A Slop Bowl Is a Totally Valid Way to Feed Yourself In 2025
WellnessDown with the tyranny of Instagram-ready foods.By Emily LaurenceJanuary 8, 2025Michael Houtz; Getty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAvocado toast with the perfect sprinkling of seasoning. Smoothies artfully topped with fresh blueberries. An aesthetically pleasing yogurt parfait. A colossal waste of time and effort?So say the proponents of slop bowls. These mushy, brown meals are the antithesis of carefully carefully crafted, Instagram-ready foods, but plenty of people are professing their love for them on social media as an easy way to meet macronutrient goals.Consider this TikTok by Nicole Draper, which has close to half a million views. “Everytime I post my infamous beef bowl slop, my nutrient slop bowl, on my Story, I have some mixed responses. A lot of you get really mad. But a lot of you also ask for the recipe,” she says. Her blend of ground beef, soft scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, and ketchup—mixed until it resembles dog vomit—packs 84 grams of protein. Personal trainer and gym owner Joe Franco shared his slop bowl recipe on Instagram. The lumpy yogurt parfait has a nutrient breakdown of 35 grams of protein, 70 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fat—and a color palette ranging from beige to tan.Disgusting-looking? Perhaps. But it just might become your go-to way to nourish your body.Judging a bowl by its slopFirst things first: Slop bowls aren’t for everyone. “You eat with your eyes, and some of these slop bowls are pretty unappetizing,” says Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, a nutrition professor at Boston University. As Dr. Blake sees it, eating should be pleasurable, and that starts with having something pretty to look at.But say you’re liable to spend some meals looking at a screen rather than the food in front of you. “‘Macro slop bowls’ are a nice reminder that meals don’t need to be visually stunning to provide essential nutrients and be healthy for us,” British sports nutritionist James LeBaigue says. “The idea of throwing together a variety of foods to meet macronutrient targets is both practical and accessible.”And isn’t shopping and dishwashing time-consuming enough? Does what we cook also have to cohere into a recognizable menu item? For this reason, Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, an exercise physiologist for Barbend, gives slop bowls his seal of approval too. “Macro slop bowls are great for simplifying meal planning while making sure you get a balanced intake of nutrients,” he says.Embracing the slop bowl might bring some justice to the ugly foods—oatmeal, chickpeas, beans, and lentils—that are packed with nutrients, even if they aren’t exciting to look at.The winning slop bowl formula, according to dietitiansEven though Dr. Blake isn’t 100% on board with slop bowls, she says that if you’re going to make one, at least do it right. That means having a nutrient balance that reflects what you should be working toward each day. “Carbs should be 45% to 60% of your diet, 15% to 20% of your diet should be protein, and 20% to 30% should be healthy fats,” Dr. Blake says. On top of that, she says you should be aiming for between 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.What does a slop bowl that has this balance look like? If you’re eating your slop bowl for lunch, dinner, or post-workout, Dr. Blake says it could be made with ground turkey meat, chili, guac, Mexican cheese, and salsa. Or you could combine quinoa, beans or brown rice, grilled chicken, bell peppers or leafy greens, carrots, and either avocado or olive oil—a slop bowl recommendation from Dr. Mohr.“For dinner, you might use a heartier grain like farro or barley. Combine this with a protein source like roasted salmon or black beans and some leafy greens like sautéed kale or roasted brussels sprouts. Add some nuts or a tahini sauce for extra fats, creating a fulfilling evening meal. If you’re short on time, consider mixing some rotisserie chicken, Minute Rice or quinoa, canned beans, and use frozen veggies,” Dr. Mohr says, giving some other ideas.Or maybe you like your slop in the morning. Dr. Blake says you could make an oatmeal-based slop bowl, with protein powder or Greek yogurt, nuts, and berries mixed in. Or you could make an egg scramble with veggies and low-fat cheese.Slop bowl mistakes to avoidNo matter what time of day you eat a slop bowl, Dr. Blake says the biggest mistake to avoid is forgoing fiber. Most slop bowls you see on social media are pretty colorless, and she points out that this means they’re likely not incorporating any fruits or veggies, which are as colorful as they are nutrient-rich.LeBaigue agrees that, ideally, your slop bowl has veggies in it. And no, that doesn’t mean prettying up your meal. “[The ingredients] can be thrown together without any thought to presentation,” he says.Also, just because it’s in a bowl doesn’t mean it’s healthy—something both Dr. Mohr and Dr. Blake want people to remember. “The nutritional value greatly depends on the quality and quantity of the ingredients. ‘Naked’ bowls, as
Avocado toast with the perfect sprinkling of seasoning. Smoothies artfully topped with fresh blueberries. An aesthetically pleasing yogurt parfait. A colossal waste of time and effort?
So say the proponents of slop bowls. These mushy, brown meals are the antithesis of carefully carefully crafted, Instagram-ready foods, but plenty of people are professing their love for them on social media as an easy way to meet macronutrient goals.
Consider this TikTok by Nicole Draper, which has close to half a million views. “Everytime I post my infamous beef bowl slop, my nutrient slop bowl, on my Story, I have some mixed responses. A lot of you get really mad. But a lot of you also ask for the recipe,” she says. Her blend of ground beef, soft scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, and ketchup—mixed until it resembles dog vomit—packs 84 grams of protein. Personal trainer and gym owner Joe Franco shared his slop bowl recipe on Instagram. The lumpy yogurt parfait has a nutrient breakdown of 35 grams of protein, 70 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fat—and a color palette ranging from beige to tan.
Disgusting-looking? Perhaps. But it just might become your go-to way to nourish your body.
Judging a bowl by its slop
First things first: Slop bowls aren’t for everyone. “You eat with your eyes, and some of these slop bowls are pretty unappetizing,” says Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, a nutrition professor at Boston University. As Dr. Blake sees it, eating should be pleasurable, and that starts with having something pretty to look at.
But say you’re liable to spend some meals looking at a screen rather than the food in front of you. “‘Macro slop bowls’ are a nice reminder that meals don’t need to be visually stunning to provide essential nutrients and be healthy for us,” British sports nutritionist James LeBaigue says. “The idea of throwing together a variety of foods to meet macronutrient targets is both practical and accessible.”
And isn’t shopping and dishwashing time-consuming enough? Does what we cook also have to cohere into a recognizable menu item? For this reason, Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, an exercise physiologist for Barbend, gives slop bowls his seal of approval too. “Macro slop bowls are great for simplifying meal planning while making sure you get a balanced intake of nutrients,” he says.
Embracing the slop bowl might bring some justice to the ugly foods—oatmeal, chickpeas, beans, and lentils—that are packed with nutrients, even if they aren’t exciting to look at.
The winning slop bowl formula, according to dietitians
Even though Dr. Blake isn’t 100% on board with slop bowls, she says that if you’re going to make one, at least do it right. That means having a nutrient balance that reflects what you should be working toward each day. “Carbs should be 45% to 60% of your diet, 15% to 20% of your diet should be protein, and 20% to 30% should be healthy fats,” Dr. Blake says. On top of that, she says you should be aiming for between 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.
What does a slop bowl that has this balance look like? If you’re eating your slop bowl for lunch, dinner, or post-workout, Dr. Blake says it could be made with ground turkey meat, chili, guac, Mexican cheese, and salsa. Or you could combine quinoa, beans or brown rice, grilled chicken, bell peppers or leafy greens, carrots, and either avocado or olive oil—a slop bowl recommendation from Dr. Mohr.
“For dinner, you might use a heartier grain like farro or barley. Combine this with a protein source like roasted salmon or black beans and some leafy greens like sautéed kale or roasted brussels sprouts. Add some nuts or a tahini sauce for extra fats, creating a fulfilling evening meal. If you’re short on time, consider mixing some rotisserie chicken, Minute Rice or quinoa, canned beans, and use frozen veggies,” Dr. Mohr says, giving some other ideas.
Or maybe you like your slop in the morning. Dr. Blake says you could make an oatmeal-based slop bowl, with protein powder or Greek yogurt, nuts, and berries mixed in. Or you could make an egg scramble with veggies and low-fat cheese.
Slop bowl mistakes to avoid
No matter what time of day you eat a slop bowl, Dr. Blake says the biggest mistake to avoid is forgoing fiber. Most slop bowls you see on social media are pretty colorless, and she points out that this means they’re likely not incorporating any fruits or veggies, which are as colorful as they are nutrient-rich.
LeBaigue agrees that, ideally, your slop bowl has veggies in it. And no, that doesn’t mean prettying up your meal. “[The ingredients] can be thrown together without any thought to presentation,” he says.
Also, just because it’s in a bowl doesn’t mean it’s healthy—something both Dr. Mohr and Dr. Blake want people to remember. “The nutritional value greatly depends on the quality and quantity of the ingredients. ‘Naked’ bowls, as they're often called at fast casual restaurants, can be upwards of 1,500 calories, depending on the toppings. Or creating your own using excess and fiber-free grains, proteins, or excessive unhealthy fats can negatively impact the meal's overall healthiness,” Dr. Mohr says.
To this point, if your bowl is slathered in cream sauce, oils, or cheese, LeBaigue says it’s likely high in saturated fat—which turns it into a meal that’s not exactly great for your heart or overall health. So watch out on your toppings.
LeBaigue also says to avoid having the same slop bowl on repeat. “A lack of variety in ingredients could lead to nutrient gaps,” he says. In other words, switch up what you make your bowls with.
As with any meal, it’s all about the ingredients. “Slop bowls are a fantastic example of how nutrition can be flexible and practical without being overly complicated. They can serve as a gateway for people to eat more healthily, provided they’re constructed with balance. Like any meal, the context matters: a slop bowl can be a nutrient-dense powerhouse or an indulgent comfort food, depending on how it’s made,” LeBaigue says.
As long as you’re using a good mix of nutrient-rich ingredients, a slop bowl is a completely legit, dietitian-approved meal or recovery snack. And if you make one, go ahead and post it. Your followers just might eat it up.
