FUEL YOUR BODY : THE BOWL APPROACH
Bowls are actually more of a concept, rather than just the process of assembling ingredients and eating them out of a bowl. The bowl approach ensures that you have a hearty and delicious meal that fuels you with all your nutritional needs in one bowl. This means you have a perfect balance of carbs, proteins and fats (macronutrients) together with lots of micronutrients and secondary plant based nutrients like antioxidants, phytonutrients, fibers and probiotics.
Our Vikasa head chef Boris Lauser shares his signature bowl approach below to help you create delicious healthy plant based bowls from your own home.
The elements of a healthy, whole foods plant based bowl are:
– Legumes or tempeh: Protein and carbs (ex. chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas, etc)
– Whole grains: Carbs and protein (ex. quinoa, buckwheat, whole rice, whole wheat varieties like kamut, spelt, rye etc, whole wheat pastas, etc. )
– Nuts and Seeds: High in protein and healthy fats (pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, etc)
– Fresh Greens: Heaps of minerals and secondary plant based nutrients (ex. Salad greens, chard, baby spinach, micro greens, wild herbs, etc)
– fresh raw vegetables: Minerals and vitamins and antioxidants (ex. Tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, bell pepper, etc)
– Cooked vegetables (steamed, stir fried, oven roasted): cauliflower, cabbages, potatoes, sweet potato etc)
– Fermented Foods: Probiotics for a healthy gut (ex. probiotic home made cream cheese, yoghurt and similar, sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented vegetables, etc)
– Optional Dip like Hummus (another protein element for creaminess) or guacamole (another healthy fat option for creaminess)
– Nutritious Salad Dressing
– Fresh herbs for exciting flavors and more micronutrients
With these elements in place, you can’t go wrong in creating a healthy and delicious meal that is both flavoursome and also nutrient-dense. This approach also allows you great flexibility to change things up each day so your meals never get boring- the options are endless and you can work with what you have on hand and also what is seasonal to your location. Simply choose one or several ingredients from each category and build your perfect bowl!
Here’s a few final tips to help you prepare for your bowls in advance, making healthy eating fast and easy all week long.
Batch cooking approach:
Every week, choose 1 or 2 legumes and a grain and pre-cook a batch that suits your weekly needed amount. After cooking, you can keep them in a container in the fridge and they will keep fine for about a week.
Stock your veggies and fresh greens:
Once or twice a week, shop your fresh greens and veggies. Wrap greens and herbs in a damp towel and store them in the bottom section of your fridge. That way they keep fresh. You can even pre-wash them, just make sure you dry them before wrapping them up, otherwise they can wilt.
Prepare two different dressings:
Salad dressings make all the difference and are what will give the ultimate flavor to your bowl. Prepare 2 dressings for the next about 8 days so you can swap and keep it not boring. Find some ideas of very nutritious dressings in the following recipe section that go way beyond oil and balsamic vinegar, which can of course also be nice from time to time.
Plant Based Salad Dressing Recipes
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey mustard
- 1/2 bell pepper or zucchini
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar / balsamic vinegar / lemon
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄3 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- optional: 1 clove garlic/ small piece of onion (10-15g)
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Tahini Orange Dressing
- 3 oranges juiced
- 2 Tablespoon tahini
- 1 piece ginger (about 1 inch)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or other sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional: Some tamari soy sauce
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Find out more about our food philosophy and Vikasa Life Cafe here.
Want to learn more from our Head Chef Boris Lauser? Join our upcoming THRIVE Gourmet Raw Food and Yoga Retreat here.
