The reason behind this series: 95% of Americans do not obtain the recommended dietary amount for fiber, which is at least 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Fiber is an essential nutrient that is found in most plant-based foods like grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits. They are key for proper brain health, heart health, and most importantly digestive (gut) health. Increasing your fiber intake daily is going to improve your daily life in so many ways. Studies show that with an increased fiber intake, the healthier our gut bacteria is, which is linked to an increase in our serotonin (happy hormone) levels. So, fiber basically makes us happier and better humans!
The fifth recipe in my "Turning Fiber into 5 Flavorful Balanced Dinner Recipes" series is my Warm Chicken and Brussels Nourish Bowl. The more plants we can get into our bodies, the more diverse our gut microbiome will be, aka the healthier we will be. With 15 grams of fiber in one bowl that is the perfect meal for dinner to keep you full until the next day. It's also a balanced meal since you have protein from the chicken thigh and healthy fats from the walnuts.
To make this recipe you'll need to marinate the chicken thighs first. Then, prep the sweet potato, green beans, and Brussels sprouts. All of those are going to go onto one sheet pan. Each veggie will be seasoned differently. While they bake in the oven, you'll grab a bowl and add arugula to it since it will be the base of the nourish bowl. Once the veggies and chicken are done baking, add them to the bowl of arugula and garnish with pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and sprouts. These will add some crunch & extra nutrients to your meal with minimal to no effort. This recipe can look time consuming, but it's only 25 minutes of prep and then the rest is cooking time! It can be whipped up after any long day. The best part is, you can make a larger quantity of it to have extras for the following days to come. Let's get to the recipe!
1. Marinate chicken: Preheat the oven to 400. Season and marinate the chicken thighs. Mix the seasonings in well and set aside.
2. Prep veggies: add the prepped veggies to a baking sheet with parchment paper on it. Drizzle olive oil onto veggies to coat them well. Season all veggies with salt, black pepper, garlic powder. Season the sweet potato only with paprika. Mix the seasonings in well with your hands. Add the chicken thighs to the baking sheet, allow space for them so they are not touching the veggies. Bake in the oven until chicken is white on the inside and brussels are crispy.
3. Set the base: in a bowl of choice, add arugula. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and massage them into the arugula.
4. Serve: once the veggies and chicken are done cooking, add sweet potato, green beans, brussels sprouts, and 1 piece of chicken onto the bowl with the arugula. Garnish with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and sprouts. Enjoy!
