LOU’S EAT THE RAINBOW NOURISH BOWL

This December Lou, Health Coach and Mindfulness Teacher, brings you her ‘Eat the Rainbow Nourish Bowl’. This bowl of goodness is not only pleasing to the eye, its diversity of vegetables will ensure your nourish your body and support your immune system.

The goal of a nourish bowl is to combine all of the macros you need so you can rest assured you are nourishing your body with all of the right things in one meal. Nourish bowls are also a great way to help you achieve the main goal of eating to support your immunity – eating the rainbow. Challenge yourself to add as many different colours to your bowl as possible.

As well as helping you to ‘eat the rainbow’ which is vital for boosting your immunity, this nourish bowl is packed with many of the other ingredients I reference in my immune boosting coaching video; garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemon, and fermented veg.

The perfect nourish bowl would consist of:

• Greens: Go wild with your greens and pile them high! Today I’ve gone for kale. You can switch it up by trying spinach, rainbow chard, broccoli or sprouts.

• Protein: Pick any meat you want to add, I like to keep mine plant based so I’ve gone for quinoa today and I also added chickpeas, chia seeds and hemp seeds for more protein. Other plant based options include edamame beans, tempeh, tofu, lentils. The kale, already included, is also rich in protein too.

• Healthy fats: You can never go wrong with an avo. Other healthy fats you can include are chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds. I’ve added avo, hemp and chia seeds today.

• Other Veggies: Aim for as many different colours as possible - I’ve gone for butternut squash, courgette, sweetcorn, carrots, and radishes. Red, orange and yellow peppers are also great to use.

• Carbs: Slow-releasing will keep your energy sustained throughout the day. I’ve gone for quinoa and I’ve also included chickpeas today too. Other good options include brown rice, beans, and sweet potato.

• Add-ins: it’s always good to go for some fermented or picked veg to boost gut health. I’ve gone for pickled beets today. It’ also great to add some nut or seeds, I’ve gone for hemp seeds. Finally, you need a great dressing, I’ve chosen a turmeric and tahini dressing today.

Simply prepare the ingredients and then create your nourish bowl –it’s fun to get creative with these bowls of goodness – I’ve been craving them a lot recently, maybe because I’m craving the balanced, healthy feeling I have when I eat them. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa to which I added a few finely chopped olives and sundried tomatoes

• 1 cup steamed kale

• Handful of sliced radishes

• 1 heaped Tbsp pickled red cabbage

• 1 Tbsp sweetcorn

• Half a courgette – raw (for crunch) and spiralised (for aesthetic, chop into thin coins instead if you don’t want to spiralise it)

• Half an avo sprinkled with 1tsp chia seeds and a squeeze of fresh lemon

• Butternut squash and carrots roasted in coriander seeds, honey, turmeric, ginger and garlic. I like to chop up butternut squash and keep it in my freezer, so I always have some chopped to hand to chuck into casseroles, soups, and to use for nourish bowls. Use a handful of chopped butternut squash and 2 carrots, chopped into coins. Pop on a roasting tray with about 1Tbsp olive oi and 1tsp of coriander seeds, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1tsp ginger, 1 garlic clove and a good squeeze of honey. Mx well and then cook at 180 for around 25 minutes. Stir half-way through.

• Chickpeas roasted in smoked paprika and cumin. Pop a tin of chickpeas onto a baking tray. Coat with a tablespoon of olive oil, 1tsp smoked paprika and 1tsp cumin. Mix well. Pop in the oven at 180 for around 25 minutes, or until slightly crunchy. Stir halfway through. You will have lots leftover which make a great snack to munch on or a great soup topper to add more protein and fibre to your soups – as well as adding a bit more crunch to your munch!

• Turmeric – tahini dressing. This makes enough to use for a few days:

  • 1/4 cup tahini

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid aminos (you can use soya sauce instead)

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• Combine the dressing ingredients in a cup or small bowl and whisk until combined. Chill until ready to use.

• Hemp seeds to sprinkle over the bowl once assembled

Enjoy xxx