Hey y’all! Today’s recipe post is part 2 of a healthy lunch box meal prep series I’m doing with Monbento where I’m sharing 5 Make-Ahead Healthy Lunch Box Ideas using their popular Bento Boxes, MB Jars, and MB Water Bottle. In this post, I’m sharing this Autumn Harvest Nourishing Buddha Bowl, which is the perfect plant-based lunch, especially in the Fall and Winter months.
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This healthy recipe is 100% gluten free, vegan, and plant-based.
How to Prepare this Buddha Bowl In A Jar
If you’re not familiar with Buddha Bowls, they’re a one-bowl meal that’s typically plant-based. In most cases, each ingredient is cooked instead of raw like a salad, which is why Buddha Bowls are so delicious served in the cooler months.
If you don’t like eating salads during the Fall and Winter months, you’ll definitely want to try a Buddha Bowl. And, feel free to add an animal-based protein, such as chicken, beef, fish, etc.
For today’s Buddha Bowl, I’m keeping it 100% vegan with a homemade Tahini Dressing, Quinoa, Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Beets, Chickpeas, and some sauteed kale and broccoli for my greens. Each layer is individually seasoned so it’s packed with flavor!
And, I’ve found the best way to prep Buddha Bowls days in advance is salad-in-a-jar style where we layer the ingredients. This way, it’ll keep for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
Autumn Harvest Nourishing Buddha Bowl | Vegan & Plant-Based
Video
Ingredients
For the Buddha Bowl:
- 1 C. Uncooked Quinoa
- 2 C. Water
- 15 oz Can of Chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 2 C. Sweet Potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 1 C. Beets, peeled & cubed
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil
- Seasonings to Taste: Sea Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Cumin, Garlic Powder)
- 2 C. Kale, de-stemmed
- 2 C. Broccoli Florets
- Juice from 1/2 Lemon
For the Tahini Dressing:
- 1/2 C. Tahini
- 1/4 C. Lemon Juice
- 6 Tbsp Water
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- Dash of Paprika & Cumin
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add in 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low-medium, add a lid, and let that simmer for about 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Once it’s done, turn off the heat and leave the lid on. Then, fluff it up with a fork.
- For the Tahini dressing, in a mixing bowl, add the tahini and lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Then, add in the water and continue whisking until all of the lumps are gone. Next, add in the minced garlic, sea salt, paprika, and cumin. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and beets to the baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and season (to taste) with sea salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Bake for 20-30 or until tender and roasted.
- Steam the broccoli florets and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Add the kale to a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water. Cover with a lid and let saute until wilted to your liking. Once wilted, add the juice from half a lemon along with sea salt & pepper, to taste.
- In a mixing bowl, add the rinsed chickpeas and season lightly with sea salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. Toss to combine.
- To assemble, separate all of the Buddha Bowl ingredients into 4 equal parts. In the MB Jar or a Mason Jar, add 3 Tbsp of the Tahini Dressing. Then, layer the jar in this order: quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and beets, chickpeas, kale, broccoli. Add a lid and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- When ready to serve, you can mix everything in the jar and eat it from the jar. Or, dump everything into a bowl, mix, and ENJOY!
Nutrition
Looking for More Healthy Lunch Ideas?
If you’re on the search for more healthy lunch recipes, I’ve listed a few of my favorites below!
- Turkey Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (grain free and paleo)
- Pecan Butternut Squash Chicken & Wild Rice (gluten free)
- Loaded Burger Bowl Salad In A Jar (grain free & low carb!)
- Meal Replacement Superfood Smoothie (for boosting weight loss)
- Creamy Salmon Salad (great for sandwiches, wraps, etc.)
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Monbento, and I did receive compensation for this post. All of the opinions are my own. Thank you for your support! It is because of you that I’m able to maintain this blog and continue posting new recipes and content for y’all.
This is my new lunch obsession. I used marinated beets and roasted the broccoli with the sweet potatoes. So good. I look forward to lunch every day now and am not hungry in the afternoon.