Green Protein Bowl

I’ve been vegetarian for a year now, and I am loving it! For those of you who enjoy plant-based meals, it’s important to ensure that you are getting the right nutrition, including enough plant-based protein, to support your training and overall health. 

When looking at your food choices, you need to consider your micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals, as well as your macronutrients, which are the fats, proteins and carbohydrates that you eat. Including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your meals is the best way to make sure you’re getting a good mix of micronutrients!

This Green Bowl contains rice (or quinoa) for carbohydrates, greens for your micronutrients, and tofu for protein, making it a nutritionally balanced meal you can have for lunch or dinner. 

Green Tofu Bowl Recipe 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 4 oz (120g) brown rice (or quinoa)

• 6 tsp olive oil

• 12 asparagus spears, trimmed

• 6 oz (180g) broccoli

• 12 oz (340g) firm tofu

• Sea salt

• Ground black pepper

• Lemon juice to taste

Method

1. If you're using quinoa, make sure to rinse thoroughly before cooking. Bring the rice or quinoa and 14 fl oz (400ml) of water to the boil in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20–25 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice or quinoa is tender. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat and add half of the olive oil. Add the asparagus and broccoli and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Re-heat the same pan over medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Add the tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden in colour, gently stirring. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. To serve, place the rice or quinoa in a serving bowl and top with the asparagus, broccoli and tofu. Squeeze over lemon juice to taste and enjoy!

Nourish your body with easy to prepare meals like this

Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s as simple as making small, accumulative changes towards healthy eating habits. There are also ways to make this recipe even easier — if you have a rice cooker, you can use that to simplify the process of making this tasty, nutritious meal. If you want to make substitutions, quinoa is a great alternative to rice, as it contains more protein, and you can also swap the vegetables in this recipe with what you have available or throw some extra salad greens into your bowl when serving. 

As a personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist, I’m always creating quick and easy meals you can use as part of a healthier lifestyle. If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try this vegan chilli next!