You can easily apply Mediterranean Diet principles to Asian inspired cuisine. This crunchy vegetable and grain bowl is packed with fiber and plant based nutrients. It’s the perfect side dish to a simple protein, or mix in edamame for a meatless meal idea.

This healthy grain bowl/salad recipe (sometimes called a Buddha bowl) is inspired by sushi, poké and bánh mi, so I never really know what to call it! It’s a super satisfying, nourishing and flavorful mix of crunchy vegetables and whole grains, all tied together with delicious spicy mayo dressing. I love this all year round. It’s not limited to just the warmer months, although it’s a great idea for hot summer days, when you don’t want a hot dinner.

Healthy Grain Bowl Q&A

How To Make a Healthy Grain Bowl?

When I’m building a grain bowl I always focus on balance, texture (I don’t want all soft ingredients!), and flavor, of course. I typically choose a cuisine type and then follow that flavor and ingredient profile.

To ensure the grain bowl is well balanced, I measure the grains to stick to portions and add ample protein and fat, as well as non starchy vegetables. This helps to reduce the glycemic load, balance blood sugar and make you feel full and satisfied for hours.

DO Grain Bowls Have a lot of Carbs?

Grain bowls can be higher in carbohydrates depending on what ingredients you add to them, but they don’t have to be. If you’re making a meatless dinner, you might have more carbs in the way of adding beans and grains together, or you might choose to add starchy vegetables, but this isn’t necessarily a ‘bad’ thing. Carbohydrates offer fiber, volume and so many various nutrients. But if you’re sensitive to carbohydrates or are trying to lose fat, it’s helpful to be more mindful of portions and balance.

Carbohydrates you can add to grain bowls:

Roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted potatoes
Squash
Beans
Corn

Can you meal prep grain bowls?

Grain bowls are a great option for easy and satisfying meals. They’re also super easy to meal prep. I’d recommend prepping all the components in advance and building the bowls to serve, so the ingredients don’t get soggy and they taste freshly made when you eat it.

Recipe

For Asian Crunch Grain Bowl with Spicy Mayo Dressing (2 servings)

Link to the video!

Ingredients

1/2 cup grain of choice, cooked (we’ve been loving forbidden rice)
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 carrot, grated
1/2 avocado, diced
1 cup of chopped cucumber
2 scallion, thinly sliced
Optional: sliced or diced jalapeño, sliced or julienned radish

Asian Spicy Mayo Dressing:

1/4 cup mayo
1-2 tbsp of sriracha depending on how spicy you want it
1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil
1 inch nub of ginger with skin removed, finely grated
2 tbsp of soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
Salt to taste (I find I need a few pinches of sea salt when using coconut aminos)

Directions

Mix the dressing and set aside
Mix all the prepped ingredients in a big bowl
Add dressing and toss until fully mixed
To serve, you can top with protein of choice (we typically do wild salmon sautéed with ghee and coconut aminos)