Most of my favorite meals are hardly recipes at all but rather a big bowl of goodness. For Dan and I this works well because bowl meals are totally customizable – his may or may not include meat/cheese and mine will likely include vinegar (he hates vinegar). Bowl creations allow you to play with your creativity and taste buds while keeping meals super simple. So, for this week’s No Recipe Recipes post, instead of focusing on a particular food, I’m sharing ideas on how to incorporate bowl creations for any meal of the day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Let’s start with possible ingredients…
GREENS *raw, steamed, or sauteed (always important to eat your greens)
Spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, micro greens, mustard greens, swiss chard, collard greens etc.
PROTEINS
Beans including garbanzo, black, great northern, pinto, black eyed peas, kidney, etc (canned and rinsed well or dried and cooked), tofu (try baking or sauteing), tempeh (saute or grill), lentils, green peas (fresh or frozen), quinoa (not a “protein” but loaded with plant-based protein), hemp seeds, chia seeds, other nuts and seeds. If you are not vegan, try farm fresh eggs and wild-caught sustainable fish.
HEALTHY FATS
Avocado, avocado oil, olive oil, olives, nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, peanuts, cashews), seeds (chia, hemp, sunflower), sesame oil, coconut and coconut oil
Healthy fats (breakfast edition): nut butters, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, shredded coconut
VEGGIES *raw, steamed, grilled, roasted, or sauteed
broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, radishes, onions, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, or any other vegetables you enjoy – fresh or frozen (aim for frozen vegetables without added sauces)
CARBOHYDRATES
Potatoes – sweet and regular, corn, pollenta, pasta of all varieties (I enjoy Tinkyada brown rice pasta or Trader Joes red lentil pasta lately), brown rice, wild rice, tortilla and pita chips, quinoa, couscous, oats
»Fruits (great for breakfast bowls or a sweet crunch for lunch/dinner): strawberries, pears, banana, apple, mango, grapes, blueberries, cherries, pomegranate, raspberries, orange sections, etc.
GARNISHED TOPPINGS
nutritional yeast (counts as a protein if you add more than a few tablespoons!), hummus, lemon or lime juice, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, tarragon vinegar (a personal fav), sauerkraut or other fermented and pickled produce, fresh herbs (this is always a delicious pop – try basil, cilantro, mint, or parsley!), tahini based dressings, chia seeds, hemp seeds, spices like Trader Joes Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, or condiments like mustard, hot sauce, salsa, ketcup, etc)
Garnished Toppings (breakfast edition): jams (bonus if you stir chia seeds into the jams!), nut butters, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nuts and seeds, Grape-Nut cereal, etc
OK, so you have an idea of possible ingredients to make a bowl of goodness, but now…you may be wondering where to start or what it may look like.
Start with the base (carbohydrate or greens of your choice) + Greens or Carbohydrate (use the opposite of your base) + Protein + Veggies + Healthy Fat + Garnishes
Examples:
Sauteed dinosaur kale (base and greens) + brown rice (starch and base too) + sauteed tempeh (protein)+ raw red bell pepper and raw carrots (veggies) + tahini based goddess dressing (healthy fat and garnish)
raw arugula and salad greens (base and greens) + brown rice mixed with lentils (protein and starch)+ hummus (healthy fat and garnish) + fried onions (garnish) + lemon juice (garnish)
Quinoa (base and protein-starch) + black beans (protein) + buffalo cauliflower (veggie) + raw carrots, cucumber and raw cabbage (veggies) + vegan ranch (healthy fat and garnish)
Curried brown rice and quinoa blend (base and protein-starch) + lightly sauteed kale + sauteed tofu (protein) with carrots (veggie) and tossed in a peanut sauce (healthy fat)
Does that help give you some inspiration and guidelines in creating some pretty spectacular bowl creations?? I sure hope so – and if not, please comment below and let me know! Or, better yet, share some of your favorite bowl creations below and we can all learn from the inspiration.
Happy eating until next time,
Morgan