Healthy eating doesn’t have to be synonymous with meager portions. In fact, load up with the right foods, and you’ll be satisfied for hours. This is because healthy foods give you more bang for your buck, calorie-wise. For example, one McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with cheese clocks in at 770 calories, which is almost exactly how many calories this hearty pork-based bowl packs.

The difference, however, is that your stomach will be grumbling a couple of hours after you scarf down Mickey D’s, as it has practically no fiber, compared with the plentiful bounty of food that you get with this one-dish wonder. Also, you won’t crash from the blood sugar spike, which means you can hit the gym with energy to spare.

Quick Tip: Patting pork chops and fruits dry with a paper towel and then lightly greasing them helps transfer heat into the food via conduction to encourage even better browning and flavor.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup wild-rice blend
  • 2 boneless pork chops
  • 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp canola oil, plus more for brushing
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large apple, sliced into 1⁄2-inch wedges
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 cups sliced red cabbage
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Place rice and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer covered for 35 minutes.
  2. Preheat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat. Place pork chops on a greased baking pan, brush tops lightly with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil pork for 4 minutes.
  3. Toss apple with 1 tsp oil and thyme. Add to pan with pork and continue broiling until meat reaches 145°F, about 4 minutes. Chop pork into 1-inch chunks.
  4. Toss cabbage with 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt. Place cabbage on pan and broil until tender and darkened in spots, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  5. Whisk together 2 tbsp oil, mustard, vinegar, 1 tbsp water, and a pinch of salt. Stir in walnuts.
  6. Divide rice among large bowls and top with cabbage, apples, pork, and mustard sauce.
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