Why Bhudda Bowls are January's most comforting food trend

Keep it simple and pile all your food groups in a single dish, says Phoebe Luckhurst
Beat 'Blue Monday' with a Bhudda bowl
@superfoodrunner

The days are dark, the thundersnow is swirling. You covet rest and relaxation more than anything else — including money, which is saying something when you haven’t been paid since mid-December.

And you are loath to exert yourself unduly, therefore everything must be simple and straightforward, including — especially — your meals.

This is the appeal of Buddha bowls, which are emerging as January’s most comforting food trend.

What’s more, for a month typified by hysteria about sugar, they’re remarkably sensible. You don’t need to dehumidify all your food, or chew everything through the scythes of a NutriBullet. Just put it in a bowl.

Specifications are loose but, roughly, Buddha bowls comprise layers of greens, grains and starch, proteins, nuts and seeds, daubed with light but creamy dressings, such as peanut-butter hummus or parsley and lemon zest. They are so named because the best bowls are so packed that their tops are rounded like a Buddha’s stomach, and draw on principles from Chinese and Japanese medicines.

The make-up of the bowl is supposed to be useful for reducing toxins and minimising your risk of chronic diseases.

In terms of making your own, the remit is wide. However, disciples recommend using raw or steamed greens such as kale or spinach, and roasted potato cubes, brown rice or buckwheat for the base layers, then topping with lean proteins like chicken, chickpeas, eggs or salmon. The final layer should be colourful — avocado, obviously, works well — and the top something zesty like a citrus-based dressing. Alternatively, those creamy dressings will mix well with all the layers in the bowl.

The hashtag has been attached to more than 50,000 photos on Instagram, and an account that collects the “best Buddha bowls on Instagram” has 50,000 followers. Captions coo about nourishment and comfort food, and devotees share recipes enthusiastically, complimenting others’ inventive use of ingredients (popular emojis include the green heart and branch of leaves).

(Plainfully Nourished)
plantifully nourished

Buddha bowls Instagram well: there is a rainbow of colours and textures. But they are also a fun game: packing in all the ingredients is like a game of superfood Tetris, and you get to eat the spoils afterwards.

Other advantages: they’re a good mid-week dinner — the mixture of carbohydrates and protein mean that it will replenish weakened muscles after a workout. And, if you’re clever, you will pick a larger bowl, which will legitimise you having a dinner of feastly proportions.

Follow Phoebe Luckhurst on Twitter: @Phoebeluckhurst

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