This month I want to write about one of the excellent food trends that is currently popular. This healthy meal choice is a dish where you combine all the ingredients together in a bowl.

The trend came from the US. The aim is to process healthy food and have a fit and healthier lifestyle. I love bowls; they are healthy, balanced, fresh, varied and suitable for every season, and I can take them with me everywhere. You can prepare them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bowls are an expression of our times. We want to eat something as nutritious and healthy, unprocessed and natural as possible. That should give us everything we need, carbohydrates, protein, grains, healthy fats and many vitamins, without needing lots of pots and pans.

Buddha bowls are known as colourful bowls of happiness. It is a mindful form of eating practised by monks in Zen Buddhism. They allow people to eat together, in consciously moderate enjoyment and gratitude in a meditative state in absolute silence. The focus is on the union of body and mind! It is a beautiful art of awareness!

How to prepare a bowl

There are no limits to your creativity; everyone can choose the food they like according to their wishes. The only requirements for a beautiful Buddha bowl are a round bowl and various natural ingredients. For example, you can start with a salad or spinach. You then add carbohydrates like rice, quinoa, bulgur, millet, polenta or sweet potatoes. Mix in some healthy fats from avocados and nuts, protein from beans, chickpeas, lentils or tofu, and vitamins from all sorts of vegetables and fruit. Last, you can spice your creation up with salt pepper, olive oil, lemon juice or prepare other sauces. Then, your bowl is ready to give you energy and happiness!

Igredients:

• ½ cup of quinoa
• ½ cup of kidney beans
• 6 spinach leaves
• 4 slices cucumber
• 4 slices of beetroots
• Half a mango
• 1 tbsp grated carrots
• 2 cauliflower florets
• Half an avocado
• 6 slices of radish
• 2 asparagus spears
• A drizzle of olive oil
• The juice of a half lemon
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Cook the quinoa (one cup of quinoa and two cups of water); when the water is absorbed, the quinoa is ready. Cook the beetroots, cauliflower, and asparagus. Wash and cut the rest of the vegetables and arrange your bowl, starting with the spinach or quinoa, then follow with the rest of the ingredients. Finally, add salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, or other sauces.

Dressing and sauces for your bowl:

• Olive oil and lemon juice
• Hummus
• Aubergine tahini
• Vegan pesto
• Vinaigrette
• Caesar dressing
• Balsamic dressing

Tip: I used kidney beans from the can, but you can also choose dry beans and cook them. Remember to soak the dry beans in water for 24 hours first. I boil the beetroots, but you can buy them already cooked. You can adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your personal needs.

This article was written for Tomorrow Algarve
https://tomorrowalgarve.com/may-2023-litas-healthy-spring-bowl/