Burger Bowl

Protein Units: 1.5 units per serving Starch Units: 1.0–1.5 per serving

Strategy Tags: Protein-First · Balanced

Ingredients

Protein

• 1 lb (16 oz) ground beef (90/10 or 85/15)

Vegetables / Fruit

• 2 cups shredded cabbage slaw

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced

• Pickles, optional

Starch

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb total), cubed

Fat

• 1–2 tbsp olive oil (for roasting + sautéing)

• (additional fat comes from beef)

Flavor

• Salt, pepper

• Mustard, ketchup (optional)

• Cheese (optional)

Per-Serving Nutrition

(Based on 4 servings)

• Calories: ~650 kcal

• Protein: ~45 g

• Carbohydrates: ~50 g

• Fat: ~28 g

• Fiber: ~6–8 g

Serving Size

1 serving =

• 4 oz cooked ground beef

• ~1 cup roasted sweet potato

• Vegetables as listed

Total servings per recipe: 4

Time

• Prep time: 10 min

• Cook time: 25 min

• Total time: 35 min

Why This Meal Works

All the satisfaction of a burger in a bowl format that’s easy to portion, batch cook, and scale. Protein stays consistent; starch is the main lever for training volume and energy needs.

Portion Units (How This Recipe Fits Your Macros)

Per serving provides:

• Protein Units: 1.5 units
  (~45 g protein)

• Starch Units: 1.0–1.5 units
  (sweet potato = primary starch)

• Fat Units: ~2 units
  (from beef + optional cheese)

Execution:
Hit protein first, adjust sweet potato for training day, and add fat only if calories are needed.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Toss cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 25 minutes, flipping halfway.

3. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; season with salt and pepper.

4. In the same pan, sauté onion and mushrooms until soft.

5. Assemble bowls: beef → sweet potato → vegetables → toppings.

6. Add cheese, mustard, or ketchup if desired.

Macro Scaling Examples

• Fat loss / lower-carb:

  • Skip cheese and ketchup

  • Reduce sweet potato to ½ cup (0.5 starch unit)

• Maintenance:

  • Use recipe as written

• High-volume / endurance:

  • Add +½–1 cup sweet potato

  • Or add an extra 2–3 oz beef per serving

Strategy Variations

• Lower Carb: replace sweet potato with extra vegetables

• Mediterranean: use olive oil, add olives, skip ketchup

• Carnivore-adjacent: omit vegetables and starch, increase beef or cheese