How to create the perfect Buddha Bowl
You’ve probably had a salad bowl, power bowl, macro bowl or a grain bowl at least one time in your life. The Buddha bowl is very similar to these bowls whose general motive is to hit all your macronutrients : carbs, protein and fat.
They often consist of an assortment of colours and textures, and involves minimum cooking process. While some versions of this bowl are served warm, some are served with a cold base. They’re principally vegetarian, if not vegan, and are customisable as per dietary requirements and flavour preferences.
And just to clear the air, there is only a slight correlation between Buddhism and Buddha bowls. Balance is a key concept in Buddhism, and when we eat and what we eat is scrupulous. The story of Buddha waking up before dawn and walking along the paths of the village while carrying his bowl to fill it with whatever bits of food villagers would offer him, is often used as the origin story of hese popular Buddha bowls.
The objective here is to avoid eating too much of any one thing and to strike a balance between various food groups.
Why Buddha Bowls are a great idea:
- Helps practice mindful eating.
- Easier tracking of macronutrients and micronutrients.
- Keeps you full and energetic for prolonged hours.
- Controls portion size.
- Easy meal-prep : cuts down on cooking time in the kitchen.
- Easy to tailor to all tastes and dietary preferences.
- Reduces food wastage and leftovers.
Buddha Bowls are made of 5 key components:
- Complex carbs
- Protein
- Fiber
- Healthy fats
- Vitamins & minerals
Along with knowing what goes into a Buddha bowl, it is imperative to know how much of it goes in as well.
Ideally, you can fill up your plate by following this guide :
- Whole grains – 1/4 of the bowl
- Proteins – 1/4 of the bowl
- Vegetables (leafy greens, starchy & non-starchy vegetables) – 1/2 of the bowl
- Healthy fats – in moderation
How to build your own Buddha bowl:
Step 1: Pick your whole grain
Brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, sorghum.
Step 2: Pick your vegetables
- leafy greens – Spinach, kale, lettuce, bok choy, cabbage, arugula, collard greens.
- Starchy vegetable – White potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas.
- Non-starchy vegetable – Tomato, cucumber, cauliflower, capsicum, onion, eggplant.
Step 3: Pick your protein
Tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans (edamame, kidney, pinto, black, cannellini)
Step 4: Pick a healthy fat
Avocado, nuts, coconut, extra virgin olive oil, seeds (chia, flax, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
Step 5: Assemble your bowl
- In a large salad bowl, put down a bed of leafy greens.
- In a clockwise direction, start placing the cooked whole grains, vegetables and protein.
- Sprinkle nuts and seeds.
- Drizzle olive oil and dressing of your choice.
(Check out our Top 5 Vegan Buddha Bowl recipes – https://herbivo.in/top-5-vegan-buddha-bowl-recepies/
The Bottom Line-
Packed with vibrant and nourishing food, Buddha bowls just seem to be the simplest and most convenient way to put together a balanced and wholesome meal.
With a little bit of meal prep, clean-eating can easily turn into a way of life!
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