This Green Power Bowl is full of plant-based goodness! Whole grains, beans, tasty veggies, avocado, and a creamy cilantro lime sauce is all you need for a healthy and quick weeknight dinner.
Bowls like this Green Power Bowl and my Mediterranean Bowl are some of my go-to meals for dinner because it's easy to make and filled with plant-based goodness.
With bowls, you can throw in any grain, protein, veggie, etc to make a well-rounded dish.
And let me tell you, they're so satisfying. They will fill you up and you won't be looking around for a snack an hour after eating a big ol' plate of pasta (like I usually am).
Green Power Bowl
For this Green Power Bowl, I chose chickpeas for protein and fiber (and bonuses of potassium, magnesium, iron, and B6) and brown rice for a healthy dose of whole-grain carbohydrates.
Kale gives us vitamins A while Vitamin C is found in both the kale and Brussels sprouts.
I added avocado (a monounsaturated fat) because it has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your blood which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke*.
Whole Food Benefits
While this power bowl is packed with nutrients from whole plant foods, I often get questions about supplementing with greens powders. Fresh vegetables like the kale and Brussels sprouts in this bowl provide superior benefits - they're complete packages with fiber, water content, and naturally occurring nutrient combinations working together. For those interested in supplements, this detailed ag1 vs live it up comparison can help you understand the options, but remember that supplements work best alongside (not instead of) nutrient-dense whole foods
Meal Prep
If you cook the rice and roast the Brussels sprouts beforehand this meal can come together in about 10-15 minutes. I usually make a big pot of rice while roasting some veggies on the weekends as a part of my Meal Prep.
It is so helpful having some parts of a meal ready when trying to get dinner on the table after a long day of work. If you do pre-cook the rice, you can just heat that and sprouts up and only have to make the sauce and kale.
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Green Power Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup kale cooked with lemon and garlic
- 1 cup canned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts
- 1 avocado sliced
CREAMY CILANTRO LIME SAUCE
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ⅓-1/2 cup water
- juice of half of a lime
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or to taste)
- In a high speed blender , blend all sauce ingredients until smooth. If you do not own a high speed blender, you can soak the cashews in hot water for 10 mins before blending. Sauce will last in fridge for about 3 days.
Instructions
- To cook the kale, saute in some veggie broth with some fresh garlic. Once cooked, drizzle with a little lemon juice.
- To roast Brussels sprouts, halve them, coat with a little olive oil and salt & pepper and roast on 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
- Arrange ingredients in a bowl to your liking and top with Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional information data is computer generated and only an estimate so it should be used only as a guide.
* Peou S, Milliard-Hasting B, Shah SA. Impact of avocado-enriched diets on plasma lipoproteins: A meta-analysis. J Clin Lipidol. 2016 Jan-Feb;10(1):161-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2015.10.011.
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Like my recipe? It would be so wonderful if you could give it some love by sharing it!
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel clear and confident about what is uniquely nourishing to them. Mary Ellen's recipes and nutrition information have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more.
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel clear and confident about what is uniquely nourishing to them.Mary Ellen's recipes and nutrition information have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more.
Jenny Mette says
This is on my list to make this week!! The cilantro lime sauce sounds amazing. How long do you think it would last in the fridge?
Mary Ellen says
Hi Jenny, I would say it would last about 4-5 days in the fridge. You may just have to stir it up a bit but I've kept any extra in there for almost a week and it was fine.
Michelle Schwegel says
Looks wonderful!!! I have to keep track of calories and fat, do you have nutrition info for this. Thanks
Mary Ellen says
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much! I’m sorry, I don't do nutritional info on my recipes. I know some people have to keep track of these things so usually recommend My Fitness Pal for that. If you put a food in, it gives you all the nutritional info for it and it’s a great way to keep track of everything you eat for the day. I’ve used it in the past and have found it very useful.
Jac -Tinned Tomatoes (@tinnedtoms) says
Another fabulous dish Mary Ellen! Thanks for submitting this to Meat Free Mondays the roundup is now live and you've been featured. Now to do a bit of social promotion for you.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Jac! I love linking up with your Meatfree Mondays! I'll share too!
Emily Swanson says
That bowl. Wow, you totally debunked any possibility that plant based could not be good. That dressing and all that delicious goodness looks AMAZING.
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Emily! 🙂
Rachel says
Power bowls are awesome. And I love the dressing you used. Yum!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Rachel! Power bowls are my fav!
Mary Ellen says
Aw, thanks so much Annmarie!
Courtney's Cookbook says
This looks amazing, and that sauce sounds incredible! It's hard to beat a good power bowl! 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Thank you Courtney! Power bowls are my favorites! 🙂
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
This is my favorite kind of dinner! I try to roast a bunch of veggies and have them around for use during the week. Thanks for linking up today
Mary Ellen says
Yes, isn't that a great way to have veggies on hand when you need them? So easy for the rest of the week. 🙂
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I love this kind of dinner, especially when there's avocado!
Mary Ellen says
Yes, I'll basically eat anything (vegan) that contains avocado - it's the best!
Zoe says
This looks so yum! love a little bowl like this for lunch 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Zoe! I always make extra for lunch too! 🙂
Jenn says
Bowls are the best. Totally customizable! That sauce sounds divine!
Mary Ellen says
They totally are Jenn! Thank you!
Joann @ Woman in Real Life says
I'm getting more and more addicted to bowls! And I love chickpeas. This looks delicious!
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Joan! I'm obsessed with bowls especially in the winter, I find them so comforting.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Looks great, so full of vibrant colors and nutrients. Can't wait to try - thanks!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Christine! I love colorful meals!
Kimmythevegan says
Holy crap this sounds awesome! I can't wait to try it. You are combining so many of my favourite things into one bowl. And it's definitely the kind of meal to eat after the junk I've been eating over the holidays 😉
And I have a feeling the creamy lime cilantro sauce will become a favourite with many bowls!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Kimmy! For my first real bowl on the blog I figured I'd throw in all of my favorites. 🙂 I've been using the lime sauce a lot lately!
Vicki says
This looks so good!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Vicki! 🙂
Dianne says
Yum! I love simple and quick meals like this!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Dianne!
shaheen says
Mary Ellen, I want to take that bowl into work with me for lunch tomorrow. I promise I won't even snug my nose at the sprouts. Happy New Year to you.
Mary Ellen says
Haha you're too funny, Shaheen! I actually used to hate Brussels sprouts (esp when they were boiled yuck) but now that I roast them, I totally will eat them like all the time!
Happy New Year! 🙂