Bowl-O-Rama
life beyond the bars
The thing about this diet, eating plan, menu reset—however I want to spin it—is I’m constantly thinking about food. I mean, way beyond the normal life of a food-writer: the recipe testing, the tasting, the research, the writing. I don’t want to say I’m obsessed with food, but as I relearn the ways and whys of better nutrition, it’s hard not to be.
I promise I will not be one of those people who can’t shut up about how great their [insert trendy new diet here] is and how much everyone would benefit from said trendy new diet; this is the only time I’ll dish about my new diet, trendy nor not. In three more days, my resolution allegedly becomes a habit* or at the very least, a more nutritious lifestyle.
*
To be clear: aside from the usual holiday baking mania, I always considered myself a healthy eater. I’m a pescatarian. I love salads and cottage cheese. I only eat bread if I’m dining out (fair warning: you better grab a roll quick before I empty the basket). And, okay, there were times when a bag of sour gummy bears functioned as lunch. But the bulk of my daily 80-100 grams of protein came from protein shakes and bars, leaving me feeling empty and depleted. I felt it in my workouts; I felt it in my mental clarity.
I needed actual food.
The basic takeaways:
Eat early and often but be smart about it.
Don’t obsess about calorie counts.
I forgot how good sweet potatoes are!
Healthy carbs (sweet potatoes, beans, whole grain bread, brown rice and quinoa) are best eaten before dinner to avoid a blood sugar spike. I was aware of this but until I put it into practice, didn’t quite believe it.
It’s not all grilled chicken breasts, rice and broccoli, though. I lived that hell during my body-building phase. So far, I’ve made protein power bars, Sloppy Joe-style stuffed peppers, the protein carrot cake I mentioned in the last issue, protein pancakes, protein bowls and oven-baked zucchini “fries.”
Prep and planning are everything. They’re also time-consuming.
Breaking up with sugar isn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
A weekly cheat meal is the icing on the cake <ouch>
Staying true to the 2026 “Cook It Easy” mantra, I’ve created an assortment of protein bowls worth checking out. You don’t have to be on a diet to try a tasty bowl or two and they’re a cinch to make!
THE SUPER BOWL RECIPE COLLECTION
Breakfast Protein Bowls
PBJ: Mix together ½ cup oatmeal or protein oats + a scoop of vanilla protein powder+ ½ cup berries + water or milk; microwave for 1 min; stir and adjust liquid if necessary and zap for another min. Top with 1 tbsp peanut butter.
Black bean: sauté in olive oil ½ a can drained & rinsed black beans sprinkled with crushed red pepper, garlic powder and cumin for 5 min; add ½ a cubed roasted sweet potato, peeled and cubed, and sauté for 3 more min. In bowl, add ½ cup cooked brown rice, black bean mixture and top with fried or poached egg and cubed avocado. Squeeze in half a lime; mix well.
A riff on at recent recipe shared by Ellen Kornmehl MD.
Lunch Protein Bowls
Spicy Szechuan Bowl: mix together 1 tsp each: soy sauce, chili paste, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar & sesame oil in bowl; add 10-12 medium shrimp (fresh or thawed from frozen) or half a chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces and marinate for 2 hours. Stir fry, then add to 1 cup brown rice and steamed broccoli.
Roasted Salmon Bowl: prep a 4 oz. salmon filet with maple rub; roast for 25 min at 425◦ F. Flake with fork and add to 1 cup quinoa, chopped tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. Top with a smidge of vinaigrette and mix together.
Spice It Up
Mexican: 1/2 a can of drained, rinsed black beans or 4 oz. protein of choice + 1 cup brown rice +2 T each guacamole and salsa + chopped tomatoes + lettuce
Mediterranean: 1/2 a can of drained, rinsed garbanzo beans or 4 oz. protein of choice + 1 cup brown rice/quinoa + 2 T each hummus, lemon juice & sliced olives
Snack Bowl
Chocolate Mango Smoothie Bowl: Blend together til smooth ½ cup frozen mango +1/2 frozen banana + ½ cup plain Greek yogurt + ½ scoop chocolate protein powder + 1 heaping tsp cocoa powder + ¼ to ½ cup water. Optional 1-2 dates, pitted.
Adapted from a recipe card from writer, runner and pen pal Julie B. Hughes.
Endnotes
I just can’t with the new food pyramid, and neither can Michelle Albanes-Davis
Access to my recipes will always be free; use the Recipe Index link below to discover more protein options!
Your Kitchen Correspondent,
Amie
The Cook & Tell Library | Recipe Index | Owner’s Manual | Notes | the micro mashup | instagram
Love this, Amie, and that you're sharing your new eating plan with the world. Go, you! Finding balance is key, I think, and when that balance (defined by you, not anyone else!) is super yummy and fun to prep, that's a win win superbowl win!!! Love the recipes as always and will share if/when I try them, too.
Sweet potatoes 🍠 are one of my favorite foods!