Buddha bowl: a complete meal in a single bowl (2024)

• Written by Dr Vishnupriya Warrier

Priya Kartikeyan is an IT Professional from Delhi who was diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia. She had an aversion to vegetables but was strongly advised to incorporate them into her everyday meals. “Including vegetables, particularly green leafy ones, was a huge challenge for me. I did not like salads and green smoothies,” says Kartikeyan. However, she stumbled upon a recipe for a Buddha bowl on social media and decided to try it. Not only did she succeed in including green leafy vegetables in her diet for at least three days a week, but her palate also experienced a sea of change.

Buddha bowl is a balanced nutritional diet consisting of greens, grains, protein, and complex carbohydrates, with no compromise on flavour, thus making it a wholesome meal.

“What I appreciate the most about these bowls are their diverse ingredients,” says Shreya Dewan, a marketing manager from Mumbai. She adds that she can obtain various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants by including the whole foods present in the bowls.

What is Buddha bowl

A Buddha bowl is a plant-based meal that typically consists of a combination of raw and cooked elements. “Small portions of various foods that ensure the well-rounded and nutrient-rich meal is however the key in cooking and eating Buddha bowl,” says Bree Mcilroy, a holistic nutritionist and owner of Loving Earth Yoga Cafe, Fort Kochi, Kerala.

The bowl is rich in whole grains like quinoa or brown rice, plant-based proteins such as chickpeas or tofu, and various fruits and vegetables. These ingredients are arranged in a bowl to create a visual treat.

Moreover, buddha bowls traditionally adhere to gluten-free and sugar-free principles, emphasising whole grains and healthy rice options like black, purple, and brown rice, adds Mcilroy.

Why the name – Buddha bowl

There are several explanations regarding the name of this bowl. While some say it gets the name from Buddha, others say it comes from the narrative of Buddha carrying his alms bowl, graciously accepting whatever morsels the villagers bestowed upon him. Additionally, one can interpret the overflowing bowl as a resemblance to the round belly of Budai, a revered Chinese monk.

Mindfulness matters

The Buddha bowl concept harmonises with the principles of mindful eating, advocating a profound appreciation of the visual appeal, aromatic essence, delightful taste, and texture. To savour each bite, one should mindfully construct one’s bowl, relishing the interplay of each ingredient’s temperatures, textures, and flavours.

Greens, grains, proteins and fats

One can customise this versatile bowl according to their taste and preference. One can add one’s favourite vegetables, nuts, seeds and more to suit the taste buds. Some of the options are:

• Greens and raw vegetables – Lettuce, baby spinach, kale, cabbage, radish, beet greens, capsicum, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini
• Proteins – Tofu, lentils, beans, cheese, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, paneer (cottage cheese), sprouts, peas
• Carbs – Quinoa, brown rice, wheat, berries, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, barley
• Fruits –Blueberries, strawberries, muskmelon, papaya, mango, apples, orange
• Fats – Avocado, coconut oil, olive oil

Health benefits of Buddha bowl

“I have found that incorporating healthy meals into my diet has been incredibly helpful in practising portion control. The fact that the ingredients are carefully measured and portioned in these meals naturally prevents me from overeating,” says Bhagyashree Kolge, Flax-Healthy Living, Mumbai.

• Appetising and refreshing
• Rich in antioxidants and anti-ageing properties
• Rich in vitamins and minerals
• Good for digestive health and improves metabolism
• High satiety index
• Feeling full for longer

How to make it healthy

Be mindful of the ingredients and portions you include in the bowl to make it healthy. The beauty of Buddha bowls is that they can be tailored to individual tastes, nutritional needs, and health conditions. If you are trying to lose weight, a customised diet, in consultation with a registered dietitian, can be made.

Here is a Buddha bowl recipe for beginners.

Ingredients

1 large handful of lettuce

1/4 cup cooked brown rice

6 long avocado slices

½ cup chickpeas drained and rinsed – about 1/3 of bowl

1/4 cup red cabbage

1/4 cucumber sliced

1/2 tomato sliced

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup walnuts

Dressing of choice- fresh lime juice

How to make

• Place the greens and lettuce in the bottom of the bowl.
• Set the remaining ingredients at different corners.
• Additionally, you can also top it with lime juice, salt and pepper.

Try your own Buddha bowl and share your recipe with us at Vishnupriya.b@happiesthealth.com