These Mexican grain bowls are the perfect meal option for a week’s worth of healthy lunches!

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I love meal prepping. It’s the best way to ensure I eat healthy lunches whether I eat at home or at an office: a filling, balanced lunch that keeps me moving all afternoon. I’m the type of person who doesn’t mind eating the same thing for 3 days in a row for lunch as long as it actually tastes good. Not eh, these are okay but really stinkin good.

Mexican grain bowls check all the boxes for this! They’re filling, they’re delicious, and they’ve got enough good stuff in them that you can mix them up so meals aren’t the same every day.

If you’re preparing a week’s worth of lunches at once, my suggestion would be to cut the avocado the morning of, or bring it with you uncut, so it doesn’t turn brown and oxidize.

This meal also makes a fantastic hosting options: throw each ingredient in serving bowls instead of portioning it out, and you’ve got an effortless taco buffet! I love serving tacos because everyone can get exactly what they want and they’re honestly not much work: win-win for hosting.

One note: I used spinach here because I love the extra boost of vitamins you get from spinach that you won’t get from iceberg. Use whatever lettuce you want – any vegetable is a good choice, right?

Mexican Grain Bowls

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch paprika
• pinch cayenne, or to taste

Toppings:

• 2 cans black beans
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 bag lettuce or spinach
• 1 can black olives
• 12 oz tomatoes
• 4-5 avocados
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• 1 1/2 cups salsa

Steps:

1. First,  set the rice to cook however you normally do it. I have a rice cooker and use it weekly.
2. Then make the chicken: slice into strips while heating olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
3. Brown the chicken for a few minutes, then add 1 cup water and spices. Turn heat down to a simmer and let the chicken finish cooking and the liquid reduce.
4. Slice up the peppers, olives, avocados, tomatoes and lettuce. Cook the corn and beans separately, either on the stove top or microwave. Add cumin, chili powder and salt to each and season as you like it.
5. Time to make some meals! Combine everything in containers in the ratios you want. Thinking closer to salad? Load up the veggies and treat the salsa as a dressing. Want more of a rice bowl? Double the rice.

Loved these? Try my Greek chicken bowls for another great meal prep option!

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