Buddha Bowl, Nourish Bowl, Veggie Bowl....I could go on with all the different names to call this dish. At the end of the day, it's a bowl full of delicious whole foods that nourish your body and are cooked simply with minimal effort. You really can't go wrong.

To understand how to make a balanced bowl, it is good to have a basic understanding of a few things such as your macro and micro nutrients, how to prepare, steam and roast ingredients, as well as the components of a simple but nourishing dressing. That's not too much to ask is it?

If it is and you're thinking, okay Bethany that's easy for you but I really don't know about all that stuff, don't worry! I'll help you through all of it. Just stick with this article and read on to the end for all of the info, but if you're really eager you can always skip down to the bottom to grab the recipe and try for yourself!

Firstly, I make sure my bowls have the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. I'll go into these a little more in dept in another post but you want to make sure you have foods from each area. In the bowl pictured above, the break down looks like this:

• Protein - baked tofu
• Carbohydrates - purple sweet potatoes, broccoli, kale & mushrooms
• Fats - tahini dressing

You may notice the little bit of pink stuff in the middle of the bowl which is a beetroot sauerkraut (a fermented food) which is amazing for gut health. I like to add a little to my lunches and dinners. That would technically come under the carbohydrate umbrella as it is mostly cabbage, but it also has so much more in there for you!

Once I've picked my favourite ingredients (or what I currently have in the pantry and fridge), I decide what will be steamed and what will be roasted. I love tofu so I always do my Crispy Baked Tofu and I do love roasted sweet potatoes. I prefer cauliflower roasted over steamed also so if I have some I add that in too. Usually my greens and mushrooms get steamed whilst the other ingredients are roasting and then I make the dressing while everything is cooking.

When it comes to which veggies to steam, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, dark leafy greens, brussel sprouts and zuchinni are some of my favs. Pumpkin and sweet potato could be steamed too, but I love the flavour that comes from roasting them.

When it comes to what you put into your bowl, start with your favourite things and keep it simple. One to two roasted ingredients and two or three steamed ingredients. It doesn't have to be complicated!

I've covered the veggies, which are your carbohyrdate sources for the meal, now let's take a quick look at the different protein sources you could use. In our household, we mostly eat plant based, so no animal products. Some plant based sources of protein I often use include:

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Edamame
• Beans (black, red kidney, chickpeas, cannellini, black-eyed)

If you want to venture into animal proteins, you could always add hard boiled eggs, salmon, or chicken just to name a few. However, if you want to get more plants (and more fiber) into your body, consider trying the above mentioned plant proteins.

Lastly for the dressing, this is one of the sources of healthy fats I include. My go to veggie sauce is always a lemon tahini dressing. However, the possibilities are endless when it comes to whole food dressings.

Tahini is made from toasted ground hulled sesame, which is not only an excellent source of healthy fats, but also calcium. manganese and iron (winner winner veggie dinner!). Tahini is great as a base to to make a creamy dressing without any dairy products so something I always have in my pantry.

When making a good dressing, you need your balance of flavours such as savoury, sweet, salty and acidic. I usually start with tahini, add the juice of a lemon, some pure maple syrup and salt and pepper. You can add more things to create a greater depth of flavour such as miso or mustard, but for a basic and quick dressing, this is my go-to.

So those are my basic building blocks for a seriously good buddha bowl. Not too hard right? Have a go yourself with what you've got in the fridge and pantry and build yourself a nourishing bowl of whole foods your body will absolutely thank you for.

To help you out, I've included the recipe for the bowl pictured above. Let me know if you try it by leaving a comment below or tag me on my Instagram @thehappyrepublic

Whole Food Veggie Buddha Bowl

Serves approx 4 

Ingredients

• Approximately 2 medium sweet potatoes cubed
•  500g firm tofu cubed
• 1-2 heads of broccoli chopped
• 5-6 kale stems, leaves torn
• 250-200g mushrooms quartered
• 1/4 cup hulled tahini 
• 1tbs pure maple syrup
• half large lemon 
• salt
• pepper
• 1/4 - 1/2 water 

Method

1. Toss cubed sweet potatoes in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (you can use any other spices or herbs you may like, for example smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, or another great combo is rosemary and garlic).
2. Spread potatoes onto a lined baking tray and place in a 200C degree oven for approximately 25-30 minutes or until they begin to crisp on the edges.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, place cubed tofu into the same bowl and toss through with tamari and onion powder, then add 1tbs of tapioca or cornflour and toss to coat well. Here you could also experiment with flavours like adding 1 tsp of sesame oil and/or honey.
4. Spread the tofu on another lined baking tray and place in the 200C oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges begin to brown.
5. While the tofu and potatoes are in the oven, place the remaining veggies in the steaming basket and steam for between 5-10 minutes, depending on which veggies you have used. Keep an eye on them taking care not to over cook them (hint - you want them bright green with a slight crunch to them).
6. For the dressing, place tahini, juice of the lemon, maple syrup, salt pepper and water and whisk until mixed together. You may find the dressing looks to split but keep whisking and it will come back together. Taste and adjust if you need more acid, sweetness, salt etc.
7. When all veggies are done, assemble in a wide bowl and drizzle and generous amount of dressing on top, then mix and ENJOY!

This is just one of the bowls I make at home as it is one of my 'easy dinners' that I can use up whatever is left over in the fridge or when I feel like I really need a good dose of whole foods and veggies. 

You can make it your own by using what ever whole foods and flavour/spice combinations you love. Don't forget to tag me, comment or contact me if you have any questions!

Love & light,

Bethany