Lunch Bowls

Here is a suggestion for a lunch (or dinner!) that you can throw together quickly and easily from items that you may already have on hand. This is something I make for lunch when I am too lazy to make a salad! You could even make one of these lunch bowls into a cold, salad-type dish, although I normally make a warm version.

Usually I create a Mexican-style lunch bowl, but I'm sure you could mix it up a bit and make yours into something different. If you are following the Zone diet, all you need to do is choose about 3 ounces of your protein option, put together 3 blocks of carbs from the carb selections, and then add some kind of fat to top it off! (This will be the correct proportions for a small-medium sized woman. If you are a man, you may need 4 blocks of each.) Voila, as they say in France, you've got lunch!

Start by layering your carbs in your microwaveable bowl. Choose the correct combination to add up to 3 blocks total. Here are some carb possibilities:

Refried beans or black beans (nonfat) 1/4 cup= 1 block of carbs
Frozen corn 1/4 cup = 1 block of carbs
Tomato-based salsa (I like Pace best) 1/2 cup = 1 block of carbs
Sweet potato, mashed 1/3 cup = 1 block of carbs
Banana slices 1/3 of a banana = 1 block of carbs (The banana option probably sounds odd to you, but it is actually delicious in a Mexican-style lunch bowl!)

Then layer your chunks of protein on top of your carbs. Most lean sources of protein will be about 1 block per ounce, so 3 ounces of protein should do the trick! Good choices include:

3 ounces chopped, cooked chicken breast
3 ounces chopped, cooked turkey breast
3 ounces flaked, cooked salmon
6 ounces diced, cooked tofu
3 eggs, scrambled or fried
3 ounces leftover cooked ground beef or other lean meat

The only thing left is to top your creation with a source of healthy fat. Here are some options:

1/4 cup guacamole or avocado slices (DO NOT HEAT!)
1/4 cup lowfat Mexican shredded cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
a few chopped olives
1 teaspoon olive oil

If you are using cheese, you will probably want to heat the dish with the cheese already added. However, you might want to leave off the guacamole until after heating. I cannot stand the taste of cooked avocado. Maybe it is just me.

Throw the bowl into the microwave (gently) and heat it up for a couple of minutes. Stir and make sure the center is warm. Heat for another minute if needed. Then enjoy!