Here are our favorite ones in restaurants across the country this fall. The first is the Baja bowl, which is made with brown rice, quinoa, grilled citrus pepper chicken, black bean and corn salsa, salsa verde, red grape tomatoes, avocado, feta crumbles, and Greek yogurt. It’s fresh and creamy and has more than enough protein to keep you full for hours, even if you opt to go vegetarian and leave off the chicken. Their other option is a Mediterranean bowl, which combines cilantro-lime long-grain brown rice, quinoa, arugula, grilled citrus pepper chicken, red grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, diced cucumbers, hummus, lemon tahini dressing, feta crumbles, and Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon. It’s bright and tangy and just the right amount of savory to leave you dreaming about the taste long after you finish it. You can find both bowls at Paneras nationwide. They have five different menu options: the Shroomami, a mix of wide rice, kale, portobello mushrooms, and sesame tofu with miso sesame ginger dressing; the Chicken Pesto Parm, with roasted chicken, spicy broccoli, tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, za’atar breadcrumbs, warm quinoa, organic spinach, and a pesto vinaigrette; the Harvest Bowl, with organic wild rice, shredded kale, apples, sweet potatoes, roasted chicken, local goat cheese, toasted almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette; the Curry Chickpea Bowl, with roasted chicken, hot chickpeas, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, raisins, cilantro, toasted almonds, warm quinoa, organic baby spinach, and a curry yogurt dressing; and a Fish Taco, with roasted steelhead, shredded cabbage, cilantro, tortilla chips, warm quinoa, organic arugula, and a lime cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette. You can also customize your own grain bowl with a wild rice or quinoa base and any number of the chain’s dozens of toppings! The Asian chicken one features brown rice, kale, chicken, red peppers, oranges, roasted carrots, and an absolutely addictive spicy peanut sauce, while the Southwestern bowl has a quinoa base and is topped with kale, avocado, corn, beans, grapes, roasted onion and butternut squash, with feta cheese, smoked pumpkin seeds, and a chipotle ranch dressing. Saladworks also lets you customize your own grain bowls with any number of their toppings.
