Basic Bowl (n): A meal in a bowl that’s made up of protein, carbs, produce i.e. veggies and/or fruits, healthy fats and something to make it all taste good. It forms the basis of balanced nutrition whilst providing nourishment and joy.
Whether it’s sandwich or a mashup of leftovers, so long as you have some combination of the following food groups, then you are on your way to making balanced and healthy meal decisions.
The Basic Bowl Framework:
Protein (P), Carbs (C), Veggies & Fruits aka fiber (V-F), Fats (F) and Yum Factor (Y) (i.e. something that makes it taste good)
While this is a ‘bowl’, there is no limit to what you choose to eat your food out of. It could be a bowl, a plate, a tray or out of a paper bag. As long as the nutrition you are getting out of it is nourishing you the way you need it to.
Basic Bowl Etiquette
Here are a few things to keep in mind about creating your own bowls.
- There are no food limits or restrictions. Use what you have access to, enjoy and have the skill or capacity to create.
- Canned and frozen foods work as well as fresh foods. You don’t have to make things from scratch (unless you really want to).
- Bowl size is a personal preference and doesn’t really matter when putting your basic bowls together.
- The size of your bowl may contribute to ‘portion’ control only because smaller bowls holds less foods than larger bowls.
- Every bowl will not be balanced and that IS ok.
- Always do the best you can with what you have because imperfectly doable will always be better than perfectly not done.
- For optimal satisfaction, keep things as simple as you need to. Make adjustments where you need AND openly experiment with foods to make them work for your needs. You cannot mess this up.
- Each meal idea shared on this website will reference the food groups involved in it’s creation.
How To Maximize Your Basic Bowls
When At Home
When making your meals at home, a little prep in advance makes it easy to access ingredients to make them with the least amount of fuss.
When Eating Out
When eating out, building your meals with the basic bowl framework i.e. P + V/F + C + F + Y, in mind keeps is the simples way to have an enjoyable food experience. At the same time don’t sweat it if a meal misses any of the components, let your focus be enjoying whatever meal you’re spending your hard earned money on.
General Tips
- Utilize pre-cut and pre-packaged foods to your advantage. Frozen and canned goods provide not just convenience, but great nutrition as well.
- Condiments are your friend. Things like coconut aminos (or soy sauce), tomato sauce, salad dressings and marinades not only add moisture to foods (including leftovers), they add flavor as well.
- Season your food. Explore spices and seasonings beyond salt & pepper.
- Things like poultry and fish reheat best in a pan or skillet. The microwave tends to dry out, making them rubbery and less appetizing.
- If using a microwave to reheat foods like rice, pasta and meats like beef or chicken, place a wet paper towel over food to prevent or minimize burning and drying out.
- Greens like spinach, kale and arugula work well with leftover stir fries and reheats.
- Crunchy vegetables such as cabbage or Brussels sprouts make for great additions to freshly made stir fries and sautéing when cooking from scratch.
- Rice cooked in chicken broth (with a touch of butter) reheats much better than rice cooked in plain water.
- Cold pressed oils such as olive oil work best in salad dressings, marinades and dips, while avocado oil, ghee and coconut oil are most suited for high heat cooking like braising, sautéing and frying.
As you explore the variety of foods available and of interest to you, you will learn the particular things that do help you make the most of your basic bowls. They may differ from what has been suggested above, and guess what – that’s a-OK!