High Protein Lunch Bowl ideas for Vegetarians

Whether you’re a fully committed vegetarian or your trying to lighten up your lunch time, these high protein lunch bowl ideas are veg-head friendly and most importantly, delicious!

Lunch time has never been my favorite meal of the day. Even as a little girl, my mom had a hard time finding foods that I’d eat during the day. I realize now that the reason I’m not a lunch-girl is because “traditional” lunch foods are just meh (imho). Turkey and sliced cheese sandwiches? Chicken noodle soup? Boring.

Apparently I’m just as finicking now because, well not much has changed. That being said I am a HUGE fan of lunch bowls.

Benefits of Lunch Bowls

• Lunch bowls are super quick to put together – as long as you have plenty of ingredients (leftovers or meal prep) on hand!
  
• It’s really simple to make lunch bowls healthy. You can fit more veggies than a typical soup!
  
• You can easily customize each bowl. Add protein, a variety of veggies, more grains, a crunch factor – whatever you’re in the mood for!
  
• Lunch bowls are great for meal prep. You can either build them start-to-finish and refrigerate for the next days meal, or you can batch cook a variety of components (think grains, beans, proteins, roasted veggies, toasted nuts, etc.) and throw your bowl together a la minute!

The Anatomy of a Great Lunch Bowl

The ideal lunch bowl is colorful, nutrient-dense and filling.

Chopped Veggies

Choose vegetables from as many colors of the rainbow as you can find. Different colored vegetables provide a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals plus, it’s pretty!

I usually start with a pile of greens but if this is starting to sound like more of salad than a bowl, you can omit the greens completely! From there, mix-and-match raw, roasted, pickled and steamed or grilled veggies for a variety of textures and colors.

Starch/Grain Base

Whole grains and beans provide a healthy dose of complex carbs and fiber. Plus, they’re filling! You could stick with brown rice or quinoa, but get creative and practice using more exotic grains too, such as spelt, farro or millet!

Roasted potatoes are a great way to bulk up your grain base and add some texture. Alternatively, you can use cauliflower rice for a lighter or low-carb base.

Plant Protein

I have a few vegetarian clients who are always looking for ways to spice up their vegetarian proteins. Here are my top suggestions:

• Beans: chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans contain high amounts of protein per serving.
  
• Tofu or edamame: both of these soybean-based proteins are considered to be whole sources of protein, meaning they provide all of the essential amino acids your body requires.
  
• Lentils: believe it or not lentils pack 18 grams of protein in to a 1 cup serving. They also contain 50% of your daily dose of fiber so it’ll keep you fuller, longer.
  
• Quinoa, amaranth, teff and spelt. While the first three here are gluten-free, and the latter two are ancient grains, all four of these ingredients are a great source of vegetarian protein.
  
• Eggs: not all vegetarians eat eggs but if you do, they are a great source of whole protein. Eggs contain 7 grams of protein each. I like to hard boil a half dozen to keep in my fridge at all times.

Sauce

Sauce, dressing, vinaigrette – call it what you will. It’s an integral piece of the lunch bowl puzzle. I’m a fan of herbed or spicy yogurt sauces and tangy vinaigrettes. You can keep them healthy and make them ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you need them.

Bowl Betterers

For lack of a better – or real, for that matter – term, a great lunch bowl is about more than vegetables, grains and protein. To make a really crave-able lunch bowl you have to have some Bowl Betterers.

All of these ingredients provide either a flavor, a texture or a crunch that make a simple bowl really pop! You don’t have to include all of these on every bowl. Feel free to mix-and-match and add what highlights your flavor combo!

• Nuts and seeds
• Pickled vegetables
• Kimchi
• Olives
• Fresh herbs
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Crispy chickpeas
• Avocado
• Salty, bold cheese like feta or Parmesan

HIGH PROTEIN VEGETARIAN LUNCH BOWL IDEAS

Here are some of my favorite combinations!

The Southern BBQ Bowl

Cabbage slaw with yogurt coleslaw dressing + roasted sweet potatoes + BBQ baked beans + sliced pickles

The Tex Mex Taco Bowl

Chopped romaine + tomatoes + peppers + cauliflower rice with black beans + salsa + diced avocado + pickled jalapenos + sunflower seeds + fresh lime juice

The Mediterranean Falafel Bowl

Mixed greens + tomatoes + cucumber + quinoa + chickpea falafel + tzatziki sauce + olives + feta cheese

The Asian Chopped Salad

Cabbage slaw mix + brown rice + edamame + spicy peanut sauce + chopped peanuts + sesame seeds + mandarin slices

The All American Black Bean Burger Bowl

Mixed greens + tomatoes + diced red onion + sliced cucumber + black bean burger + honey mustard vinaigrette + shredded sharp cheddar

The Autumn Harvest Bowl

Kale + roasted sweet potatoes + wild rice + chickpeas + balsamic vinaigrette + sliced apples + dried cranberries + toasted walnuts

The Breakfast Bowl

Arugula + sautéed mushrooms + sautéed onion + quinoa + hard soft boiled egg or scrambled tofu + hot sauce + avocado

Green Goddess Buddha Bowl

Spicy greens + roasted asparagus + sliced radish + snap peas + farro + roasted tofu + Green Goddess yogurt dressing + pumpkin seeds