Baked Vegetable Macro Plate (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

Every year when the air begins to feel crisp and I start to pull out my long sleeve shirts I always start to crave one of my favorite macrobiotic meals- the macro plate. A macro plate (or bowl) is typical macrobiotic meal that usually consists of at least one grain, one legume, one fermented food and an assortment of cooked vegetables.

I love a good macro plate because they are so colorful! Plus I always feel energized and warmed up from the inside afterwards. Having 5-6 different items on one plate can seem like a daunting dish to prepare but today I’m going to share my super easy method for preparing a Vegan, Gluten-Free Baked Vegetable Macro Plate.

There are endless combinations so feel free to get creative with your macro bowl! Below are some of the ingredients I used and what you can substitute with to keep your macro plate balanced:

• Quinoa- can also use brown rice, millet, amaranth or buckwheat noodles
• Chickpeas- can also use adzuki, kidney or black beans
• Kabocha squash- can use any kind of squash or sweet potato
• Kale- can also use chard, collard greens or spinach

To save time I usually prepare a big batch of one kind of grain and one kind of bean every 4-5 day in the colder months. That way I can simply heat them up and add fresh vegetables for a quick meal.