It would be impossible to follow healthy food trends across the various realms of social media and not have been stopped in your scrolling by an image of a beautiful, abundant, colorful bowl often lovingly referred to as a Soul Bowl, Buddha Bowl, Smoothie Bowl, or Nourish Bowl. These vibrant creations have ignited a movement towards bowl-centered meals that combine clean proteins, healthy fats, and abundant antioxidants that offer the body all it needs to thrive and glow from the inside out!
Nourish bowls have an infinite number of variations and can be easily adapted to suit seasonal produce and personal taste. They can grace a breakfast, lunch, or dinner table and their colorful nature means they are usually enjoyed by those familiar with healthy cuisine or those new to the world of quinoa, kale or turmeric! They are a wonderful way to introduce people to the concept of eating for both health and pleasure. So give them a try and don’t forget to take a snap to share too—positive change always comes through education and inspiration.
Matcha Kiwi and Avocado Smoothie Bowl
Serves 1
Smoothie bowls are such a great way to enjoy everything you love about a smoothie, with a little extra fun and nourishment. If you find your morning smoothie doesn’t sustain you for too long, try topping it with some extra nuts, seeds, dried fruit, fresh fruit, oats or buckinis. You can also try adding a teaspoon of plant-based protein for a little extra substance.
Ingredients:
1 banana (preferably frozen)
½ a ripe avocado
2 leaves of kale, stems removed
¼ tsp of orange zest
1 tsp of matcha powder
½ tsp of gigner powder
1 kiwi fruit (skin removed)
1 tsp of coconut oil
½ cup of your favourite plant-based milk
Directions:
Chop up your banana, avocado and kale and place them in the blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour your smoothie into a bowl and top with:
1 tsp of buckinis
1 tsp of pumpkin seeds
1 tsp of coconut shreds
1 tsp of dried rose petals (optional)
A few slices of blood orange for garnish.
Enjoy with a spoon!
The Super Green Bowl
Serves 2
Creating nourishing colourful bowls of food like this is my favorite way to eat and share food with others. They are incredibly versatile, so feel free to add in any of your favourite vegetables that you may scoop up at the weekly market. This is perfect with the green pea hummus dip or Green Goddess Dressing (recipe below). I love the sesame and goji berries as a contrast in this bowl.
Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) zucchini
1 small head of broccoli (around 8 florets)
1 bunch of asparagus
12 Brussels sprouts
2 small yellow squash
3–4 large stalks of kale
1 tsp of sesame seeds
1 tsp of goji berries
Directions:
Wash the zucchini and chop off the top and bottom. Spiralise the zucchini with a spiraliser (if you don’t have a spiraliser, simply use a regular vegetable peeler and peel into long thin strips, much like you would peel a carrot).
Steam the asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and squash until tender. Check after 5 minutes and then watch closely, remove the vegetables from the heat as soon as they reach your desired taste. I like to keep them quite crunchy and vibrant.
Remove the stems from the kale and chop the leaves finely. Place the chopped kale in a small bowl and add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of salt. With your hand, massage the kale with the lemon, oil, and salt until it begins to soften and wilt. This makes it more digestible as well as tastier.
When you’re ready, assemble the vegetables in your bowl—the zucchini noodles, broccoli, sprouts, squash, asparagus, and kale.
Spoon on a good tablespoon of pea hummus and a drizzle of Green Goddess Dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and goji berries.
Feel free to add a little extra lemon and salt to your liking.
Green Goddess Dressing
Having a good salad dressing on hand makes for easy and delicious lunches and dinners. This dressing is bursting with vibrant ingredients and is the perfect addition to the Green Bowl, or to jazz up any mid-week salad! It will keep 3–4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Ingredients:
1 cup of mixed fresh herbs (basil, parsley, coriander, mint)
2 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp of almond butter
2 tsp of nutritional yeast
½ tsp of salt
1 teaspoon of tamari
1 inch piece of ginger
¼ of a ripe avocado
1 cup of filtered water
Directions:
Simply place all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a squeezy bottle for easy use, or a glass jar, and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Enjoy!
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Kelly Fielding is a passionate writer and raw/vegan chef who combines her love of writing with her forays into health and wellness. She is the author of Bella and Bhakti, which offers information about plant-based living and vibrant nourishing recipes, as well as inspiration to encourage others to share their own passions and dreams. You can also contact Kelly for catering and healthy lunch deliveries through her Sunshine Coast-based business Nourish Noosa.