Let's be honest. Eating healthy on a consistent basis is HARD. I'll be the first to admit it. BUT I'll also be the first to say it's worth it! Consistency is key with whatever you are doing, and whatever your personal goals are. In my own personal experience, I've noticed that I am 100% more likely to eat whole, minimally processed foods when they are readily available to me and take little effort to throw together. Tools like meal planning and prepping what I can before the week begins always helps to set myself up for success! This week, I prepped all of the ingredients to make Greek chicken bowls/salads to eat for lunches or dinners throughout the week. It took less than an hour to cook the chicken, rice and prep the cucumber tomato salad, and when it comes time to prep the bowls, all you have to do is pop the rice and chicken in the microwave for 2 minutes, throw everything in a bowl and call it a day. SO easy and so yummy. Full recipe below!
Ingredients (4 servings):
Premarinated Shwarma Chicken from Trader Joes (you can use plain chicken breasts or thighs here)
3 tbsp olive oil, separated
2 C white or brown rice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried or fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
sprinkle of pepper
juice of 2 lemons, separated
2-3 C chicken (or veggie) broth or water
1 english cucumber, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Optional ingredients for the bowls:
Mixed greens
Tzatziki sauce
Hummus
Sliced kalamata olives
Pita bread
Directions:
For the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add chicken thighs and cover the skillet with the lid. Cook for 4-5 min. Flip chicken to the other side, cover and cook an additional 3-4 min until cooked through. Set aside for 10 min to rest, then slice into strips, place in a tupperware and place in the fridge.
For the rice: Rinse rice thoroughly in water. Follow instructions on the bag of rice to cook it. Sub chicken or veggie broth with water in the instructions, and before putting the lid on to cook, add minced garlic, parsley, juice from 1 lemon and 1/2 tsp salt. Once cooked, put into a tupperware and refrigerate.
For the Salad: Add diced cucumbers, tomato and red onion to a bowl. Add juice from 1 lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and store in the fridge.
To assemble the bowls: Place a layer of mixed greens in a large bowl or plate. Drizzle with olive oil and a little bit of lemon juice if you have it. Top with cucumber tomato salad, rice and sliced chicken. Add a scoop of tzatziki, hummus and top with sliced kalamata olives. Serve with a slice of pita bread!
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