Wholefood Buddha Bowl Recipe (In Less Than 5 Minutes)

When you are in the habit of regular meal planning, making highly nutritious meals just gets easier and easier. You can make delicious, healthy meals like this Buddha Bowl in a matter of minutes when you have the wholefood ingredients already prepared and on hand.

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RECIPE: Wholefood Buddha Bowl In Less Than 5 Minutes | Eat Nourish Glow

Buddha Bowls are a simple and healthy meal to make. The recipe is usually vegetarian-based, served in a small bowl or high-rimmed plate. It is made up of small portions of different foods, served warm, but more traditionally, cold. These may include whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice, plant proteins such as chickpeas or tofu, and vegetables.

On a budget? Buddha Bowls are excellent value for money. You can easily use up leftover roasts and odd portions of cooked meat, and find salad ingredients pre-chopped for very cheap at the grocery stores these days. You only need a little of each ingredient to make up a bowl and other than sourcing nutritious food choices that are good for you, there are no hard rules in making a Buddha Bowl.

What Goes In Buddha Bowls?

What makes a Buddha Bowl? Buddha Bowls consist of a mixture of ingredients (small servings of different foods) all nesting a in one serving bowl. Typically, this will consist of a mix of veggies, cooked meat, healthy fat, a grain, and a little seasoning. Buddha Bowls are really quite simple to make and a fantastic way to use up those small portions of your leftovers.

Try preparing a bowl using all of these ingredients:

• Whole grains such as cooked barley pearls, brown rice, couscous, or quinoa

• Vegetables of all types either raw or cooked

• Protein such as from animal meat or from vegan sources

• Dressing to provide a kick of flavour, but sparingly

• "Salad sprinkles," which are crushed nuts, seeds, chopped herbs or sprouts.

Are Buddha Bowls healthy? They most certainly are IF you focus on using wholefood-based ingredients from organic and lean, clean sources. Always choose a high fibre grain to start your bowl, and pair this with equally high fibre vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, celery, leafy greens, or sweet potatoes.

Key Ingredients Used

INGREDIENTS: Quinoa Used To Make A Healthy, High-fibre Buddha Bowl Base

Quinoa is a fabulous gluten-free source of dietary fibre and due to this fibre, helps you feel full, reducing food cravings. Its a whole food grain that I regularly recommend switching to instead of white rice for those working on weight rebalancing. Quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that make up your muscles, bones, skin, and blood, and must be obtained from food daily — your body cannot produce or store them.

1. quinoa grain: quinoa provides a high fibre "grain" for those on gluten-free diets. It is super filling and excellent for weight loss and improving gut health.

2. fresh or cooked vegetables: consuming a wide variety of raw or cooked veggies in one meal make Buddha Bowls a staple recipe in my kitchen. Choose ingredients that are naturally full of fibre, brightly coloured and provide different flavours and textures.

3. healthy fat: the avocado used in this recipe is a source of healthy fat and help makes this salad filling and satisfying.

These are the main ingredients used, however there many other way to make it which I will share below.

Healthy Variations

Aside from the basic ingredients of grain, fat, protein and veggies, you can really boost the nutrition and flavour of this meal by adding a variety of other healthy ingredients.

• plantbased protein: use vegan sources of protein such as tofu, tempeh, all kinds of beans or green peas and chickpeas. Seeds such as pumpkin and chia also contain protein. You don't need to be vegan to enjoy the benefits of these foods!

• animal protein: if you aren't vegan or vegetarian, you can use any meat or animal product that adds protein to your bowl. Choose from cooked eggs, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, prawns, salmon and other seafood. Dairy products like cheese and sour cream also provide some protein.

• nuts & seeds: both nuts and seeds provide plantbased sources of healthy fats and protein. Crush larger nuts and combine them with seeds for a crunchy topping.

• fermented foods: add a small serving of kimchi, sauerkraut, or pickled vegetables to gain natural probiotics for your gut health in your salad bowls.

• fresh fruit: yes, that's right. Chop up fresh fruit to add to your bowl. This provides a burst of juicy fibre to your bowl and adds a heap of flavour. I love using finely chopped mango, watermelon, or apples in mine bowls. Berries are also a fantastic, and a nutritious, high fibre option.

One of the best parts about this salad recipe is how simple it is! It'll literally take you only a few minutes to throw together, and is very easy to meal prep and create a few pre-made lunch boxes for later in the week.

Food Sensitivities

Is quinoa gluten-free? yes it certainly is and provides an excellent and nutritious alternative to wheat and other gluten-containing grains. Quinoa is a nutritionally dense whole grain that provides a higher amount of antioxidants than other common grains eaten on a gluten-free diet. It's also one of the few plantbased foods that is considered a complete protein.

How To Make A Wholefood Buddha Bowl

RECIPE: Wholefood Buddha Bowl In Less Than 5 Minutes | Eat Nourish Glow

This Buddha Bowl recipe is super simple to make with whatever fresh or cooked veggies you have on hand. I love experimenting with this basic recipe using combinations of raw or roast veggies, plus leftover protein like hummus, roast chicken, prawns, or tofu. They are easy to meal prep (especially if using up leftovers) and provide an easy way to ease into a more plantbased diet and eat clean and healthy.

Wholefood Buddha Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, plain or seasoned

• 1/2 Hass avocado, sliced

• 1 handful leafy green lettuce, organic

• 1/2 red capsicum, sliced

• 3-4 cherry tomatoes, chopped

• 1/2 cucumber, sliced into wheels

• 2-3 tbsp hummus, organic

Method

In a serving bowl, nestle the cooked quinoa to one side. Fill in around it with the remaining ingredients (as pictured). Add the hummus last as a dressing.

Batch Cook & Meal Prep

Yes, you can batch cook quinoa. Making extra batches of quinoa takes only a few more minutes than making a single batch. Simply triple or quadruple the ingredient portions. Once cooked, portion out and store in sealed glass or plastic containers to enjoy a quick and easy breakfast, in salad bowls or a stir fry. Sealed tubs will keep fresh for 4-5 days in the fridge if kept air-tight. Or for up to 2-3 months in the freezer.

Other Recipes You'll Absolutely Love...

If you love quinoa or just want to experiment, be sure to check out my Quinoa Mango "Scrappy Salad" Bowl Made In Less Than Five Minutes. You'll find more tasty recipes like the above inside my 7 Day Meal Plans all geared towards supporting a wholefood diet.

Emma Lisa, Nutritionist & Women's Practitioner

Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women's Health Practitioner with over 14+ years experience in wholefood nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women's health and anti-diet culture. When she's not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, cooking in her test kitchen and a wellness digital creator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

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Healthy + happiness,

Emma Lisa xx

HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER

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