One of the shifts you might find when you switch towards a plant-based diet is that you eat a much wider variety of foods. It seems counterintuitive: you remove some foods from your diet, so you might think you’d eat a smaller variety. However, you might find that you start looking out for foods that you hadn’t known about before – which can be so fun! And the plate of food that you’re used to eating will start to look quite different: it might start to look like a collection of “sides”, with different types of foods, all different colors. Besides being really flavourful and interesting, the best part about a colorful meal is that you automatically get a variety of micronutrients in… And with dozens of different food options and a few bowl-building guidelines, the combinations you can make are endless!
Here are some ideas to build your own bowl, depending on the meal:
Sweet bowls, maybe for breakfast:
- Use a starch for your base, such as oats, puffed rice or muesli
- Add your favorite fruits or berries
- Add a bit of liquid such as plant milk or cooled rooibos tea, or coconut/soy yogurt
- Top with some seeds for Omega-3 such as chia, hemp or ground flax, and something sweet like applesauce, jam, or syrup
- Sprinkle some sweet spices/flavouring such as cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla or cacao.
Salad bowls, maybe for lunch:
- Get some leafy greens for your base
- Add a variety of vegetables – cooked or raw
- Add some starchy veggies, legumes or grains to keep you full, such as potato, mielies, beans or millet
- Top it up with healthy treats like avocado, sundried tomato, olives, nuts or seeds, tempeh, hummus
- Mix in some spices or sauces such as balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, tahina, mustard, nutritional yeast etc.
Savory bowls, maybe for dinner:
- Choose a starch as your base, such as rice, couscous, quinoa, millet, potatoes
- Add some veggies (either raw or cooked)
- Add some beans or legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, lentils or tofu
- Add some toasted seeds for healthy fats, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- Season with spices or sauces
The great thing about these bowls is that they are so adaptable, you can pretty much use whatever you have on hand – and it helps if you’ve already got some prepped ingredients in the fridge, such as cooked quinoa, roast vegetables, or marinated tofu.
Inspired to make some bowls this week?
Photo Credit: Trainer Academy
