The Ultimate Recovery Meal? This Customizable Burrito Bowl
For the home cook, burrito bowls are an easy way to throw together a quick meal without needing to follow a complicated recipe. Not to mention, they bring the bold flavors of a Mexican restaurant to your own kitchen without the hefty price tag. Best of all, “you can build them to your nutritional needs, adjust the flavors and ingredients to keep things interesting, and even meal prep the bowls ahead of time,” says Chrissy Carroll, M.P.H., R.D., USAT Level I Triathlon Coach.
But there is another upside: A takeout burrito can have upwards of 1,000 calories and tons of saturated fat, but that doesn’t need to be the case with a homemade version. Skip the tortilla and pile on the veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. The mixture of carbs, protein, and fat creates a well-balanced postride recovery meal that replenishes glycogen stores, refuels tired muscles, and regulates appetite.
The Formula for a Healthy Burrito Bowl
The real secret to a burrito bowl is that there’s no recipe required. Instead, follow this simple burrito bowl formula to build your own at home:
Base + Protein + Vegetables + Toppings
Base:
A good burrito bowl starts with a grain, like rice. If you don’t have any rice on hand, try quinoa or sorghum. Or to cut back on carbs, use a crispy lettuce, like romaine or kale.
Protein:
A lean protein contributes to postworkout muscle repair and satiety. Choose from meats, such as sliced chicken breast, shredded chicken, or marinated ground turkey, or opt for a plant-based protein, like black or pinto beans or crumbled tofu or tempeh.
Vegetables:
This is where the flavor comes from, so don’t skimp on the veggies in your burrito bowl. To make fajita-style veggies, sauté sliced peppers and onions with oil, chili powder, and salt until they are tender. If you’re short on time, use canned or frozen corn, cherry tomatoes, chopped red onions, or raw slices of bell pepper.
Toppings:
One of the biggest mistakes many make with burrito bowls is loading up on high-caloric toppings such as cheese and sour cream. Opt for healthier toppings: a tablespoon of guacamole, pico de gallo, or a drizzle of lime juice and olive oil.
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How to Modify Your Burrito Bowl
Each cyclist has their own nutritional needs. Make your burrito bowl your own with these simple modifications.
1. Increase protein
“Protein is key for muscle repair and recovery, and it’s also important for preserving muscle mass when athletes are simultaneously trying to shed a few pounds,” says Carroll. She recommends increasing the portion size of animal or plant-based proteins.
“Lean ground beef packs in 23 grams of protein in just 3 ounces, chicken breast clocks in at 21 grams in half a cup of chopped meat, and shrimp contains 20 grams of protein in 20 large shrimp,” she says.
Or for a veggie bowl, add an extra ? cup of black beans for 7 grams of protein or sub out your sour cream for similar-tasting plain Greek yogurt.
2. Add carbs
If you’re carb-loading for a race or in the middle of long distance training, you may need up to 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. Add an extra scoop or two of a carb-rich base such as rice, quinoa, farro, amaranth, or even roasted sweet potatoes, to your bowl. “Your add-ins can also boost the carb content,” says Carroll. “Corn, beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, plantains, mango, and pineapple are all tasty carb-rich options.
3. Reduce fiber
“While fiber is key for digestive health on an everyday basis, it’s wise to keep it in check the night before and morning of a big race,” advises Carroll. She recommends cutting back on or omitting the beans, since they are one of the most fiber-rich components in a burrito bowl.
4. Add fat
For cyclists with a bottomless pit of a stomach (so, pretty much all of us after a long ride), healthy fats are satiating and help keep you full until your next meal.
“While there’s fat that’s naturally occurring in many proteins (like meat), you can also add other sources of healthy fats, like veggies sautéed in olive oil, diced avocado, or a fatty fish like salmon,” says Carroll.
If you’re feeling adventurous, pulse walnuts in the food processor to make a plant-based “meat” that is loaded with inflammation-lowering omega-3 fats. Season it with some lime juice and chili powder, and brown it in a sauté pan to add more satiating fats to your bowl.
5. Boost flavor
If you’re tired of the same old burrito bowl, use new ingredients to amp up the flavor. Of course, there are the standard go-tos like salsa and guacamole, but change up the taste with these suggestions:
Tajin: This Mexican seasoning combines chili powder, salt, and dehydrated lime. It’s so good that even Trader Joe’s makes a knock-off version.
Sriracha: Although synonymous with Asian cuisine, sriracha adds a kick of spice and acidity to any burrito bowl.
Cilantro: If you like the refreshing taste of cilantro, add as much of this vibrant green herb as you want.
Olives: You may not think of olives as a topping for a burrito bowl, but a few sliced green olives amplifies the saltiness and richness.
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce: Head over the canned aisle and look for this staple—dried jalape?o peppers in a smoky sauce. A little goes a long way to boost flavor.
Photo credit: Lakota Gambill
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