Have you heard about these new delicious, healthy combo dishes?

Poke and Buddha Bowls are the latest trend in healthy eating. This updated version of a combo plate comes in a bowl and is tasty, highly nutritious and easy to prepare.

These low-calorie dishes are made from fresh ingredients (especially vegetables and fish) and offer a great supply of vitamins and minerals.

While Poke bowls started with the native Hawaiians (who used to eat raw fish seasoned with salt for preserving), the Buddha bowl, as its name suggests, has its origins in Buddhism (a mostly vegetarian religion), with its main ingredients being vegetables.

Poke Bowl Makeup

The secret of “Poke” (“cut into pieces” in Hawaiian) is the quality of the ingredients that go into it. The combination of textures and colours will depend, to a large extent, on personal taste and imagination:

– Base: white rice

– First layer: raw fish (tuna or salmon) chopped into pieces and marinated in soy sauce

– Second layer: a mix of seaweed, avocado, cucumber, fish roe, sesame seeds, spring onion, chilli pepper, and pickled or fresh vegetables.

How to prepare a Buddha Bowl Buddha Bowls often contain different food groups with the goal of creating a unique and nutritious dish.

Base: Leafy greens (lamb’s lettuce, endive, spinach, rocket, cabbage, lettuce hearts, etc.)

First layer: Carbohydrates (quinoa, brown or basmati rice, oats, buckwheat, potato, carrot, sweet potato, rice noodles, pasta, couscous, etc.)

Second layer: Protein (chickpeas, beans, lentils, tofu, chicken strips, prawns, hard-boiled egg, omelette, etc.)

Third layer: Vegetables (courgette, aubergine, cucumber, broccoli, red or green pepper, onion, etc.)

Fourth layer: Fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.)

Fifth layer: Dressing (aioli, vinaigrette, hummus, vegetable pâté, lemon juice, etc.)

To make a Poke or Buddha bowl, you don’t have to add very exotic, sometimes difficult to find, ingredients (açaí, maca, kale or chia). You only need to add fresh and seasonal ingredients for an affordable, fast and healthy dish.

This post is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)