--- title: Make Your Own Zone Lunch Bowl description: Lunch bowls are so easy, fun and tasty that we've created some Zone approved lunch bowls for you to try. Never made one? No problem. We have full instructions and you can get as creative as you want. Enjoy! image: https://blog.zoneliving.com/hubfs/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl-Blog.jpg --- ##### Shop By Category - [ Best Seller ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/best-sellers) - [ Omega-3s ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/omega-3-fish-oil) - [ Polyphenols ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/polyphenols) - [ Zone Foods ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-foods) - [ Blood Tests ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/blood-tests) - [ Supplements ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/supplements) - [ Books ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/books) - [ Skin Care ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/skin-care-1) - [ Metabolic Engineering ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/metabolic-engineering) - Best Seller [ Shop All ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/all) ##### Shop By Zone Food - [ Zone Muffins ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/zone-muffins) - [ Zone Pasta ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-pasta) - [ Zone Shakes ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-shakes) - [ Zone Bars ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-nutrition-bars) - [ Olive Oil ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/olive-oil) [ Shop All ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/all) [![easy-to-make](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hubfs/Global_2023/easy-to-make.webp) ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/blogs/recipes) Easy-to-make recipes just for you. 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D | Creator of the Zone Diet # [Make Your Own Zone Lunch Bowl](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/make-your-own-zone-lunch-bowl) - ** - [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Fzoneliving%2Fmake-your-own-zone-lunch-bowl) - [**](https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Fzoneliving%2Fmake-your-own-zone-lunch-bowl) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/make-your-own-zone-lunch-bowl) - [**](https://plus.google.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Fzoneliving%2Fmake-your-own-zone-lunch-bowl) Written by Sue Knorr on August 13, 2018 Power bowls, grain bowls, and lunch bowls are on menus everywhere, from fast food restaurants to the most upscale cafés. Next time you find yourself wondering what to have for dinner try a bowl. What could be better than a Zone meal in a bowl? They’re easy to make and fun to eat. ### **Follow these simple guidelines for balancing your Zone lunch bowl or any meal to ward off hunger for hours and keep you performing at your best.** - Place lean [protein ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/resources/lifestyle-tips/what-is-protein)the size and thickness of your palm on a dinner sized plate. - Fill the other 2/3 of the plate with non-starchy [vegetables ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/high-protein-vegetables)and a little fruit. - Add a dash (that’s a moderate amount) of heart-healthy monounsaturated [fat ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/fats-explained-cooking-oils-not-sure-which-fats-lifestyle-tips)like [olive oil](https://www.zonediet.com/shop/more-products/dr-sears-zone-extra-virgin-olive-oil-6pack/), macadamia nuts, almonds, or avocado. #### **To use this method for a lunch bowl, switch out the dinner plate for an individual serving sized pasta bowl.** Apply the balancing guidelines to the assembly instructions given below. For a [Zone PastaRx Orzo](https://www.zonediet.com/shop/zone-foods/dr-sears-zone-pastarx-orzo/) lunch bowl, use the serving size recommendations on the package.   #### **How to assemble your bowl** **![Zone Bowl Theme](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lifestyle%20Tips/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl.jpg?width=850&name=0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl.jpg)** And stick loosely to it as you fill the bowl. A hot meal or cold, it doesn’t matter. No stress here. Feel free to slip in an unexpected ingredient or two to kick it up a notch. **![Zone Bowl Carbohydrate](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lifestyle%20Tips/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl2.jpg?width=850&name=0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl2.jpg)** Placed in the bottom of the bowl for a tasty foundation. Try last night’s leftover cooked beet greens, shredded crispy iceberg lettuce, raw or cooked spinach, or a mix of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. For a Zone PastaRx Orzo bowl, start with cooked Zone orzo in the bowl. **![Zone Bowl Protein](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lifestyle%20Tips/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl3.jpg?width=850&name=0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl3.jpg)** Anything from shredded chicken to a grass-fed beef patty, salmon chunks, shrimp, turkey meatballs, or a [combination of lean ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/what-25-grams-of-protein-really-looks-like)deli-style meats and low-fat cheeses. **![Zone Bowl Vegetables](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lifestyle%20Tips/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl4.jpg?width=850&name=0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl4.jpg)** In sections,  and the more the better. Color makes for a more appetizing meal and adds polyphenols that boost [gut health](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/resources/lifestyle-tips/gut-health-explained) and activate anti-inflammatory genes. The sky’s the limit here. Think out of the box and experiment with a spoonful of hummus, marinated mushrooms, or roasted red peppers straight from the jar. **![Zone Bowl Topping](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lifestyle%20Tips/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl5.jpg?width=850&name=0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl5.jpg)** This is your chance to add that very important dash of heart-healthy fat. Keep your original theme in mind and don’t go overboard with amounts. I like to drizzle with a tangy sauce, extra virgin olive oil, thinned nut butter, a light soy sauce, taco sauce, or one of my favorite bottled [Zone-friendly dressings](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/8-healthy-salad-dressing-recipes) that are light on carbohydrate. Then I sprinkle on a little more texture and flavor in condiment amounts. Choose from foods like nuts, shredded mozzarella, pear slices, olives, avocado slices, chives, herbs, shredded carrot, jalapeños, or a spicy slaw. #### **Try these ingredient tips and suggestions**![0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl6](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lifestyle%20Tips/0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl6.jpg?width=850&name=0818-SummerNewsletter-Bowl6.jpg) - **PROTEIN TOPPINGS:** yogurt dressing (herbs stirred into plain yogurt), chopped egg white, low fat crumbled feta, small dollops of goat cheese, shredded low-fat cheese - **FOR CRUNCH OR BITE:** snow peas, sliced water chestnuts, cucumber, jicama, peanuts, almonds - **FOR TEXTURE:** black beans, shredded carrot, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced olives, artichoke hearts, shredded beet - **FOR FUN:** baby vegetables, sliced watermelon radishes (they’re pink on the inside and green on the outside resembling watermelon), star fruit slices, kiwi, blackberries, roasted spiced garbanzo beans, nuts, sriracha, curry paste #### **Use these lunch bowl combinations to spark your imagination** **EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN BOWL** Zone orzo, low-fat feta, roasted garbanzo beans seasoned with Za’atar, and cucumber chunks, topped with tzatziki, a drizzle of either extra virgin olive oil or thinned tahini, and garnished with a sprig of fresh mint **CHILLED SUMMER BOWL** Chilled cooked shrimp with a lemon wedge, raw yellow pepper slices, water chestnuts, thin slices of watermelon radish, and blackberries, drizzled with a lemony olive oil dressing or a simple vinaigrette **SOUTHWESTERN BOWL** Zone orzo or shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded chicken, black beans, fire roasted pepper and onion strips, with toppings like pico de gallo, salsa, a squeeze of fresh lime, chili peppers, shredded low-fat cheese, chopped avocado, and dollops of yogurt or low-fat sour cream [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4011822/297eb944-2751-46ba-b69b-897464cab474.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4011822/297eb944-2751-46ba-b69b-897464cab474) [Evidence-Based Wellness ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/evidence-based-wellness), [Healthy Eating ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/healthy-eating), [Zone Diet ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/zone-diet), [Dr. Barry Sears ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/dr-barry-sears), [Recipes ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/recipes), [Newsletter Article ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/newsletter-article) ### Popular stories [Easy Hearty And Healthy Chili Recipe](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/zone-living-newsletter-articles/easy-hearty-and-healthy-chili-recipe) Nov 01, 2013 [Milk and Milk Substitutes—What You Need to Know](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/zone-living-newsletter-articles/milk-many-types-liquid-nutrition) Apr 05, 2017 [Tasty Recipes in: The Mediterranean Zone](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/zone-living-newsletter-articles/tasty-recipes) Oct 03, 2014 ### Posts by Tags - 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Put your Comment Below. ### You may also like: [Evidence-Based Wellness](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/evidence-based-wellness) [Zone Diet](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/topic/zone-diet) ## [Clinical Markers of the Zone Diet](https://blog.zoneliving.com/zoneliving/clinical-markers-of-the-zone-diet) Blood Markers of the Zone: How to Know if You are There The quickest way to gauge whether you are in the Zone is to eval... 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