Nourish Bowl: weekday edition

What is a Nourish Bowl?

Nourish bowls, also known as buddha bowls or macro bowls, are well-balanced, healthy meals containing a good portion of nutrient dense vegetables and/or fruits, carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. They make for a light and healthy lunch, dinner, or meal-prep ideas.

1 —

Protein

Forms of protein can come from either animal or plant based products. I find using things like eggs, tofu, and beans + pulses in salads help to boost the protein % of the meal without having to purely result to using meat. I’m not vegetarian, however, I do try to consciously balance out my meals throughout the week.

2 —

Carbohydrate

For this part of the meal, I like utilising grains. Quinoa, couscous, buckwheat and wholegrain or wild rice. All containing a minimum 21g of carbohydrate per 100g serving, makes them a perfect addition to any nourish bowl.

On the other hand, using things like roasted butternut squash or sweet potato would also cater to a healthy Carb%.

3 —

Fats

Things like avocados, feta cheese, fatty fish and nuts are all good examples of balanced ‘healthy fats’.

Natural fats shouldn’t be something people are scared of. Dietary fats are not just a source of energy; they function as structural building blocks of the body, carry fat-soluble vitamins, are involved in vital physiological processes in the body, and are indispensable for a number of important biological functions including growth and development.

Things like extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil and full fat yogurt, are also good balanced options when making things like dressings.

4 —

Fruit + Veg

When it comes to fruit and veg, the world really is your oyster. And whilst adding fruit to food may seem weird, produce such as cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, peppers (basically anything that contains ‘seeds’) is actually classed as a fruit, and things that tend to grow in the ground, e.g. carrots, potatoes, squash etc are what’s classed as vegetables. In order to achieve higher nutritional value, fruit + veg is best eaten raw (not cooked) as through the cooking process many of the natural vitamins and minerals can be lost.