Nutrition: Best ingredients for your macro bowl dinners

Cyclists don't always have time for complicated dinners. But grabbing a easy and nutritious meal post workout doesn't need to be complicated. A macro bowl is the fresh and quick solution

Canadian Cycling Magazine December 11, 2016

by Kimberley Doerksen

A rather unimaginative name gave rise to one of the best food trends in the past few years. A bowl full of wholesome ingredients was adequately named the “whole bowl” otherwise known as a macro bowl or a Buddha bowl. Instagram is laden with bright and beautiful photos of many different renditions of this phenomenon.

There are countless variations of the whole bowl, but it always follows the same pattern:

– start with a base of greens (kale, spinach, collards)

– follow with a good serving of carbs (quinoa, brown/wild rice, yams, squash)

– add in some protein (eggs, legumes, pulses, chicken, fish)

– then some veggies (any and all are great choices)

– top with healthy fats (nuts, avocado, nut butter, tahini) and any other treats (dried fruit, fresh fruit, cheese, basically anything)

– gobble it up.

It’s a fool-proof dinner that has an endless number of options. This week, I opted for a sushi inspired bowl. Working with tofu is something that I haven’t experimented with very much as my father, who is the primary consumer of any food I make, isn’t a fan. Knowing that I was making a tofu-inclusive dinner, he promptly came home with his own rotisserie chicken. Like I said, these bowls have an infinite number of options.

SUSHI STYLE BUDDHA BOWL INGREDIENTS:

– 1 bunch kale, shredded

– 1 box alfalfa sprouts

– 1 beet, peeled and grated

– 1 avocado, deseeded and sliced

– 1 yam, washed with skin on

– olive oil

– salt and pepper to taste

– 1 package extra firm tofu

– 1 egg

– ½ cup sesame seeds

– ¼ cup chia seeds

– optional: 1 jar pickled ginger, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Take the tofu out of its package and place in a sieve lined with paper towel. Place a heavy can on a piece of saran wrap on top of the tofu to help press the excess liquid out. Leave for 20-60 minutes.

3. While the tofu is draining, slice the yam into ½ inch slices and place on to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Brush oil over both sides of the rounds, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 mins, then flip and bake for an additional 8-10 mins, or until tender. Remove and set aside.

4. Once the tofu has drained, slice the block into three longitudinal pieces. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tsp water.

5. Combine sesame seeds and chia seeds on a plate. Place the tofu into the egg bath, then place into the seeds to coat. Repeat for all three pieces.

6. In a large skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp oil and heat over medium heat. Once hot, place seed-crusted tofu pieces into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes a side. They should brown and create a crispy exterior. Remove from the heat and cut each slice into 4 pieces. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce and soy sauce if desired.

7. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl, and top with any additional garnishes.