A nourish bowl is a wholesome and nutrient rich meal that is also an excellent option for a healthy yet delicious lunch/ dinner. They are so versatile!
So how do you create a nourish bowl from scratch?
Here are 5 easy steps!
1. Choose a base- any carbs of your choice like quinoa, red rice, couscous, whole grain pasta, etc. You could even use a leaf base with lettuce, kale or arugula. But I’m a true blue bong, so I need my white rice once a day 😛 I generally end up using that.
2. A protein main- lean chicken or turkey, lentils, eggs, fish, chickpeas, kidney beans, cottage cheese, etc. There are endless varieties to choose from!
3. A side- you could choose from roasted sweet potatoes, stir-fried or grilled veggies, falafel, etc. Whatever makes you happy 🙂
4. A fresh salad- Eat the rainbow as they say! Get creative here. You can add cabbage, carrots, sprouts, microgreens, kale, spinach, coleslaws, the works.
5. A dip/ healthy fats and other add ons- To amp up your nourish bowl, add a dollop of any homemade sauce, yogurt, tahini, guacamole, nut butter, sour cream, etc. Healthy fats are such a comforting and a delicious add on.
I will share 4 such nourish bowl ideas, with recipes for a few of them. The main objective is to give you an idea of how to create such a bowl that’s perfectly customised to your taste and preferences and make your lunches truly wholesome!
So for the first nourish bowl, I used white rice as my carb and also chose good old rajma (red kidney beans) as my main protein. Sides were some homemade roasted plantain chips. For greens, I threw in some steamed zucchinis, pickled purple cabbage, kale and carrots. All finished off with a big dollop of Icelandic skyr yogurt.
2. A rainbow nourish bowl for some healthy and scrumptious lunch inspiration 🥙
Yogurt and herb grilled chicken thighs with baked sweet potato fries, kale rice, fresh coleslaw (no mayo) and pickled baby radish. All homemade from scratch 🤍
I love kale rice!
It’s one of the best ways to use your leftover rice and make it nutritious. Just stir fry kale leaves in lots of garlic, shallots & dried red chillies & finish off with a sprinkling of dried fenugreek (kasuri methi) after adding the cooked rice.
If you love coleslaw, but want to avoid using mayo, then read on for a lip-smacking healthy version 🙂
Finely slice some purple and green cabbage along with carrots. Prepare a sauce by mixing hung yogurt, salt, pepper, lime juice, crushed garlic and honey/ agave in a bowl. Add little water and make a slightly thick batter. Throw in the chopped veggies, mix well and keep refrigerated until serving. So delicious without the nasties 💯
3. Next up is the Mediterranean style turmeric and almond rice; rosemary, garlic and lemon chicken with a side of sumac roasted veggies; finished off with some zucchini 🤍
I really enjoy creating these rice bowls that are not only delicious but also loaded with goodness!
Here’s the recipe of the chicken and yellow rice. Super easy and yum!
For the chicken- Marinate the chicken breasts with olive oil, fresh rosemary, lime juice, grated garlic, salt and paprika for 30 mins. Place a slice of lime & a rosemary sprig on top and bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes at 210 C. Juicy and perfectly done!
For the rice- Heat a tsp of butter in a deep bottomed pan and fry some chopped garlic and shallots. Add the chopped almonds (skin removed) and fry for a minute or two.
Now throw in basmati rice, 1/2 tsp of turmeric and mix everything well. Add water (for 1 cup rice, 1.5 cups of water) and season with salt. Cook until the rice is all done and fluffy.
4. Vietnamese noodle bowl 🥙
Saving the best for last 😀
This nourish bowl is a Vietnamese style vermicelli noodle bowl.
A delicious bowl comprising of fresh herbs, lemongrass prawns, cucumber, radish, rice noodles topped with peanuts and a generous squeeze of lime and sriracha🤍
It’s so flavourful and has a wonderful balance of sweet/ savoury and tang!
There you go! It’s as simple as this. Go ahead and create your own nourish bowl and stay healthy! Feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section.
Bon Appetit 🙂
the bruised frypan 