5-Ingredient Mediterranean Grain Bowls (The Best Work Lunch Prep for the Week)

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups dry farro (or pearl barley)
• 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach or arugula
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional: 2 tablespoons hummus per bowl for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook Your Grain Base

   Rinse 1.5 cups of dry farro under cold water, then add it to a medium saucepan with 3.5 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes until the farro is tender but still has a slight chew to it—that's what you want. Mushy farro won't hold up well by Thursday. Drain any excess water and spread the farro out on a baking sheet for 5 minutes to cool and dry slightly before assembling.

2. 2

   Roast the Chickpeas (Optional but Worth It)

   While the farro cooks, pat your drained chickpeas completely dry with a paper towel—this step matters more than you'd think. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 minutes until they're golden and slightly crispy. You can absolutely skip this and use them straight from the can if time is tight, but the roasted version adds a satisfying texture that makes these bowls feel less like diet food and more like actual lunch.

3. 3

   Make the Simple Dressing

   Whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. That's it. Don't overthink this. The dressing is intentionally light because you're storing these bowls for several days—a heavy creamy dressing would make everything soggy by day two. If you want more richness when eating, just add a dollop of hummus right before you dig in.

   

4. 4

   Assemble Your Four Meal Prep Containers

   Divide the cooled farro evenly between four airtight containers (about 3/4 cup cooked grain per container). Top each with a portion of chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and olives. Here's the key move—keep the spinach or arugula in a separate small bag or container and add it fresh each morning. Greens that sit in dressing for four days are nobody's friend. Divide the feta on top of everything else, then drizzle each bowl with roughly 2 teaspoons of your prepared dressing. Seal and refrigerate.

5. 5

   Pack and Go

   Each morning, grab one container, toss in a handful of fresh greens, and stir everything together. If you have 30 seconds to spare, a spoonful of hummus on the side turns this into a genuinely filling lunch that'll carry you through the afternoon. The whole thing eats well at room temperature, which means no fighting over the office microwave.

Substitution Ideas

Storage Tips

Store assembled bowls (without greens) in airtight glass containers in the fridge for up to 4 days—Monday through Thursday is the sweet spot. Glass containers genuinely work better than plastic here because they don't absorb the olive oil smell over time. Keep your fresh greens in a separate bag and add them each morning. The dressing can be made in a small jar and stored separately if you prefer to dress each bowl fresh, which gives you a bit more flexibility. Don't freeze these—farro and cucumbers don't come back from the freezer well.