different? These bowls were jam packed with healthy fats and proteins, mixed veggies, and filling toppings. So, I used them as inspiration behind my meal prep.
The science behind a great bowl is super simple:
PICK your base of healthy carbs
Quinoa, brown rice, etc.
PICK your protein
Chicken, salmon, beans, etc.
ADD your veggies
MAKE your own yummy dressing (store bought healthy dressings work as well!)
… & that's it!
Not only are they filling and tasty, but these bowls are SO easy to make! You can make your favourite bowl in just 15 minutes.
Now that you know what to look for in a bowl, I want to share my go-to sweet potato-based bowl with you:
Crispy Lentil Roasted Cauliflower -Sweet Potato Bowl
To assemble bowl start with:
Ingredients:
For Roasted Sweet Potato and Cauliflower
(Feel free to use whichever veggie that you like)
2 sweet potatoes (about 2 cups) peeled and diced
2 cups of cauliflower cut into bite size pieces
3 tbsp of olive oil
½ teaspoon of sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to for taste
1 tbsp of any seasoning you like such as chilli pepper, mixed herbs, garlic, lemon pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425F
Dice and toss all ingredients in large bowl
Spray baking sheet with olive oil to prevent sticking
Lay out veggies on the baking sheet (make sure they are not crowding one another to prevent from boiling vs baking)
Roast for 25-35 minutes
2 tbsp of red onion
Chop into small pieces
2 cups of kale
Washed/chopped
2 tbsp of crunchy lentils by Three Farmers (I love the sea salt ones)
1 tsp hemp seeds
For Tahini Dressing
(This can also be store bought)
¼ cup of cold pressed organic olive oil
¼ cup of tahini
2 to 3 tbsp of lemon/lime for taste
2 tsp of maple syrup or honey
½ tsp of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper for taste
Two tablespoons of ice cold water (add more as needed, the more water the creamier it will be become)
Directions
In a liquid measuring cup or jar, combine the olive oil, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and several twists of black pepper. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
Add the cold water, and whisk again. The dressing should become remarkably creamy. Taste, and add more lemon juice (for zing) and pepper, if desired. If your dressing is too thick to drizzle, whisk in more cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve!
This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week. It may thicken with time; simply thin it with a little more cool water as needed.
Assemble the bowl and enjoy!
Is all this food talk making you as hungry as it's making me? Share a picture of you creating this dish with me, I can’t wait to see!
