Healthy Veggie Burrito Bowls

I need to be more consistent in my diet. I say that word loosely, since I don’t actually believe in dieting in the classic sense. Asking someone to completely cut out certain foods is asking for trouble, especially when that person (me) craves them on the regular. All diets inevitably lead to binge eating and regret. By “diet”, I simply mean “healthy life choices”. I’m not going to say no to a chocolate cupcake every so often, but I’ll try and eat healthy for the majority of my day to make up for it.

Key words there: I’ll try.

It can be difficult to eat healthy. Sometimes, after a particularly stressful day at work, the only thing that appeals to me is a frozen pizza and a glass (or two) of wine. Sometimes avocados are $5 EACH and I can’t justify buying them. Sometimes, simply, the thought of grilling up a big, juicy hot dog heavily outweighs the thought of eating a salad.

But sometimes – sometimes – green is where it’s at. Sometimes the prospect of “aging” (goodbye metabolism) hits home and you really just want to fill your body with all the good things.

Re: summer is nearing and I just dusted off my bathing suit and felt a pang of shame when certain things didn’t fit in certain places.

This week, I’m veering towards the latter. Last weekend was Easter weekend, and it ended up being an insanely gluttonous extra long weekend. I met up with some friends who I hadn’t seen in ages, which naturally lead to nibbling on lots of pizza, calamari, beer, and tiramisu. I had dinner with my mum which wouldn’t have been the same without sharing lots of appies: cheesy fondue, gravy poutine, chocolate tarts. I had an Easter feast with the in-laws, filled with fall-off-the-bone lamb and heavenly red wine. And a slice of cheesecake? Don’t mind if I do!

It happens. Life’s a cause for celebration, and I’m not going to fight it. Sometimes you eat to excess, sometimes you eat to be healthy. It all evens out in the end. Right?

At the end of that gluttonous weekend, I grabbed a quick lunch at a little burrito place that I’ve been dying to try for ages. I ordered a burrito bowl, which may have been a little out of character for me, but hey, burrito bowls are good! They’re like a burrito. In a salad. A burrito salad.

Anyway, the burrito bowl was mouthwatering and it made me question why I hadn’t posted one yet. I went home and made some burrito bowls, which I then had for second lunches. And then dinner.

I opted to make my burrito bowls more green, using 90% all green veggies. They’re the best ones for you, right? Celery, avocado, cucumber, jalapeno, spinach, basil, cilantro, green pepper, plus some textured brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, and bean sprouts thrown in. Not bad! The majority of those veggies are all combined in a tasty salsa, and there is nothing in this burrito bowl that is bad for you. Even the sauce is a spicy, greek yogurt-based sauce – in lieu of sour cream – but it’s creamy and delicious when paired with all the fixin’s.

This bowl is vegetarian, but if you have leftover meat, throw it in! I’d definitely suggest adding some of this pulled pork to the bowls. I made a big batch early in the week and have been eating the leftovers for work lunches since. I find it’s best served when the veggies are cool but the rice and beans are warm, but either way it’s a tasty, hearty salad.

I’m hoping to eat more good food like this throughout the next few months. Summer is coming, and I have a hankering to do quite a bit of hiking and camping while I can. I’m even hoping to do an overnight 25K adventure, which would require hiking with all my camping gear on my back until we stop to camp for the night, then hike back the next morning (I said I’m hoping to, so don’t hold me to it). I think if I’m doing that, I think I’ll be needing some veggies in my belly!