Healthy Winter Grain Bowl with Balsamic Dressing

Getting into a low-carb or carb-less diet can be challenging. Carbohydrate is your main source of energy. So, you must be wondering if a lack of it can cause you to become lethargic. The good news is that you will find different kinds of grains in the market that are a good substitute for traditional rice. These low-carb grains can give you energy and at the same time cut your weight. You can prepare a healthy winter grain bowl for lunch to maintain a healthy diet. Though the name is 'grain bowl', you must add some vegetables too.

Ingredients

• Red beets – 3 large, cubed
• Sweet potatoes – 3 medium
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
• Wild rice – 1 cup uncooked
• Dried cherries – ½ cup
• Goat cheese – ¾ cup
• Kale – 8 cups, shredded
• Pistachios – ¾ cup

For the balsamic dressing:

• Balsamic vinegar – 1 cup
• Mayonnaise – 2 tablespoons
• Dijon mustard – 2 teaspoons
• Thyme - 1 tsp finely chopped, fresh
• Rosemary – 1 tsp finely chopped, fresh
• Salt – to taste

Ingredients Explained

Wild rice, quinoa, and farro are all healthier substitutes for the traditional white rice. However, farro gives more vitamins; whereas, quinoa is gluten-free. You have a lot of ingredient options to make this bowl. Here is the basic formula you can follow. Your base must be a grain or leafy greens. Then add some starch and then protein. You need to add colors and crunchiness. Open up your imagination when it comes to toppings. You can have dried fruits, nuts, sauces, balsamic dressing, and others. You can include herbs and pickles as well.

You need to understand what balsamic dressing is. The word 'balsamic' means aromatic odor. It's something that heals. Balsamic vinegar has antioxidant properties that prevent heart-related problems. Balsamic dressing has sweet and sour contents that give it a unique taste and flavor.

Cooking instructions

You first need to cook the wild rice and vegetables. You will bake the vegetables at 425 degrees in the oven. Cut the beets and sweet potatoes into small cubes and place them on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast the veggies for about 30 minutes. For cooking the wild rice, follow the package instructions.

To make the balsamic dressing, put all the dressing ingredients in a blender and make s smooth paste. You can store this dressing in the freezer for many days by putting it in an air-tight container.

Now it's time to mix everything in the bowl. So, put the sweet potatoes, beets, dried cherries, and wild rice together. Add some dressing and toss everything. To assemble everything and serve, place the wild rice mixture on top of a pile of kale. Then sprinkle some cheese and pistachios. At this point, you can add extra dressing if you want to.

Tips

You must remember that the portions of different grains you put on your grain bowl are important. You must also mix the ingredients well and put enough dressing to cover everything. Before you choose the grains and veggies, learn about the amount of calorie intake and benefits of these grains and veggies. This will help you pick the right ones for yourself.

Nutrients

This bowl is full of essential nutrients. The grains, such as brown rice, farro, or quinoa have fibers, vitamins, and minerals. Whereas, vegetables provide vitamins, iron, and calcium. Dried fruits, cheese, and balsamic dressing are healthy too.

The best thing about this winter grain bowl is that you can go creative with it. You can add anything extra to the bowl apart from grains, veggies, dry fruits, and cheese. For example, you can include fried eggs and grilled chicken breast slices. You can also do the dressing with different sauces along with the balsamic dressing.

Variations

The number of variations you can do with this dish is unbelievable. You can add quinoa, ground cumin, coriander, and paprika for a spicy version. You can top it up with honey or maple syrup for a sweeter experience.

Making this winter grain bowl is fun. After you have mixed everything and topped your dish with your favorite toppings, don't forget to take a picture for your Instagram. The colorful bowl will look very attractive indeed. Enjoy this fulfilling dish with your family members. It's very easy to make this dish. So, it's a great dinner option if you work full-time and come home late.