‘Power bowls’ are city’s new health fix

The next time you're about to eat, lay the table and take out some bowls! That's the new craze to eating right now, which can be found in this single round piece of crockery. From sauteed vegetables to lentils with rice, pulaos, salads and ramen, folks are putting their complete meal into it. Called 'bowl food' or power bowls, the culinary trend has become so popular that the internet has been flooded with people hash tagging their #bowlfood pictures on photo-sharing sites. Well-known foodie Nigella Lawson is so taken up by the fad that she calls herself a 'self-confessed bowl addict' and says, "If I could, I'd eat everything out of a bowl." Much like hitting the 'refresh' button on your next meal, here's what the trend is about...



Healthy, based on macrobiotics
Loaded with a variety of ingredients, power bowls are served hot or cold and there is apparently a science to the 'perfect bowl'. It is based on the system of macrobiotics, which is about a perfectly balanced plate. "The power bowl is extremely healthy, especially for those on the go. It should have four elements — a whole grain, a bean dish or tofu or fish. It should have a lot of round and root vegetables, which give sustained energy, one leafy green to make it choloroyphyll-rich and full of magnesia and a dollop of something fermented like a pickled cabbage or kimchi," says macrobiotic nutritionist, Shonali Sabherwal. Earlier, people were putting their granolas, muesli and smoothies into bowls, but now the concept is being tweaked to put a whole lot more into the bowl. Says city-based blogger, Purabi Naha, "Apart from ramen noodles, I have prepared savoury oats in a bowl, where I added a boiled mixture of chicken stock, sugar snap peas mushroom and chicken to oats. I also did couscous with meat in a bowl and it was soul-satisfying." Rather than a plate where you're pushing everything to the middle, a bowl brings everything together. Adds executive Ritika Mohanty, "It's a neat way to eat. There's no spillage since bowls hold grains, seeds and sauces so well."

Make your own healthy bowl
- The bowls pack nutrition at one go! We suggest you try brown rice or quinoa at the base

- Add boiled chicken or cruciferous veggies on the top. Use beans which have protein and tomatoes which have nutrients. Add pine nuts, which boost energy and give iron. Try a basil, lime and mint or a low-fat tahini dressing on top

- The next time, you might twist food etiquette to say 'wipe the plate, errr... bowl clean!' different kinds

- Protein bowls - Usually a nutrient-dense salad bowl with whole grains

- Buddha bowls - Also called 'hippie bowls' they are huge, hearty bowls with vitamins and nutrients

- Broth bowls - Can have soba noodles, and soya or lentils and quinoa in a rich broth

- Quinoa bowls - Has a grain base like quinoa, barley, bulgur or ferro with greens on the top You can also add brown rice to it

- Globowls - These are globally-inspired bowls, for instance, the Oriental ramen bowl (see below)

Source : TOI