The Buddha Bowl Trend: Why It's On Everyone's Menu

For past few months, our Instagram feed is dominated by artfully arranged Buddha bowls also known as power bowls, hippie bowls and a few more names. Apart from being popular for drool-worthy pictures, Buddha bowls are a wholesome package- think of them as a one pot meal that offer a balance of nutrition, flavors and visual appeal in a limited portion.

One of the reason for increasing popularity of Buddha bowls is that they are a complete meal and can be customized as per choice or availability of ingredients. Not satisfied and want more reasons? Buddha bowls can be improvised quiet easily as one learns to add or subtract ingredients and play around with varied flavors, textures and ingredients that they like. Apart from the ease and convenience of putting together a Buddha bowl, they are also super nutritious as they incorporate a type of protein, whole grains, leafy and other vegetables along with a flavorsome sauce into one meal.

Lets look at the Buddha bowl trend and why its on everyone's menu.

What's In A Name?

Though there are many theories about how the name came into existence, the most popular one states that the low key food offered to Buddha as donation, by local people inspired the name. The original Buddha Bowl was essentially a big bowl of food shared by villagers that became Buddha's meal. 

Why Should I Opt For A Buddha Bowl?

With our busy lives prompting us towards choosing convenience over health in our food habits, Buddha bowls offer a smart option and can be turned into a power breakfast, healthy lunch or a satisfying dinner. A well put together Buddha bowl, combines all the main food groups which are an excellent form of nutrition. The easiest formula to craft a satisfying Buddha bowl is to start with the base ingredient of your choice – choose between whole grains and/or leafy greens and then add chopped fresh raw or sauteed vegetables, a good source of protein and bring it all together with a light drizzle of low fat dressing.

Lets look at some options for crafting a healthy Buddha bowl:

Choose Complex Carb
Brown rice, Quinoa, Corn, Soba noodles, Farro, Amaranth, Bulgar Wheat

Choose Source of Protein (the leaner the better)
Skinless chicken breast, fish like red snapper or salmon, tofu, eggs, lentils, Sprouts

Choose Vegetables (roasted, steamed, raw)
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, green beans, zucchini, spinach

Choose Low-fat Dressing
Extra virgin olive oil + balsamic vinegar, Greek yogurt, honey-mustard

Extra Goodness
Add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts/almonds

Once you have all your favorite ingredients in place, assemble the Buddha bowl for lunch/dinner by tossing the grains/noodles in the dressing to make the base. Layer with chopped veggies and add protein. Adjust the flavor by adding extra dressing if required and top with chopped nuts or roasted seeds. Enjoy! For a breakfast Buddha bowl, simply assemble chopped fruits like bananas, strawberries, mangoes or any fruits of choice, add Greek yogurt/ almond milk, add granola and top with slivered almonds or chia seeds. Oh, what a fabulous way to start the day.

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