This healthy ovulatory lunch is perfect to whip up on a busy day! It takes 30 minutes, is low effort, and makes for a quick clean-up. The bowl combines sweet and salty at every step, with maple on the Brussels sprouts and the strawberries adding some freshness to the crispy quinoa.
Ingredients for your ovulatory phase: quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries. During the ovulatory phase, estrogen and testosterone surge, so you want to eat foods that help your body balance out the spike in estrogen and support the heart.
Quinoa is one of my favorite foods to incorporate because its health benefits can be listed forever. It is packed with iron, fiber, protein, and all nine essential amino acids. It also doesn’t spike blood sugar, which helps with mood, and some studies show it can help balance cortisol levels.
Brussels sprouts are considered a fertility superfood. They are packed with nutrients like folate which boosts fertility and high in fiber, helping you maintain a healthy hormonal balance.
Strawberries are high in fiber, and are anti-inflammatory which are two important things to incorporate into the ovulatory phase. Help your body flush out excess estrogen by reducing inflammation, allowing your organs to work effectively, and feeding your gut microbiome so that it can efficiently eliminate waste!
Crispy Quinoa, Strawberries, and Brussels Bowl
Serves: 2 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Brussels Sprouts
6 oz Brussels sprouts, rinsed and halved
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Serve with
Strawberries
Walnuts
Process
Prepare your quinoa by bringing 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine your Brussels with the olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix to evenly coat, then transfer to a large baking tray. Spread the Brussels across the tray so they aren't overlapping, but leave half of the tray empty - you will add your cooked quinoa in a bit.
Bake the Brussels for 10 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and add the cooked quinoa to the tray. Pour 1/2 tsp of sesame oil over the quinoa, use a spatula to mix it in so it evenly coats the quinoa, then use the spatula to evenly spread the quinoa across the empty part of the baking tray.
Return to the oven to cook for 20 minutes, or until the Brussels are crispy and the quinoa is golden.
While the quinoa and Brussels are cooking, slice your strawberries.
Assemble the bowls! Combine the quinoa, Brussels, strawberries, and serve with walnuts.
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