Life hack to get more protein in

Do you struggle with getting enough protein in? Or finding something enjoyable to grab for lunch? Traditional meal prepping can be monotonous, resulting in food and money wasted. As a night shift worker I can never count on the cafeteria for a quality meal. My hack for easy, enjoyable lunches is bowls. The protein source and flavors are easily rotated while keeping the macros fairly similar. I will post some bowls that I rotate through that keep me excited about lunch and full through my day whether I’m on or off shift.

Mexican bowl

This is the amount per bowl. I batch these ingredients for the week so it just depends on how many meals I need for the week. Just multiply these amounts by how many meals you need.

• 5 oz chicken thigh

• 1 cup cooked jasmine rice cooked with bone broth for extra protein and flavor

• 1/4 cup canned corn

• 1/4 cup black beans

• 1 Tablespoon hatch green chilis

• 50 g Fage 0% fat Greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons salsa

• 1 cup of greens (I prefer a mix of Romaine, cabbage and cilantro)

• juice of 1/2 lime

• spices for seasoning thighs (cumin, paprika, salt, chipotle or any chili powder, garlic powder) I do what feels right on amount, but about 1 Tbsp of each for 1 lb. of chicken

Preheat the grill or oven to about 375-400 F… Let’s be real I’m an artist so it just depends on how rushed I am or how I’m feeling that day… just get them cooked to an internal temp of 160 F before you pull them out. I get the chicken thighs in bulk at Costco, I always have them on hand in the freezer. I take out a package or two the night before to thaw and combine them with the spices listed above. When the oven is ready place the seasoned chicken thighs on a baking sheet and place in the oven. If I’m doing one package (about 1 lb.) of chicken I use 1.5 cups of uncooked rice and 3 cups of bone broth, sometimes the portions aren’t exact… once again I’m not super scientific. Combine the bone broth and rice in a sauce pot with a lid, bring to a boil, and then turn the burner off. While the rice and the chicken are going make your fixins. Finely chop greens and place in a container. Combine 1 can of corn, 1 can of beans, and one small can of hatch green chilis in a bowl with a pinch of salt. When rice is done add lime juice and some of the finely chopped cilantro you chopped for greens.

I keep all the ingredients in separate containers in the fridge and make them up as I go because each week I have two different proteins to rotate through to keep myself from getting bored. When it comes time to make a bowl I combine the yogurt with salsa as described in the ingredient list. To prepare a bowl I add the rice and chicken in a bowl and throw it in the microwave for a minute or so. Then I add the corn mix and some greens and top with the sauce I made…. all my bowls always have sauce. Healthy doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, for most people boring isn’t sustainable.

The nutrition facts for this bowl are: 440 Calories, Carbs 49g, Fiber 6g, Fat 7 g, Protein 46 g

Stay tuned next week for another great bowl to add to your rotation!