Bowlful of Healthy-er

Ingredients

Vegetables to roast-mix and match,  to customize your bowl

• 2 sweet potatoes, washed and chopped or sliced (4 cups)
• 4 cups  Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets (~4 heaping cups)
• 1 medium broccoli crown, cut into small florets
• 1 zucchini, chopped or sliced
• 1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large red (or yellow or orange) bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups (400 g) uncooked quinoa
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1-2 green onions, chopped
• Assorted leafy lettuces (romaine, arugula, etc)
• Salad dressing (if desired; you may not need dressing because there is a lot of flavor and moisture in these ingredients)

Suggested toppings:

• Ripe avocados
• Cooked beans or lentils
• Nuts and seeds (walnuts, pumpkin seeds etc)

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F  and line two extra-large (15- x 21-iinches) rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over chopped vegetables and toss to coat
3. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper
4. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes until fork tender and golden
5. While the vegetables are roasting, cook quinoa
6. While the quinoa cooks, chop the cucumber and green onions and tomatoes
7. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven

Store the roasted vegetables and quinoa in separate containers in refrigerator until ready to use for your Healthy-er Bowl

Assemble your Healthy-er Bowl:

• Add a couple generous handfuls of chopped lettuce/greens to the bottom of a large shallow bowl.
• Drizzle with a bit of dressing ( and toss the lettuce/greens until coated. Top with spoonfuls of your prepped food (quinoa, roasted and fresh veggies)and add the variety of toppings on hand.
• These bowls are totally customizable, and every day gave be an adventure in your bowl! 

Mary-Beth says: “This is one example of building a bowl for a nutritious meal. A bowl lends itself to adding and customizing to taste and refrigerator inventory! A little planning on Sunday will allow for building throughout the week, and preparing a lunch is a critical strategy for staying on track with your healthy-er goals. Here are some other lunch ideas for you.”