The perfect Buddha bowl blends together the best combination of flavors, textures, and nutrients.
Buddha bowls are known for their wholesome, whole-food, and nutrient-dense ingredients—bringing zen to your palate, body, and mind.
In fact, the term, “Buddha bowl” is inspired by the story of Buddha carrying his bowl to fill it with whatever bits of vegetarian food villagers would offer him.
Usually, these bowls are a colorful and an easy way to combine the nutrients of various healthy foods.
So, how can you create a Buddha bowl? We’ve got the perfect recipe!
Below, we offer up the ingredients and instructions for the best Buddha bowl—and dig into how it can enhance your mental wellness, helping you find peace and calm in your daily life.
The cool part about making a Buddha bowl is that you can also prepare ample extra bits of the ingredients.
When stored in the fridge, you can have these ingredients readily available to assemble your bowl for many meals to come. In turn, this takes the stress away from figuring out what to eat while nourishing your body and mind.
So, how can you throw this one together?
If you’ve got a bit of time, let’s prepare all of the incredibly nutrient-dense foods that make up this delicious bowl.
The late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh is well-known for saying,
“The Buddha said, ‘Nothing can survive without food’ — not even love. Without nourishment, your love will die. You can learn ways to nourish your love every day so that your love can continue to thrive. What kind of food are you feeding your love?”
A form of self-love involves what we nourish our bodies with—from the food we eat to the information we allow our minds to absorb. If we want to feel mentally good, we have to start with the basics: What we put in our body.
This Buddha bowl has a lot to offer our bodies and our minds.
Here are a few ways it can elevate your mental wellness and help you find peace amongst the stressors of the modern day.
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The highest antioxidant foods are veggies and fruits. When it comes to this Buddha bowl, there is no lack of these powerful compounds.
Sweet potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, carrots, and more all contain antioxidants. These compounds help fight free radicals in our body, neutralizing them and preventing them from damaging our internal systems and functions.
Studies indicate that antioxidants can further improve anxiety and depression symptoms. They can also combat stress, leading to a better mood.
High-fiber ingredients, such as those in this Buddha bowl, support gut health. There's a growing body of evidence supporting the gut-brain axis, suggesting that a healthy gut microbiome can positively influence mood and mental health.
In fact, 95% of serotonin is made in the gut. Yup, you read that right.
Serotonin, a hormone associated with good sleep and better mood, is largely influenced by the gut and thus, what we eat! By supporting the good bacteria in our gut with plenty of fiber, we can enhance our mental and energy levels.
On top of this, fiber plays a key role in appetite suppression, which can contribute to regular meal times and a healthy weight (as well as prevent cravings in between meals or regular snacks!).
I 110% recommend adding a bit of protein to this meal.
Although we already get some from chickpeas, this is simply no match to lean meats (although, if you’re vegan or vegetarian, adding black beans might be your next best bet).
Protein provides so many benefits for good mental health, including aiding in the production of new brain cells, contributing to the production of hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate our mood, and also regulating blood sugar (like fiber) for stable energy.
It also increases satiation, keeping you full for hours afterward (a huge bonus!).
You can also add a bit of protein of your choice to this bowl. A chicken breast, cut up, goes really well with this dish.
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It’s fairly easy to make (no culinary skills required besides a bit of chopping!). It’s got tons of nutrition; what’s not to love? Plus, you can absolutely throw in your own spin on this recipe by adding your favorite vegetables or lean protein, like fish or chicken.
And, of course, one of the best parts is that you can prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and have them ready for multiple meals over the course of several days (We love a good meal prep!).
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