Hello, January! Nice to see you. I may or may not be excited you’re here, but am ready to reset.

Let me preface this by saying: this little DIY Buddha Bowl tutorial post was written for you guys, at your request! Yep; January is upon us… and we’re all trying to make better, healthier, and smarter food choices as we reset our bodies and minds. To be honest; I totally get the “post-turkey and pumpkin pie- and then I ate all the Christmas cookies” remorse and hype. And, the beginning of the year is always a pretty good place to start- wouldn’t you say? Actually, ANY day of the year is a good place to start. It’s all about investing the time to stock up our fridge with real-food ingredients and start assembling unprocessed, Buddha Bowl style-meals. The more you do it, the easier it gets. It’s not a diet, but a steady lifestyle change.

So, let’s start of by asking- what is a Buddha Bowl? Am sure everyone has a different definition or conceptualization- but to me; it’s essentially a bowl of goodness made from a variety of whole, real, and nourishing foods. As opposed to cooking a set dish or single handed recipe i.e. vegetarian chili, zucchini lasagna or chicken enchiladas; you are cooking a variety of good carb and veg staples that you’ll later use as your buddha bowl base and toppers. Hey, you can even play with a variety of veg or dips like hummus, baba ganoush or guacamole.

1. Buddha Bowl Base Staples

• brown rice
• quinoa
• millet
• soba noodles
• sweet potato noodles

I literally live off these staples as my “healthy carbs”. I also love to add rice noodles or brown rice pasta to the mix. So satisfying and filling and, they don’t send your blood sugar spiking as do ahem…. other white carbs!

   2.  Buddha Bowl Toppers

• roasted brussels sprouts
• roasted mushrooms with tamari sauce
• grilled or roasted zucchini
• hummus or baba ganoush
• avocado with chilli oil, chia and chilli powder
• good ol’ guacamole
• grilled protein; tofu or chicken
• greens! any and all salads
• roasted chickpeas
• roasted carrots and leeks
• roasted or pickled beets
• a soft-boiled or crispy egg
• three-bean salad

Then we move into my favorite part; the toppers! they have assorted veg; either crudités or sautéed carrots, mushrooms, beets, brussels, or creamy avocado (which is technically a fruit) but you get the idea! They can have plant protein in the form of hummus or black beans or lentils… or you can add animal protein in the form of a soft-boiled or crispy egg or some grilled salmon, or hormone-free chicken. Entirely up to you! That’s the beauty of a Buddha Bowl; not one is like the other and they’re easily customizable.

So here’s my proposal: every Sunday (or whenever works for you) prep 1-2 base staples. And then make a batch of my fresh hummus, hard-boil some eggs, slice and dice some veg to keep in the fridge for snacking ( *potentially* on said hummus) or to sauté on a whim for an omelette or scramble. Also, try to roast 2-3 of your favorite vegetables at once; back to back. Mine are usually brussels, cauliflower, and carrots…

Make a batch of my pickled red onion guacamole or try my winning lemony tahini on top of roasted veg. And boom, off you go. Stock up your fridge with good-for-you-food.

And so many of you wanted deets on the sumac roasted sweet potatoes I made live last Sunday… so here you go, the easy little recipe that will have you coming back for more. 😉 If I may suggest- top them with my lemony tahini drizzle. You can thank me later. x