Is Your Week Wild? It’s Time to Warm up to Poke Bowls

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (November 16, 2021) -- The holiday season is a busy time, and often overwhelms families when it comes to juggling schedules, preparing for holiday events and trying to provide nutritious meals the whole family will enjoy.

MyPlate is celebrating a decade of being our nation’s guide to healthy eating. Children learn about MyPlate in school, and if you haven’t heard about it from your kids, you are missing out! It’s a useful visual that provides relatable guides for managing portion sizes and making sure we aim for a variety of foods in our diets. MyPlate messaging includes the following key topics:

1.Make half your plate fruits and vegetables

2.Make half your grains whole

3.Aim for varied protein options and include fish/lean protein options twice a week.

Have you heard of poke bowls? It’s a fun food concept that really works well with MyPlate and lends itself handily to meal planning! Pronounced “POH-keh,” the word is Hawaiian in origin and refers to chunks of raw fish that are tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and other sauces. You’ll find it in restaurants where you can choose from a variety of grain, protein, and fruit/vegetable and sauce options. The ability to customize your bowl lends itself well to families with a variety of tastes!

For families on the go and juggling a variety of schedules, having several prepared grains, proteins, and veggies in the refrigerator can be an easy, affordable way to whip up a tasty bowl any time. On a slow day, consider preparing a large amount of a grain or two like brown rice, barley, and/or quinoa. Pre-cook and dice chicken (leftover turkey would lend itself well!) and/or hard-boiled eggs, kidney beans, chickpeas, nuts, or some shredded cheese as all are excellent protein options. Avocado, corn, diced tomatoes, peas, beans, edamame, onion – you name it – all make excellent veggie stir ins - you really can’t go wrong! All this prepared and left in individual containers (counter or fridge depending on storage needs as nuts need no refrigeration) can be served up quickly. You can warm some or all the ingredients in the microwave (or toast the nuts) and get the perfect temperature – even on unpredictable weather days.

For a touch of sweetness, consider diced mango, apple, or oranges. Sauces can be as simple as a dollop of plain yogurt, salsa, citrus juice, or a dash of olive oil and vinegar. Seasonings like ginger, garlic, or chili powder can be stirred into yogurt or an oil/vinegar blend for more flavor! If someone in the family prefers a little more kick, try a splash of hot sauce or wasabi.

By making lots of different options ahead of time, the bowls can be changed throughout the week, so it doesn’t feel like the same old leftovers on repeat. You could consider roasting sweet or white potatoes one night to add to the mix or baking some fish to change it up. The fourth day after preparing, try mixing everything together in a casserole and baking – topping with cheese or a light layer of seeds or nuts if you’d prefer crunch – so nothing goes to waste.

If you’re looking for more meal-planning inspiration, be sure to connect with our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program – EFNEP! An educator can meet with clubs, organizations, and individuals at your convenience; at home or online, to share nutrition information and meal planning tips. You’ll gain new healthy recipes and research-based information to help guide how you feed your family. Six to eight weekly sessions are offered freely to adults responsible for feeding children.

Heather Gregory is an EFNEP Nutrition Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.

The EFNEP Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

The EFNEP Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated November 16, 2021