Easy Protein Bowl

Why I Make This

I like this meal because it’s easy to change depending on what I have. I make it with ground beef, turkey, or chicken and use either pinto or black beans.

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground meat — I usually use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken
• 1 can pinto or black beans, drained
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes
• About 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 (8-oz) bag low-fat Mexican-blend shredded cheese — use about half in the mixture and save the rest for topping
• 1 packet taco or bowl seasoning — I use Riega Blackened Chicken Bowl Seasoning
• Avocado, optional, for serving

What I Used

The ingredient photo shows the exact version I made for these pictures. Brand choices are examples of what I had on hand, not endorsements.

How I Make It

1. Brown the ground meat with the seasoning.
2. Add the drained beans.
3. Stir in the Greek yogurt, followed by the diced tomatoes.
4. Stir in approximately half of the shredded cheese and let it melt into the mixture.
5. Serve in individual bowls. Use the remaining cheese for topping and add avocado if you want it.

How I Usually Serve It

I portion it into a bowl and add avocado at serving time instead of mixing avocado into the full batch. I usually get approximately 5–6 servings, but the final number depends on how large I make each bowl.

What I Noticed

The Greek yogurt makes the mixture creamy, and keeping the avocado and some of the cheese as individual toppings lets me adjust each bowl. Because appetite and tolerance can change, I treat the serving size as flexible rather than forcing one fixed portion.

Substitutions I Actually Use

• Ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
• Black beans instead of pinto beans.
• Different taco or bowl seasonings when that is what I have.

Related Food Map resources

This is a meal I make for myself, not individualized nutrition or medical advice. Individual tolerance varies.