How to Build a Balanced Bowl

Building a balanced one bowl meal is easy, especially if you follow some easy principles from Ayurvedic cooking philosophy. The Ayurvedic diet, which focuses on whole foods, is an eating pattern that’s been around for thousands of years and can help you maintain a healthy mind as well as healthy body. There are 6 tastes in Ayurvedic cooking, each of which has a vital role to play in our physiology, health, and well-being. The 6 tastes are bitter, astringent, sweet, sour, pungent, and salty. The 6 tastes compliment one another while affecting the body differently, and our bodies naturally crave all of them. (Learn more about Ayurvedic cooking)

To build a tasty, nutritious bowl that will satisfy everyone, you will start with 6 components that feature each of the tastes. You can pick a theme such as Southwest, Thai, Mexican, whatever inspires you, and based on whatever you have in your pantry and fridge. You’ll start with a hearty base component, such as a grain, and then add your cooked veggies, your raw veggies, a protein (veggie or meat), a fat, a sour dressing, etc.

If you’re feeding your family, prepare all the components separately, have them all ready in separate bowls, and let everyone assemble their own bowl. The bowls are customizable and everyone can add whatever amount they want.

One example bowl could include the following: quinoa, roasted butternut squash cubes, raw kale, cherry tomatoes, roasted chickpeas, coconut aminos, tahini dressing, sesame seeds. An ideal balanced bowl is made with fresh ingredients and is colorful and pleasing to look at.

Tips: for a low carb bowl, skip the sweet base (grains) and use salad greens. For a low fat bowl, skip the oil and use a little avocado instead.

Watch this fun video to learn more about making a balanced bowl.