Buddha bowls are dishes made up of little bites of everything. Usually, a portion of grain or starch, a smattering of protein, and a selection of both raw and cooked vegetables. The whole point of buddha bowls is balance.
Popular ingredients are rice or quinoa for the grain element. For protein, popular choices are tofu, chickpeas, and beans. You can add meat to buddha bowls. For raw veggies, kimchi, avocado, and kale are often used. Cooked vegetables like snap peas or broccoli are popular options too.
When it comes to buddha bowls, there really aren’t any rules. To create a buddha bowl, pick your favourite ingredients and get munching. The only real rule seems to be that it’s eaten out of a bowl!
Why are they called Buddha bowls?
For some, the name comes from the idea that they resemble the belly of the Buddha. Others believe it comes from the idea that Buddha would carry a bowl with him and people would offer food as a donation. Either way, we know buddha bowls are a great way to get a balanced diet.
Do Buddha bowls have to look good?
Aesthetically, they are neatly arranged bowls full of vibrant food and lots of colours. They are great for an Instagram moment or impressing others with your cooking. Artfully arranging your buddha bowl isn’t essential, though. It is good fun, but we cannot confirm whether it improves the taste. You’ll have to try it for yourself, and let us know.
Three Buddha bowls you need to try
At Mindful Chef, we’re committed to improving diets for the whole family. Below are three of our favourite healthy recipes for buddha bowls for you to try.
Miso & cashew aubergine Buddha bowl
This vegan buddha bowl is loaded up with the good stuff. Sticky aubergine, glazed in rich cashew butter and white miso, charred tenderstem broccoli; and vitamin-rich avocado halves. It’s a great option whether you want to try making your buddha bowls look artful, or if you’re simply looking for a filling, healthy meal.
Miso aubergine buddha bowl & tamari nuts
This vegan rice bowl is almost too pretty to eat. Wait, we said almost! Slices of decadent avocado, a vitamin E source, are paired with sweet carrot ribbons and tamari-roasted cashew nuts. As well as gooey aubergine, cooked in a sticky-sweet miso marinade.
Mexican sunflower mince buddha bowl
This buddha bowl has a Mexican basis but is just as beautiful. The filling sunflower mince is brilliant at soaking up flavour, and here we dress it with garlic, Mexican spice mix and smoky chipotle. Tomato salsa, grated carrot and avocado join on a bed of quinoa. Enjoy for a different twist on the Asian buddha bowl.
If you try out any of these delicious buddha bowls, make sure to tag us in your posts on Instagram. That is, if you manage to snap a photo before demolishing your meal!
Buddha bowls not your thing? We have hundreds of other healthy recipes perfect for a balanced diet. Whether you’re after pork recipes, beef recipes, chicken recipes, vegan recipes, or fish recipes. We’ve got you covered!
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