Case Study: Sprouts Farmers Market Bringing Quality Grain Bowls to the Grocery Deli  

These days, no matter where you eat, you’re likely to find grain bowls on the menu.

Grain bowls are a key driver in the expanding “grab-and-go” and “ready-to-eat” (RTE) meal market, which is experiencing significant growth. The global prepared meals market was valued at $178.83 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $291.27 billion by 2032.1

According to Restaurant Business, “Bowls have become popular among operators thanks to the versatility they offer — many meals can be created from a combination of ingredients.” 2  And Nation’s Restaurant News notes they’re also a hit with consumers because they are customizable, portable, “Instagrammable,” and fit just about any cuisine type you can imagine.3

Sprouts Farmers Market is debuting grab-and-go grain bowls in September

Sprouts’ Culinary Director Matthew Pratta says, “As a grocer, Sprouts tries to support our customers. And, right now, grain bowls are in demand. We see it as a real trend — something we can latch on to.”

“We sell a lot of grab-and-go meals, but, traditionally, our grab-and-go meals are meant for dinner. These bowls are accessible anytime,” Pratta explains. “Our bowls are designed to be eaten cold. You could heat them up if you want, but they’re made for convenience.”

Sprouts’ will launch with five tasty bowl options

Sprouts’ grain blend (including lentils) is featured as the base in all five of the new Sprouts bowls. “Our bowl base also has a little bit of turmeric, olive oil, salt, and pepper,” Pratta adds. “It’s an interesting consistency with just a kaleidoscope of flavors our customers can access.”

Bowl options will include:

  • Grass-fed beef chimichurri bowl
  • Sticky chili tofu bowl
  • Burrata bowl
  • Sesame garlic salmon bowl
  • Mediterranean chicken bowl with NA (no antibiotics) chicken

Lentils bring flavor to Sprouts’ bowls

“These bowls are built on health and flavor,” Pratta adds. “Our customers at Sprouts seek out nutrition and functionality. So, our grain bowls are made with lentils. That was intentional. They give the customer more functionality, protein, flavor, and fiber.”

“Recently, we flew deli managers from every single Sprouts store to Nashville, and we built bowls together,” Pratta continues.  One team member asked me, ‘How did you season the grain blend to taste so good?’ I said, ‘Believe it or not, the lentils provide that flavor — it gives you that kind of level of earthiness. There isn’t any seasoning beyond the turmeric and olive oil. It doesn’t take much to pull the flavor out of a lentil.’”

“We put a lot of effort into each component and in developing that grain blend. It consists of lentils, farro, and brown rice,” says Pratta. “Adding the lentils, in addition to the farro and the brown rice, allows us to have a 12-ounce portion that isn’t full of refined ingredients.”

Sprouts’ bowls: Delicious and nutritious

“We care about helping people live and eat better,” Pratta highlights. “That’s a really important mission of ours at Sprouts. So, as you eat a whole bowl, you won’t feel overly full, but you’ll be satisfied. Lentils help us hit that sweet spot. The American consumer rarely has that option.”

1. Fortune Business Insights. Prepared Meals Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Frozen Meals, Chilled Meals, and Canned Meals), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets & Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores, Online Retail, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/prepared-meals-market-105002
2. Restaurant Business. What operators should know about the “food bowl” trend. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/consumer-trends/what-operators-should-know-about-food-bowl-trend
3. NRN. Customizable and photogenic, bowls expand their appeal at restaurants. https://www.nrn.com/menu-trends/customizable-and-photogenic-bowls-expand-their-appeal-at-restaurants