Gluten Free Buddha Bowls

🍚 Ingredients

As the story goes Buddha would walk the roads and paths wherever he went accepting food from locals. At the end of the day the Buddha would eat whatever foods people put in his bowl. Be flexible, try different combinations aiming for at least five different foods. This is what I put in my bowl.

• brown rice, quinoa or any gluten free grain
• cucumber
• spinach
• cabbage or bagged coleslaw mix
• red pepper
• bean sprouts
• Mango - This is a must in my bowl!
• peanuts, green onion and/or cilantro
• Optional Protein: cubes of cooked chicken, marinated or smoked tofu

Peanut Dressing

• garlic clove
• peanut butter
• lime juice
• gluten free soy sauce
• honey or maple syrup
• sesame oil
• olive oil

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Instructions

I encourage young people (and the rest of us) to make their own signature bowl. On restaurant menus I see food bowls called a Nourish Bowl, Glory Bowl, Bliss Bowl and Power Bowl. Name all your recipes, make them your own. Having fun in the kitchen creating food you like is the key to enjoying healthy homemade meals.

They can be vegetarian, vegan or include meat. Repeat what you consider the winning combinations.

Variations

Use this list as a guide. Keep it simple enough that the individual items shine, yet enough variety so it isn't boring. Follow the seasons and you'll have even more variations to enjoy.

Base – Start with rice noodles, gluten free soba noodles or grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet or cooked sweet potato.

Plant-Based Proteins – Make a nutritious, protein rich bowl by adding tofu, beans or legumes like lentils and split peas.

Animal Proteins – For meat eaters a small amount of sliced beef, pork, chicken, fish or seafood and hard-boiled eggs are all options.

Leafy Greens – Choose spinach, kale or other greens in smaller amounts than you would use in a salad.

Vegetables – Use a variety of raw and/or cooked vegetables.

Raw veggies – red pepper, cabbage, cucumber, radishes, snow peas or bean sprouts.

Cooked veggies – steamed, roasted or grilled veggies could be carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans or sweet potatoes.

Fruit – For something sweet and juicy add a handful of berries, any chopped fruit like mango (a must in my bowls) or apple. Avocado is also a popular choice and technically it is a berry.

Garnish and Crunch – Finish off your artful presentation with fresh herbs, nuts or seeds.

Dressing/Finishing – Although a sauce isn’t mandatory many bowls are topped with a drizzle made from tahini or even a thin hummus. I topped this Buddha Bowl with an Asian inspired peanut dressing.

More Healthy Food Bowls

If you love bowls as much as I do, they're a great way to feed a picky crowd and get more vegetables on your plate each week. These are some of my favourites.