There is nothing that I love more than a loaded lunch bowl. This particular recipe is on my heavy-rotation list, because it comes together in just a few minutes and is high in protein.. my top two mid-day meal non-negotiables.
My dream lunch bowl includes sausage of any kind, but these mini breakfast sausages have a special place in my heart. And they pair so well with the hard-boiled eggs and crispy potatoes. Not only can you dress this bowl up with any toppings that you desire, but it’s all over a bed of lettuce which gives this meal the same nutritional value as a salad, but way more flavor!
HIGH-PROTEIN LUNCH OPTIONS
For breakfast, I am a smoothie girl through and through. But when it comes to lunch? I throw anything I can find in a bowl and call it a day. Usually I like to make a double batch of dinner so that we have an easy leftover lunch, and other days I make breakfast tacos or snack on crackers and deli meat. One thing I’m conscious of midday is making sure to hit 25-30 g of protein. I find myself so hungry at lunch, and if I don’t get enough protein in my meal then the hunger returns with a vengeance just a few short hours later…. like, 1 hour later. And while I’ll never turn down a snack, it’s important to me that my meals are well balanced not only to keep me full, but to nourish my brain, keep my body healthy, and maintain my lean muscle mass.
This high-protein lunch bowl takes only 15 minutes and is packed with 25 g of protein, healthy fats, and fiber & micronutrients from the veggies. You’re not going to want to miss out on this one!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
- Eggs
- Breakfast Sausages
- Potatoes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Arugula
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Optional toppings:
- Crumbled Feta
- Avocado
- Green Onion
- Jalapeno
- Red Chili Flakes
- Sea Salt
HOW TO MAKE THIS HIGH-PROTEIN LUNCH BOWL
Ideally, you’ll have a few hard-boiled eggs on hand to make this recipe extra-quick. If not, follow my no-fail tutorial on how to get the perfect hard-boiled eggs every time.
Prep and chop a few of the veggies before getting started. Thinly slice the potato and tomatoes, and any of your desired toppings (green onion, herbs, jalapeño, avocado).
Once your hard-boiled eggs are situated, let’s cook the mini breakfast sausages. Heat a small pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sausages and a drizzle of oil. Cook the sausages without moving them for 2-3 minutes, or until they brown on one side. Flip, and brown on the opposite side. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover, and let the sausages steam to finish cooking.
If you want to save yourself some mess, you can re-use the same pan for the potatoes and tomatoes! If you want to save time, get the veggies started in a second pan while the sausages steam through. Over medium heat, add the potato and sauté with a drizzle of oil until they’re soft through and golden on both sides.
Once the potatoes and sausages are cooked, start assembling your bowl. Build from the bottom up, starting with a bed of arugula, the hard boiled eggs, sausages, potatoes, tomatoes, and any additional toppings of your choice. I like to drizzle olive oil over the top to pull it all together. Enjoy!
RECIPE QUESTIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
This recipe is highly customizable so feel free to omit any step or add any additional ingredients.
IS SAUSAGE HEALTHY FOR YOU?
My general rule of thumb is: the less processed, the better it is for you. Real, whole foods are the basis of my diet, and after years of eating that way I’m feeling better than I ever have. There are so many types and varieties of sausage that range from high-quality to not-the-best for you. When buying sausages, I like to make sure they’re made from organic, grass-feed meat with as few ingredients as possible (no added sugar, no filler ingredients or inflammatory oils, etc). As always at RGE, this high-protein lunch bowl is dietitian approved!
HOW CAN I GET 30 GRAMS OF PROTEIN FOR LUNCH?
Well, you’ve come to the right place! Some of my go-to protein sources for lunch include eggs, sausages, chicken, beef, salmon, and deli meat or beef sticks. This bowl uses both eggs and sausages for a protein boost, and you can modify the quantity of either to increase or decrease the amount of protein in the meal.
WANT MORE HIGH-PROTEIN LUNCH IDEAS?
Greek Chicken Salad With Feta Pesto
Harvest Salad With Soft-Boiled Eggs
Click here for the Reel I made of this recipe 🙂
15-Minute High-Protein Lunch Bowl
Ingredients
- 2-3 small potatoes, thinly sliced
- 5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 breakfast sausages, (these are Teton Waters Ranch 100% grass-fed beef)
- 2 large handfuls Arugula
- 2-3 hard boiled pasture-raised eggs, halved or sliced
Optional Toppings
- crumbled feta
- avocado
- green onion, chopped
- Jalapeño, finely sliced
- sea salt
- red chili flakes
- evoo, (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Heat a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add breakfast sausage and a drizzle of oil. Let brown on either side, then add 2-3 tbsp water and cover to let steam for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Set aside.
- In the same small pan, add olive oil, garlic, potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Add salt and sauté over medium heat until potatoes are golden (5-7 min).
- Build your bowl with arugula, hard boiled eggs, sausage, potatoes, tomatoes (+ any leftover olive oil and garlic from the pan) and additional toppings of your choice. Drizzle olive oil over the top and enjoy!
I really enjoyed making this with my family. All of us got to have family quality time for the first time in 5 months.