Macro Bowl

Author: Live Without Labels   Date Posted:16 May 2017 

 

SO what in the world is a Macro Bowl?

Move over mason jars, the humble bowl is the new hip thing in the wellness world. Whether it be smoothie bowls, acai bowls or salad bowls, when it comes to the health world a good bowl is always a must. I mean, lets face it bowls are pretty much the best thing to eat food out of. Having the raised sides means that there is no danger of losing food off your plate when trying to get every last bit and its makes taking Insta-worthy photos so simple!
As for the macro bowl, or Buddha bowl they first popped up around three years ago as a staple in the macrobiotic diet. The macrobiotic diet is based on principles of Chinese medicine and some Japanese traditions. Its all about having a balance of yin and yang foods within your diet. It revolves around moving away from processed foods, reducing animal products, eating seasonally and in moderation. A traditional 'macro bowl' consists of a combination of grains, vegetables, beans or fish and some fermented veggies.
As for the evolution of the 'macro bowl' so to speak, today macro bowls are more so defined as bowl of food that has a balance of each of the three main macronutrients.
Some of you may have heard of people counting their macros. Basically what this means is some people set targets for the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats that they eat within a day. In order to hit those targets they have to eat foods that will provide sufficient amounts of these macronutrients. These are the ideas that for me represent what a macro bowl is. As for following a macronutrient diet, I definitely see its merits however it is also good to remember that micronutrients also have a vital role in our nutrition and bodily functions. Also, as it is with calorie counting, the diet doesn't so much focus on the importance of the quality of said macronutrients, which as more people are starting to realise is as much of an important factor as say exercise, portion control etc.
So my idea of a nice balanced macro bowl is this:
  • Greens- to get all of those important micronutrients and fibre
  • High quality protein- which as the name suggests provides your body with protein.
  • Carbohydrates- which can be grains, beans and starchy and non-starchy vegetables.
  • Fats- because we all know now how important fats are for satiety, hormones and absorbing the nutrients from our food
  • and the Extras like fermented veggies, as good quality dressing and whatever else suits your fancy

Some of my favourite macro bowl combinations include:
  • Quinoa, pesto greens, roasted pumpkin or sweet potato, avocado and a poached or fried egg
  • Brown rice, miso stir fry veggies, avocado and some salmon
  • Base of spinach with roasted mushrooms, quinoa, tempeh and a lemon tahini dressing
  • Stir fried chinese cabbage and pak choy, miso roasted broccoli and sweet potato with avocado and a boiled egg
 
Macro bowls are so easy to throw together and are often one of my go to meals. Its a great way to incorporate leftovers in a fun and interesting way and most of the time it doesn't take a long time to prepare. But lets face it, the macro bowl's most redeeming quality is its photogenic nature, because if its not on Instagram did you really eat it?