I love Sundays! For many, it is a day to rest and recover from the busy week; to spend time with family and friends; and a day to enjoy some "me time." But for some, it is a day that is full of honey-do lists and endless errands; full of catching up on the list of things you left un-done from the previous week; and a day spent trying to get ahead of the game at home or at the office. For me, Sundays consist of a little bit of both - spending time with my husband and in-laws mixed in with endless chores around the house, running errands, and prepping for the week ahead. The day passes by so quickly and before I know it, it's nearing 9:00 pm and I still need to prepare my meals for the next few days. When I am short on time (which happens more often than not) my go-to meal is some variation of a Brown Rice Bowl - a super easy way to combine your favorite foods in one bowl to take to work with you for lunch or to have ready when you come home for dinner. On the menu for this Monday is one of my favorite bowls - the Chicken and Brown Rice Bowl - full of lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and colorful vegetables!
This meal (inspired by one of our favorite South Tampa restaurants, Ciccio's) is not only super easy to make, but it is loaded with nutrients and long-lasting energy! All you have to do is a little prep work the night before and you will have a meal made in minutes that will be sure to satisfy :-)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1-2 cups mixed greens
- 4 oz cooked chicken breast meat (from a rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breast)
- 1/4 cup guacamole (1 single-serve guacamole packet)
- 1-2 tbsp balsamic & olive oil dressing
Directions:
- Boil or steam brown rice (as instructed) I used Minute Rice and boiled 1 cup of rice for 5 minutes. I saved the rest for leftovers.
- While rice is cooking, remove (4 oz) chicken breast and chop into smaller pieces. I used a rotisserie chicken, but grilled or baked chicken breast is fine too).
- Once rice is cooked and cooled, place 1/2 cup into a Tupperware bowl and top with mixed greens, and chopped chicken breast.
- Add guacamole and dressing right before serving and enjoy!
I typically eat this quick meal for lunch and take the Tupperware with me on-the-go. I recommend waiting to add the guacamole and dressing until you are ready to eat to prevent the greens from getting soggy and the guacamole from turning brown.
This is such a quick and versatile meal! You can really use any lean protein and any other vegetable your heart desires for this bowl, you just need to do a little planning and prepping the night before!
Here are some variations of the Rice Bowl for substitution ideas and inspiration:
(Chicken Burrito Bowl: with brown rice, spinach, grilled chicken breast, grape tomatoes, salsa, avocado, and 1 hard-boiled egg) 
(Lighter Chicken Bowl: with mixed greens, steamed green beans, grilled chicken breast, grape tomatoes, and balsamic dressing)
Here are some tips for the planning and prepping:
- Buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store when you do your weekly food shopping or bake a couple chicken breasts on Sunday evening for the beginning of the week.
- Use Minute brown rice, steam-able rice bags for the microwave, or boil a batch of rice on Sundays to use as leftovers for the next few days.
- Look for single-serve guacamole packets (such as Wholly Guacamole) and pour your salad dressing in small Tupperware container for on-the-go convenience.
Bon appetit!
