An Athlete Food Favorite: The Protein Power Bowl
This protein-packed Power Bowl has been my go-to dinner all summer. It's a refreshing way to refuel after a long day in the sun. That kind of day where you're too hot and tired to even think about turing the stove on to cook dinner.
When I first made this bowl, I had just completed a 5 hour day of training (5k swim, bike intervals and a track workout). I opened the refrigerator, took out every source of protein I could find and set them out on the counter. Instead of eating everything in sight, I selected a combination of things that seemed to go together. I chose spinach, smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs and mozzarella cheese. I put back the items that would clash with these flavors. The extra nutrients weren't worth making my bowl go from appetizing to a weird mash up only a starving athlete would eat. Wondering what I turned down? A stinky cheese, leftover bison taco meat, hummus. I also put back the bacon, only because it wasn't cooked.
I piled all of the proteins, plus some small tomatoes and raw corn, in a big bowl. I topped it with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a few slices of jalepeno (for a little heat) and some salt and pepper. For most of us, this salad alone isn't enough. Some nights I eat a portion double the size of the one in the picture. If I've I have it on hand, I'll serve the Bowl with our Beet the Competition chilled soup. And, of course, a trip to get ice cream wouldn't be out of the question (seriously!)
So next time you go shopping, put these items in the cart so that you can throw together a healthy dinner in minutes.
Spinach or kale (I've used large spinach leaves from our CSA, but chopped kale also works)
eggs (hard boil a bunch at a time when you have a free minute, then store them in the refrigerator)
smoked salmon
cherry tomatoes
mozzarella cheese (for ease, buy the little balls of bocconcini)
avocados
an ear or two of corn (shuck them, then cut the kernels off and store in a container. eat raw)
sunflower seeds
As you can see from my instagrams, the bowl's vegetables vary each time I make it, depending on what's in the fridge.
Enjoy!
--Bec
