How To Build the Perfect Nourish Bowl (Healthy & Balanced)

December 16, 2020 • Lifestyle, Mains, Recipes • healthy, healthy meals, nourish bowl, plant-based •

The term “nourish bowl” is something I’ve heard thrown around by food bloggers and seen on menus at cafes etc. but basically to me it just means a literal bowl that you fill with all kinds of goods, to create a healthy and balanced meal. The best part with these bowls is that you can make it however you want- curating it specific to what flavors you like best, because its important to enjoy your food! You can also easily make it plant-based or vegetarian, based on what you choose to add to it. I often prep lots of different foods for the week including various grains, veggies, and proteins, so then when it’s time to eat I can quickly throw a nutritious meal together while still being able to customize it based on whatever I am craving that day. Sometimes I prefer this style of “meal prepping” rather than cooking specific dishes, because I may not be in the mood to eat that same meal day after day. Another general tip with these bowls is to make it balanced by including healthy fats, carbs and protein. Here are some basic categories of foods I like to cook and have on hand to build the perfect nourish bowl:

Let’s start with the base: grains. Options: farro, couscous, some type of noodle/pasta, brown rice, quinoa.
Next up: protein. Options: crispy chickpeas, chicken, shrimp, tofu, black beans, eggs.
Let’s add more nutrition, and something to warm the soul: cooked veggies. Options: roasted or boiled veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, squash.
Something fresh: greens, tomato, avocado, carrots, cucumber.
Fun toppings: feta, walnuts, pepitas, dried cranberries, green onions or other fresh herbs.
And finally, you gotta have some: SAUCE. Feel free to use whatever sauce you like: could be a salad dressing, teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, or keep it simple with fresh lemon juice or vinegar with olive oil. You can also make a homemade sauce- if you go this route I recommend making enough for a few servings, then store it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge to eat throughout the week with your bowls!

You definitely don’t need to have 6 components to your nourish bowl, the simpler the better and easier honestly, but at least this gives you lots of options and ideas! Below is a picture of a nourish bowl I made that had farro, Japanese purple sweet potato, crispy chickpeas, spinach, feta and a homemade creamy sundried tomato sauce.

“Recipe” for the nourish bowl pictured above:

Farro- I use the 10 minute farro from Trader Joe’s. After it’s cooked through, drain water and mix in a drizzle of garlic infused olive oil then lightly season with salt, black pepper and paprika.
Crispy chickpeas- I have a recipe for these here.
Japanese purple sweet potato- peel, cube and boil, then drain water and lightly season and toss in garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper. You could also roast these in the oven.
For the creamy sundried tomato sauce, blend the following until smooth: 3 tbsp jarred sundried tomatoes in olive oil, 1/4 tsp minced garlic, 6-8 tbsp almond milk (depending on desired consistency), dash of paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and cumin (adjust to taste). This sauce is enough for 3-4 servings.
Add these components along with the feta and spinach to a bowl and enjoy!

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