How to make the perfect grains bowl

When it comes to quick lunch ideas, you just can’t beat a bright, busy bowlful that packs in plenty of the good stuff.

Say hello to our tasty grains bowls! And they’re so easy to make when you know the foodie formula. Our simple combination of tasty ingredients means you can whip up the quickest, most satisfying lunches in no time at all – all starting with a grain or meal pouch from Jamie’s store-cupboard range.

The formula is endlessly flexible, so you can mix and match your ingredients and tweak your bowl to your liking. Got leftover veg in the fridge? Chuck it in! Extra dip after an evening of hosting? Add it to the bowl! You can have so much fun throwing together different ingredients and coming up with a new bowl every time.

The key to an epic bowl is variety. Think lots of colour (eat the rainbow with veggies and fruit); think texture (cheese and dressings are a great way to add creaminess, while crunch on top is essential); think big flavour and freshness.

Armed with this formula for building a delicious bowl, you’ll always have something good to eat up your sleeve.

Choose your base

All good bowls start with a strong base full of flavour. Tasty and ready to use straight from the store cupboard, Jamie’s brilliant grains and meal pouches are a great place to start, but you could also try brown rice, bulgur wheat, couscous or quinoa. Simply pick your favourite and go!

• Mega Med Grains
• Mighty Mushroom Grains
• Super Grains
• Dreamy Black Daal
• Smoky Chipotle Chilli
• Aubergine Shakshuka
• Barbecoa Beans

Veg out

Next, it’s time to brighten up your bowl with some carefully chosen veggies. Feel free to ask what’s in season at your local grocer’s, as it’s likely to be cheaper and better tasting, too – win-win! Aiming for 80g of whatever you choose will tick off one of your 5-a-day. Remember: fresh, frozen and tinned all count, so get creative! Some of our fave veggies for a bowl include…

• Asparagus
• Beetroot
• Broccoli (steamed or charred)
• Cabbage
• Carrots (grated or speed peeled)
• Courgette
• Cucumber
• Fennel
• Pepper (red, yellow or green)
• Spinach (fresh or wilted)
• Rocket
• Tomatoes

Why not combine a few veggies for bonus nutrition points? Asparagus and rocket bring beautiful flavour to this super-simple Cheat’s mushroom & asparagus risotto bowl.

P-p-p pick up a protein!

Want a little more bulk to your bowl? Beans, pulses, tofu and eggs are brilliant nutritious protein choices, as is sustainably sourced fish, and a sprinkling of cheese is a firm favourite too. Just keep it varied.

• Beans, pulses such as chickpeas or lentils
• Cheese, such as halloumi, feta, paneer, cottage cheese, Parmesan
• Eggs (free range)
• Fish, such as hot-smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, jarred or tinned tuna (sustainably sourced)
• Tofu

Give tasty smoked mackerel a go in our delicious Beetroot, broccoli & mackerel grain bowl.

Dress it up

Dress your bowl to impress with a tasty dressing or sauce. The simple marriage of extra virgin olive oil and an acid (lemon or lime juice or red wine vinegar) will elevate even the humblest of bowls, but feel free to experiment – zingy salsas always hit the spot, as do creamy houmous, tzatziki and yoghurt-based dressings.

• Guacamole
• Houmous
• Salsa
• Tzatziki
• Yoghurt

Try zingy lemon and creamy tzatziki in our 10-minute recipe for this Tuna, fennel & rocket grain bowl.

And the finishing touch

Now for the cherry on the cake! Get creative with delicious toppings to make your bowl really sing. Add texture with crunchy nuts, seeds and tortilla chips, or big-up the flavour with chilli, fresh herbs and pickled veg. What will you choose?

• Dried fruit
• Fresh herbs, such as basil, coriander, dill, mint
• Kimchi or pickled veg
• Nuts
• Olives
• Poppadoms
• Red chilli
• Seeds
• Spring onions
• Tortilla chips

Pick a quick pickle topping in our Mediterranean grain bowl with lemon & dill houmous.