We love the idea of big bowls of food for one. But do they have to be fast-food-fatty and high in calories? Noooooooo! Read on for our latest FANTASTIC recipe... the Need-a-Fajita Chicken Bowl!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup cooked brown rice (prepared without added fat)
1 tbsp. salsa verde (a.k.a. green salsa)
1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Squirt of lime juice
3 1/2 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into small strips
1/2 cup chopped red & green bell peppers
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. dry fajita seasoning mix
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. (regular) salsa

Directions:
To make the cilantro sauce, combine salsa verde, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

In another bowl, combine chicken, peppers, and onion, and sprinkle evenly with fajita seasoning. Add 1 tbsp. water and mix well.

Bring a pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chicken-veggie mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender. Remove from heat, stir in black beans, and set aside.

Place rice in a microwave-safe bowl. If needed, nuke until hot. Top with chicken-veggie-bean mixture and cheese. If you like, nuke briefly to melt cheese. Finish it off with salsa and cilantro sauce. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

That JITB commercial where a bunch of office workers get bowl cuts is funny, but there's nothing amusing about the stats on the food item they're pitching. Here's a little info... The Southwest Chicken Bowl is full of veggies, beans, and chicken (yay!); loaded with salsa (woohoo!); topped with full-fat cheese (hmmm, wait...); doused in a sauce with double-digit fat grams (STOP THAT!); and served over 400 calories' worth of rice (ACK!). Now you see how a bowl of chicken, veggies, and rice ends up with over 700 calories and nearly 20 grams of fat. But does it HAVE to be this way?! Noooo. Our bowl has all of those delicious ingredients -- but leaner versions of 'em, and the right amounts. So you'll still be eating a saucy, cheesy, zesty bowl of awesomeness, but you'll be consuming about 330 fewer calories and a FRACTION of the fat... less than 1/6th, to be more specific. And that's the facts, Jack!