Fuel Up With a Healthy Buddha Bowl

Complex carbohydrates act as the foundation of your buddha bowl. Use rice, quinoa, millet, soba noodles, barley, or buckwheat. Choose carbs that are packed with nutrition and avoid empty or overly processed options. Grains help you stay full for longer and maintain steady energy levels between meals.

Raid the produce section or your home garden and add fresh greens to your buddha bowl. Watercress, lettuce, swiss chard, leafy greens, baby spinach, radicchio, and kale are just a few of the delicious options. You can add just one type of greens or mix and match. Feel free to be generous with this layer; greens are rich in calcium, magnesium, and iron and help reduce acidity in the body for healthier tissues and improved alertness.

This section is your healthy fat source, like avocado or hemp seeds. It's essential to include in your buddha bowl because it enhances the flavors of the other ingredients while also making you feel full after eating. Including healthy fats also boosts the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids in your meal.

Protein is another substantial part of the buddha bowl; eggs, beef, chicken, seafood, tofu, and even lentils fit the bill, so choose what best suits your diet and preferences. Here’s a handy guide for how much to add: one palm-sized portion is about one serving of protein.

Buddha bowls are all about offering a combination of textures and flavors. Nuts aren’t just a great nutritional component because they provide healthy fats. They’re also a great source of crunch in your buddha bowl. Pecans, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pistachios are just a few of the many nuts that will provide a satisfying addition to your meal.

Herbs are not only easy to grow in a windowsill garden; they’re also a delicious addition to any buddha bowl. Introduce extra flavor with a sprinkling of cilantro, chives, basil, mint, oregano, or any other favorites. Choose a single herb or get creative and combine a few. Fresh herbs will always offer brighter, but more subtle, flavor than dried herbs.

Blueberries, strawberries, papaya, pineapple, and many other fruits can add interest to your buddha bowl. The addition of something sweet may seem odd in a savory dish, but sweet touches are often paired with savory elements to help enhance flavors. Take, for example, the sweet and spicy combination of a mango and red pepper salsa or the sweet and savory pairing of a Fiji apple in a brie and turkey sandwich. A little bit of these sweet additions will go a long way, so they don’t need to be a major component of your buddha bowl.

Like nuts, seeds are a great way to bring varied texture and a little crunch to your buddha bowl. Chia, pumpkin, sunflower, flax, hemp, and sesame seeds all add a delicious flavor profile when sprinkled over your assembled bowl. Every season has it’s choice options. Seeds are a great source of potassium, calcium, and zinc, too.

If you want to give your ingredients even more of a flavor boost, add a dusting of your favorite seasonings to marry the other ingredients. Sprinkle curry powder, an Italian blend, a bit of sriracha, or even a little ranch powder over top to really make it your own.

Dressings help combine all the flavors while delivering moisture and a binding agent to your buddha bowl. Purchase store-bought dressings with fresh, bold ingredients or make your own at home using items you already have on hand, such as olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, or pesto. Drizzle the dressing evenly over top your entire bowl to get a taste with every bite