Our Guide for the Perfect Power Bowl
What if we found the perfect easy healthy meal? Even better, what if we made it fun, flexible, and delicious? Enter the power bowl—a perfectly balanced and nutritious meal that’s just as pretty as it’s tasty. Whether you’re in a pinch, meal-prepping or just looking to diversify your weekly menu, when it comes to power bowls, there are no rules.
What’s a Power Bowl?
If you’ve never heard about this new craze, don’t worry—they’re super easy to master. Also known as “Buddha bowls,” a power bowl is basically just a bowl filled with all your favourite ingredients. They’re pretty similar to a composed salad, but they include nutrient-rich grains and protein to make them more filling and satisfying. A power bowl is meant to help you power through the day with plenty of energy.
A power bowl is composed of a leafy green base, grains, your favourite vegetables, protein, healthy fats, a tasty dressing and whatever topping your heart desires. You can personalize it to perfection! It’s also a great option for meal prepping—all ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and assembled whenever, wherever.
Make it Your Own!
Green Base
Plenty of power bowl formulas use grain as their base, and whilst grains are an essential part of the bowl, greens deserve their moment. Leafy greens are filling, energizing and a great way to add volume and colour to your plate.
Start your bowl with a large handful of leafy greens
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Chard
- Bok choy
Tip: Save a bit of time by buying a pre-washed mix like spring mix, shredded cabbage, chopped greens or even zoodles!
Healthy Carbs
In the past, carbs have gotten a bad rep—however, they’re an important part of our diet and are healthy! Grains and complex carbohydrates offer a variety of nutrients, fibre, and a fair bit of protein.
Add about half a cup of healthy carbs to your bowl
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Barley
- Farro
- Lentils
- Squash
- Sweet potato
- Beet
- Corn
Tip: Meal prep your veggie-based carbs by roasting a whole batch. You can also cut down on prep time by buying pre-cut squash or sweet potato.
Veggies
Here is where creativity and colour come out to play. The variety of vegetables you can include in your bowl is never-ending. Sticking with local and seasonal products is a great place to start to ensure freshness and to support your community.
Veggies can be prepared in a multitude of ways. While roasting a big batch of vegetables at the beginning of the week makes for easy assembly—raw, steamed, pureed or even quickly pickled vegetables are perfect for power bowls.
Add a generous handful or about a cup of vegetables
- Peppers
- Brussel sprouts
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli and cauliflower
- Eggplants
- Cherry tomatoes
- Alfalfa sprouts
Tip: Add some fruit too! Strawberries are great with spinach and arugula, walnuts, feta and balsamic dressing!
Protein
Protein is a key ingredient when it comes to powering one through their day. It is the protein that will keep hunger at bay for hours on end. There are a variety of options for all types of diets.
Add about half a cup of protein to your bowl
- Grilled chicken, turkey or beef
- Shrimps
- Smoked or grilled salmon
- Canned tuna
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Lentils
- Beans
- Tofu (smoked tofu is a great option here)
- Tempeh
- Hemp seeds (three tablespoons of hemp seeds equal ten grams of protein!)
- High protein cheese
Tip: If you’re roasting veggies, add a can of (drained and rinsed) chickpeas to the tray—they’ll be crispy and tasty!
Healthy Fats
A good dose of healthy fats goes a long way in providing the body with the necessary energy and satisfying all those pesky cravings.
Add about two tablespoons of healthy fats to your power bowl
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Olives
- Tahini
- Nut butter
- Olive, avocado or sesame oil
Tip: Nuts and seeds are a great way to add texture and crunch to your bowl!
Toppings
Toppings, add-ons or extras—whatever you want to call them, this is where flavours, fun and personalization really come into play. This is where a power bowl goes from simply fuel to an enjoyable, and particularly tasty meal. Playing with the flavours of your extras is a great way to change things up from bowl to bowl.
Add a sprinkling, spoonful or drizzle of two, three or four extras to your bowl
- Hummus
- Salsa
- Lemon or lime juice
- Fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil, cilantro)
- Cheese (feta and goat cheese are some of our favourites)
- Pita chips
- Nutritional yeast
Dressing
The dressing is important to pull the whole bowl together flavour-wise. A mixture of Southeast Asian ingredients is perfectly finished with a drizzle of a chili, garlic and ginger vinaigrette—just like a bowl packed with Mexican flavours is even better when topped with a cilantro and avocado dressing. Whether you make your own or buy a premade sauce, it will finish your dish!
Add a drizzle of dressing or vinaigrette to finish your bowl
- Balsamic-based vinaigrettes
- Greek dressing
- Satay sauce
- Pesto
- Raspberry vinaigrette
Tip: Don’t forget to season your bowl! Salt and pepper are a great place to start, but as you get more comfortable, feel free to experiment with spices.
Once you’ve made your pick of the perfect ingredients, all there is left to do is prep! Store each ingredient in a separate airtight container and assemble your bowls as you go—feel free to change up your own recipe, as we’ve said, there are no rules, only endless opportunities when it comes to power bowls!
Being healthy doesn’t have to be bland, complicated or boring.