Your Guide to Making a Balanced Buddha Bowl
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A go-to recipe that’s a beautiful balance of nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality proteins.
I’m excited to share with you all one of my favorite go-to meals that I’ve been eating for years. I’ve finally come up with the perfect way to describe it—the nourish bowl. When I first shared one of my nourish bowls on Instagram, it became one of my most popular posts, and for a good reason… it’s easy and so delicious!
The nourish bowl's root is choosing nutrient-dense veggies, fruits/carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality proteins to make a filling meal in a bowl. It’s essentially a macrobiotic bowl or macro bowl, so keep reading to learn the nutrition of a macro bowl and how to make your own!
Without fail, this is one of the staple recipes I eat at least once a day!
What Makes Up A Balanced Buddha Bowl?
If you’re looking to make healthy and well-balanced nourish bowls, you’ll want to use my 5 steps to a balanced bowl. I came up with it to make it easy for you to look at your plate and know you have a well-balanced meal without following strict rules or counting anything.
Follow these steps, and you’ll have a beautiful balanced, nourishing bowl every time. It’ll also ensure every meal is packed with all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs so you can feel satiated, energized, and nourished so you can take your day and know that you’ve cared for your health. One of my favorite go-to’s is this Plant-Based Fiesta Bowl or Plant-Based Fiesta Bowl or Big balanced Superfood Bowl. A well-balanced nourish bowl contains all five of these elements!
5 Elements to a Balanced Buddha Bowl
The best part about Balanced Buddha Bowls is that the options are endless, and you’ll be able to easily visualize how to put together a bowl that is nutritious and delicious.
1. Proteins
Plant-Based: Tempeh, beans, quinoa, and lentils (starchy-proteins), hempseeds, nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast (not a “protein,” but loaded with plant-based protein).
Vegetarian-friendly (ovo-, pesca-, Lacto-): farm fresh eggs and wild-caught fish. Animal proteins: quality sources only.
2. Non-Starchy Carbohydrates
Spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, microgreens, sprouts, mustard greens, swiss chard, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, snap peas, radish, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower
3. Healthy Fats
Avocado, extra virgin olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, hempseeds, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, truffle oil, tahini
4. Veggies
Starchy and Sugary Carbohydrates: Sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, pumpkins, zucchini, eggplant, millet, brown rice, wild rice, beans (starchy-protein), corn and peas (starchy veggie), strawberries, pears, banana, papaya, mango, grapes, raspberries, apples, etc.
5. Flavor Factor
Fermented veggies like kimchi or sauerkraut, guacamole, chunky salsa, homemade salad dressings (try my favorite Garlic Tahini Sauce), homemade chimichurri sauce, kelp/dulse granules and flakes for added iodine and minerals, nutritional yeast, homemade hummus, apple cider vinegar (a must!), fresh lemon juice
