Fresh salads can be the perfect springtime lunch — except when they leave us feeling hungry 30 minutes later. But that’s not the case with this roast vegetable pesto bowl, which is the Goldilocks of salads: not too heavy and not too light.

The first step? Swap iceberg lettuce for iron-packed spinach and kale which helps maintain energy levels, even after a tough workout or when your period leaves you feeling depleted. The addition of freekah — a wheat-based grain — adds two of the most satiating nutrients, fibre and protein, to fill a post-training hole while rebuilding the body. And we can’t overlook the brain and hormone-supporting healthy fats in the pumpkin seed and olive oil pesto to keep your mental health as top-notch as your physical health. Roast and boil in bulk for the perfect grab-and-go meal that won’t have your stomach grumbling within the hour. 

Serves: 2 

Total time: 45 minutes 

200g freekeh

100g baby spinach (washed)

2 tsp dried thyme

2 handfuls of kale (washed)

150g butternut squash (chopped into small chunks)

½ red onion (peeled and sliced into wedges)

150g celeriac (chopped into small chunks)

150g aubergine (chopped into small chunks)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

4 tbsp vegetable oil

4 tbsp pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp lemon Juice

1 clove garlic (finely chopped)

Pinch of salt, for seasoning

1. Preheat the oven to 160°c.
2. Boil the freekeh until completely tender (approximately 30-40 minutes). Drain and leave to the side.
3. Meanwhile, roast the veg after mixing the vegetable oil, dried thyme and salt with the butternut squash, celeriac, red onion and aubergine in an oven tray. Cook until completely tender.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over a low heat.
5. For the pesto, blend two-thirds of the toasted pumpkin seeds with garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, baby spinach and lemon juice, in a blender, (or with a hand blender). Leave the rest of the pumpkin seeds to the side for the topping.
6. Finely chop the raw kale.
7. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and transfer to a bowl with the cooked freekeh.
8. Mix the pesto through the freekeh and roasted vegetables until they are fully coated in the dressing.
9. Top the grain bowl with chopped kale and toasted pumpkin seeds. 

Images and recipe courtesy of Fresh Fitness Food.