Who ever said that meals-in-one couldn’t be healthy? Well, whoever it was had obviously never heard of a Buddha bowl, which have been taking the world by storm as a healthy alternative to huge meals full of saturated fats. Where once there was fried eggs, pork, croquettes, chips and bacon, there is now kale, quinoa, avocado, rocket, hummus and beetroot.
These are just some of the many ingredients you can find in a Buddha bowl, a healthy, vegetarian version of that classic meal-in-one that came to our rescue on more than one occasion. But times have changed and calorie-heavy blowouts now make only an occasional appearance, having been knocked off the top spot by healthy, vegetarian Buddha bowls as the ideal daily alternative for fun, varied, delicious meals.
These multicoloured dishes that catch the eye are usually vegetarian, although the more adventurous out there might well be tempted to experiment with meat versions. The only rule for making a Buddha bowl to die for is that there are no rules, although you should use your common sense: choose your favourite vegetables, pulses, cereals and nuts, while avoiding impossible combinations, and create a nutritionally balanced meal. An original, carefully made Buddha bowl is the perfect riposte to anyone who still thinks healthy eating has to be boring.
To make a well-balanced Buddha bowl you’ll need a good portion of cereals, wholewheat if possible, as a source of carbohydrates to give you the energy boost you need for the day’s physical and mental exertions. Ideal options are brown rice, quinoa, wholewheat pasta or a little couscous. Next into your dream Buddha bowl goes some protein, preferably vegetable based, for example, tofu, tempeh or seitan, chickpeas, lentils or, if you feel like straying off the vegan path, an egg.
Now it’s the turn of the vegetables, and here you can really let yourself go: spinach, chard, kale, wild asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, aubergine… You can either grill or steam them, perhaps with some potato, and, of course, some dressing: aromatic olive oil with lemon or fresh basil, for example, would work wonders.
You can finish off your Buddha bowl with a light salad: some mixed leaves, soya bean sprouts, tasty tomatoes or some seeds or nuts, which are packed with iron and other minerals. Give it a drizzle with a vinaigrette made with extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar and you’ve got a mouthwatering nutritionally balanced, low-calorie meal.
So now you know. The perfect ally for fun, healthy eating on minimal calories without ever getting bored. Buddha bowls are great on an everyday basis—as a packed lunch for work, for instance—and as a healthy option when eating out in a restaurant. Now that they’ve arrived, it looks like Buddha bowls are here to stay.
