Everything you need to make your own nourishing, healthy, vibrant “Bliss” Bowl. Download the full pdf booklet here.

Healthy HabitsMeal PlanningHealthy Recipes

Jul 19

I really hope you’ve been enjoying the summer so far. We haven’t gone away, but have definitely been loving doing things around the house. Along with golfing, fishing, lots of walks, visiting and simply hanging out on the deck chilling. Oh…and a little renovating and cleaning up spaces here and there, (some people don’t love that kind of stuff, but Mark and I do, lol).

The one thing we have been slacking on…cooking big suppers, eating enough nourishing, healthy foods and really being mindful of what I have been putting in my body.

Seriously, who really feels like cooking, and then worse yet, cleaning up big meals?

Caidyn, my one boy actually got me thinking about getting back to making yummy bowls. He has been super creative with what he’s been cooking and asked me about ideas for bowls. So, we started prepping and chopping veggies, making sauces, dressings, cooking grains and roasting veggies so that we can throw bowls together. Like, really yummy, nourishing, high density meals.

So, I started brainstorming and collecting my old recipes and tips and figured I would make a little fancier to share with you.

Most often, these bowls are called “Buddha bowls”, but may also be referred to as “bliss bowls”, “nourish bowls”, or “power bowls”, but whatever you call them, they’re so delicious.

A Buddha bowl usually consists of vegetables and proteins that create a colorful and single meal in one bowl.

What I really love is that there are no hard and fast rules…AND they use leftovers.

So, I pulled out tips and recipes from my past meal planning challenges, brainstormed, and created a pdf to print off so that you can create your own bowls this summer!!

Download all the recipes, checklists and tips to make your own bowls right now, (it's free).

If you are looking for ideas right now, here’s where I would get started…

6 key components of a Buddha Bowl:

Whole grains.
Veggies
Greens
Protein.
Dressings/sauces
"Sprinkles," such as nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts and crunchy, tangy toppings like your own homemade pickled onion

A full checklist of ingredient ideas are in my GUIDE, here.

Building a balanced bowl

START WITH A GRAIN

Begin your bowl with a base of whole grains. Rice is a popular grain selection. Although brown rice is an easy go-to choice, try some more unusual varieties like Himalayan red, wild or black rice. Other choices include quinoa, millet, barley or kamut. (note: barley is not gluten free)

Meal planning tip: make your grain on a Sunday or for supper Monday night. Use the leftovers for your healthy bowls during the rest of the week.

PICK SOME GREENS

Any type of lettuce or bitter green works well in a Buddha bowl. Tender colorful greens like little gem lettuce or butter lettuce work well as do hearty selections like kale, spinach and shredded napa or red cabbage. For a little kick, try a handful of arugula, also referred to as rocket lettuce. Don’t forget about sprouts, either! The farmer’s market is always a wonderful place to buy some pretty unique and beautiful greens and sprouts!

Meal planning tip: spinach is our go-to green because it lasts a long time before wilting.

VEGETABLES, VEGETABLES AND MORE VEGETABLES

Choose an assortment of colorful vegetables and arrange them in clusters over the base of protein and greens. Raw or cooked? That’s your choice. I recommend trying a little of both. The crunch of raw shaved beet can perfectly compliment just blanched snap peas or edamame. Vegetables that are colorful and work well raw include any variety of radish, beet or carrot and, of course, avocado. You can also try edamame, pea pods, snap peas or broccoli florets. A quick dip in simmering water will really bring out the color of these green vegetable gems. My favourite, however, is to add roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli, (from a previous meal).

Meal planning tip: Roast a couple big trays of root vegetables early in the week with a family dinner (like roast chicken or beef roast) and use the leftovers for your bowls. Don’t forget you can roast up kale for a crispy veg treat!

TOP WITH A PROTEIN

It’s important to pack some protein in your bowl, whether you are a vegetarian, vegan or meat-eater. Tofu, beans, lentils, chickpeas and even seeds and nuts are great vegetarian additions. You can also add a sprinkle of hemp seeds. Poached shrimp or grilled chicken or meat can turn your bowl into a fulfilling dinner entrée. If you are going for a full, plant based bowl, grilled portobello mushrooms are a hearty alternative. Just keep in mind their protein content is a little lower than bean, lentils, tofu, tempeh and traditional animal based proteins.

Meal planning tip: If you are running short on time, most of the grocery stores now have lots of salad options in their deli area. You can always grab pre-cooked roast chicken or a base lentil salad to use as your protein in your bowl for the week.

FINISH WITH A SAUCE

A finishing sauce brings all the flavors of your Buddha bowl together. Pesto, home made ranch, peanut sauce, vinaigrettes or an avocado based sauce all fit the finishing sauce bill. A pre or homemade hummus and green goddess dip works really well too.

Meal planning tip: for sauces, always double the recipe and save in a glass mason jar in the fridge. If you don’t have tons of ingredients on hand, a good ole lemon and vinegar will totally work! I added a few options below in the recipe section.