![Meal Prep Power Bowls Power Bowls](https://ohsheglows.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/veganpowerbowls-2157-5-728x1092.jpg)
You’ve probably seen the meal prep trend online where dozens and dozens of meals are prepped in containers for the entire week? Holy moly. I can say that will probably never be me. I once tried an over-ambitious meal prep and not only did I end up with way too much food, but it took up most of my day.
On the flip side, I’ve realized that my veggie intake falls pretty flat when I don’t do any prep at all.
Soooo….there has to be a happy medium!?
This little dilemma is exactly why I came up with a simple plan that totally fits into my life these days. The recipe below (which is totally customizable!) takes less than 30 mins of active prep time, but makes enough food for several portions, increasing the odds that you’ll be a veggie powerhouse for the workweek. *arm flex* I love how I can quickly reheat a couple things and build a hearty, nutritious bowl in a matter of minutes!
My meal prep method has been going like this:
- Roast two huge sheets of veggies
- Cook a grain
- Chop a couple fresh veggies (sometimes I skip this if I’m tight on time)
- Have toppings on hand, ready-to-roll—things like avocado, nuts/seeds, beans, dressing, etc.
This method has dramatically changed my meals in recent weeks (specifically, lunches) and increased my veggie consumption a ton. All of the ingredients can be changed up so it never has to be repetitive and you can be flexible with using what you have in your fridge/pantry. It helps cut down waste because you can easily use up those “on the verge of dying” veggies in your crisper. Just throw ‘em in the oven and roast the heck out of ‘em! And if you get tired of bowls, throw the prepped food into delicious wraps or even soups/stews.
If you’re feeling extra-ambitious and want to prep even more food, I’d recommend adding one or more of the following tasty items:
- Homemade dressing (try my Lemon-Tahini Dressing, Shake-and-Go Balsamic Vinaigrette from Oh She Glows Every Day, p. 273, or Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Vinaigrette)
- Energy bites/balls (such as my Chocolate Hemp or Triple Almond Energy Balls)
- Soup/stew
- Chia pudding (lately I’ve been making a double-batch of my 2-Ingredient Chia Pudding found in the new “Blissed Out Breakfast Bowls” recipe in the app! Such a perfect snack.)
I’ve provided a detailed recipe below because it helps to have something to work from the first time, but like I said, feel free to run with it. If you simply commit to roasting 2 big sheets of veggies, cook a grain, and chop some fresh veggies….you’ll be well on your way to making easy throw-together power bowls all week long. My future hangry self has been thanking me a lot.
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![Meal Prep Week-Long Power Bowls](https://ohsheglows.com/gs_images/2019/03/Simple-Meal-Prep-Power-Bowls-00923-5-768x768.jpg)
Meal Prep Week-Long Power Bowls
![](https://ohsheglows.com/wp-content/plugins/osg-recipes/images/ornament_long_artichoke.png)
Yield
8 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
I love having prepped food in the fridge, but don’t love doing hours of meal prep each week. So I came up with this simple method that takes just 25 minutes of active prep time. The healthy food components can be enjoyed for several days in power bowls, wraps, and even stirred into soups! Power bowls are so fun for family meals because you can switch up the veggies and toppings to suit each palate, giving kids control to build their own bowls. This recipe is also a handy make-ahead option if you’re having friends over for a meal. Simply chop all the veggies the night before and refrigerate them in containers. Just before your guests arrive, pop the veggies into the oven, cook the quinoa, and prep the toppings. After cooking, you can all have fun assembling your own power bowls and everyone will be super impressed by the stunning rainbow-coloured meal!
Ingredients
For the roasted veggies:
- 3 small (680 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (4 cups)
- 4 cups (500 g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved*
- 1 medium (800 g) cauliflower, chopped into small florets (4 heaping cups)
- 1 medium (230 g) red onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 large (500 g) red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the quinoa:
- 2 cups (400 g) uncooked quinoa**
For the fresh veggies:
- 1 medium (370 g) English cucumber, chopped
- 1 medium (135 g) bunch green onions, chopped
- 2 cups (255 g) grape tomatoes (1 dry pint)
For the power bowl toppings:
- Chopped lettuce/greens (Romaine, Iceberg, kale, etc)
- Salad dressing***
- Ripe avocados
- Cooked beans or lentils
- Nuts and seeds (I use hemp hearts and roasted pepitas)
- Hummus or pesto
Directions
- Position two oven racks near the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two extra-large (15- x 21-inches) rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. It’s important to use extra-large baking sheets so there’s enough room for all those healthy veggies.
- Divide the chopped, “to-be-roasted” veggies onto the baking sheets. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over top each sheet and toss the veggies until they’re fully coated in the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast the veggies for 30 to 40 minutes (I find 35 minutes is perfect in my oven for lightly charred veggies) until fork tender and golden. There’s no need to rotate/move the pans or flip the veggies halfway through baking unless you’re particular about even cooking.
- While the veggies are roasting, add the quinoa to a large pot along with 3 1/2 cups (875 mL) water. Stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low-medium, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.
- While the quinoa cooks, chop the cucumber and green onions. Rinse the tomatoes (I hold off slicing them until just before serving).
- Remove the roasted veggies from the oven. Once mostly cool, transfer all of the veggies and quinoa into containers, seal with airtight lids, and place into the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To make the power bowls: Add a couple generous handfuls of chopped lettuce/greens to the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Drizzle with a bit of dressing and toss the lettuce/greens until coated. Top with spoonfuls of your prepped food (quinoa, roasted and fresh veggies)—I always warm up the quinoa and roasted veggies first! Now, add diced avocado, more salad dressing, cooked beans or lentils, nuts and seeds, and hummus or pesto. Keep the power bowl flavours interesting by changing up the toppings each day!
Tip:
* If your brussels sprouts are quite large, quarter them instead of halving.
** If you don't think you'll eat this much quinoa in 4 to 5 days, feel free to halve this amount (use 1 cup uncooked quinoa + 1.75 cups water).
*** Looking for a delicious homemade dressing? Try my Lemon-Tahini Dressing, Shake-and-Go Balsamic Vinaigrette (Oh She Glows Every Day, p. 273), or Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Vinaigrette. I always keep Maison Orphee Italian on hand when I don't have homemade dressing prepped.
Feel free to roast a head of garlic along with the veggies. The roasted cloves are especially delicious thrown into my Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Vinaigrette found in my Warm + Roasted Winter Salad Bowl recipe.
Make it nut-free: Top your bowl with seeds (such as roasted pepita seeds and hemp hearts) instead of nuts and make sure your dressing is nut-free.
Nutrition Information
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Hi Angela,
Thank you so much for all your recipes, our family just gobbles them up.. literally!
Hoping you can provide some advice for correctly oven-roasting vegetables? When we follow the steps the veggies turn out soft and “mushy” with only the tops of each veggie getting browned. Tried a few different batches with less oil/more temperature/time, but we still seem to have the same result. We usually do cauliflower, busses sprouts, carrots, sweet potato and yams (not all at the same time). Any advice?
Thanks :)
This looks amazing, I will be trying this.
So what evidence do have that this is a nutritios meal & what is the cost for said nutrients? Just because it has veggie xyz isnt proof of good balanced nutrient dense & cost effective healthy fuel for the mind & body, edpecially over several or more days. Where is the science to back up your “meals”. And not everyone can afford your options, I can’t as an unemployed senior on a govt pension. Seems to me all this jazz, hype & glam food sites are for the wealthy & those that “believe” (accept something to be true without evidence). I eat a vegan diet & have for 35 years but lots of roasted colorful veggies, some expensive nuts or seeds dont prove a nutritious meal.
Please expand your evidence on why a recipe or meal is nutritious & PLEASE cost out everything, ingredients, power, cost of appliances, which not everyone can afford.
Really, this is over the top.
I was wondering why you haven’t been posting on Instagram and FB and when I checked them out tonight, I noticed that they haven’t been updated since October 2019. Is something going on
Doing this recipe now. Thanks for the meal prep inspiration. Question about storage: after the roasted veggies have cooled, so you keep them in separate containers by vegetable, or mix all together and divvy into your lunch containers?
Hi, so grateful for the “meal prep week long power bowls.” Lends itself perfectly to our lifestyle, as we are both “retired,” and meal times, (and everything else) is not on a routine. So with grace and ease, we have the foods we enjoy and need, quick and easy, and so yummy, even for different eating schedules. Thank you for knowing sometimes we just need ONE good idea to get motivated again.
Funny how I just paid 2,99 for an app that has exactly the same recepties you show online for free :-(
Hey Jody,
I believe the app has over 40 unique recipes that are only available in the app. Often Angela posts recipes to the app before they hit the website as well so there is that benefit, including a bunch of other features that aren’t available through the website. I know I’m responding a little late, but hopefully you’ve found some of the unique recipes already and are enjoying.
Hi Angela, i was just wondering your recipe above is for one person? also how long do all these ingredients last ?
This looks like exactly what I need! I decided to go back to school in September to pursue a career in education. So far it’s been great – but I don’t always have enough leftovers for a proper lunch the next day, and since my workload is pretty intense, it can be a challenge to find time to make even a simple sandwich mid-week! (And then I end up spending way too much at the salad bar on campus.)
I love the idea of being able to spend an hour or so on the weekend prepping all my lunches for the week! I think it’s going to save me for the rest of the time I’m in school, and will help me stay healthy when I’m finished the program and out working.
Thank you Angela for sharing this. I’m making a New Year’s resolution to focus on eating healthier in 2020. And I know that one thing that will help me stay on track is to meal prep in advance. This couldn’t have come at a better time =)
THANK YOU for telling about your app! I just got it!! :-)
Thank you for this page alone! Newly diagnosed with fairly serious heart disease at the age of 61, even after eating VERY healthy for 25 years, i.e. GF, DF, sugar free, no fried food or fast food. (It’s all hereditary.) So now I’m going vegan with only books and the internet to guide me. I’m hungry all the time and don’t know what to eat! This page is brilliant and gives me a great start. Thanks again.
Betsy, I hope your heart is doing great on a vegan diet. There’s a great book by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn on preventing and reversing heart disease. Another great resource is the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) course; see chiphealth.com. I have friends that have reversed their heart disease by going vegan. Somehow those beans and greens are so much healthier than chicken and fish!
although you keep telling me that I’m already subscribed to Oh She Glows, I’m not getting anything sent to my e-mail. Elaine
Great ideas Angela! I don’t have loads of energy, and your examples are ideal for maximum prep with minimum energy and time expenditure. And it all looks wonderful! Thank you!
This is a great recipe and idea! I work 40 plus hours so to preplan and have lunch or dinner ready to go is such a good idea. I even took some to work and shared with a friend. Thanks
This is super great! Are you able to make this available to save on Pinterest?
Angela~
Thank you! I have been looking for healthy, healthy, vegan lunch/dinner options and this is it.
I love you.
Today I was doing googling and then subsequently I found your website on google about recipes. Thank you so much for providing that that recipe it helps me a lot.
Hey Angel!! Im excited to try this meal prep this week! My mouth is watering!! One question though … I want to make the roasted garlic red wine dressing but I dont see how much roasted garlic to add to the dressing. Thank you!!
Hi Angela,
what is the name/brand of the knife that is pictured here? i have never seen a knife with the holes like this one. What brand do you like using? I am also chopping a lot of vegetables and have not found a perfect knife yet.