Nourish Bowls

My daughter was right. My 17 year old daughter had been begging me for almost two years to make nourish bowls for our lunches. These bowls are filled with raw and cooked foods and are also known as macro bowls and buddha bowls. I was not that convinced that this would be a game changer for us as we are already eating a lot of vegetables and we are 100% plant-based. Also, my husband likes eating hot, cooked foods except for lots of fruits and the occasional raw cucumber. So, I was hesitant to make these hearty salads as our regular lunches. Then my business coach Corinne, who is also plant-based, shared that she was feeling so great after eating these bowls for lunch. So, I set off towards the nourishing world of nourish bowls.

What makes a regular salad into a nourish bowl?

1. Greens: Start with a bed of raw greens like romaine, baby spinach, spring mix, or massaged kale.
2. Grains: Cook a cup of quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, millet, bulgur, couscous or other whole grain. I use one teaspoon of vegetable bouillon or vegetable broth instead of water to add flavor to the grains.
3. Protein: For protein, we bake marinated tofu or tempeh or use canned beans like chickpeas, black beans, or other beans, cooked lentils, defrosted edamame or green peas, hummus, baked falafel, veggie burger crumbles, and nuts and seeds.
4. Roasted Veggies: We usually roast sweet potatoes and broccoli with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. You can also roast cauliflower, red bell peppers, beets, brussel sprouts, green beans, butternut squash or anything you like.
5. Raw Veggies: Whatever you like. We like cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, sprouts, shredded cabbage, radishes, and celery.
6. Homemade Dressings: Yes, it's worth it. Once you make homemade dressings, you can never go back to store bought. Also, we try to minimize added oils, so we make dressings with a base of tahini, avocado, silken tofu, nut butters, blended cashews, or toasted sesame seeds. These are whole foods fats that make the dressings rich, creamy, and delicious. 

What have we noticed? We’ve noticed that we feel light and energetic after lunch and not as mentally and physically heavy and tired. We have also noticed that it is easier to fit in more servings of vegetables by eating this way. This is great as we know that 7-8 servings of vegetables and fruits per day is the goal for good health. These bowls are also easy to batch make. I usually have to prepare them twice per week, and then we always know what is for lunch. And my husband is fine as he can eat more of the cooked items with the dressing or eat other leftovers and be satisfied.

Here is a recipe for a nourish bowl that you may enjoy. 

Hope you have a great week,

Monique