Not a chef or a confident cook? No problem! This super simple (and delicious) sweet potato and balsamic chicken buddha bowl comes together in no time. Best of all, you can enjoy it at any time of the day!
Buddha bowls are my favourite solution to the objection – “I want to eat healthily, but I don’t know how to cook.”
With Buddha bowls, you don’t need to be the best cook. All you need to do is ensure you have a combination of complex carbs (whole grains, potatoes), vegetables (spinach, kale, greens), protein (beans, legumes, lean meats, fish or poultry), and some healthy fat (avocado, or a dressing) on your plate.
You can prepare the carbohydrate, vegetable and protein elements by boiling, grilling or steaming. And you can make a dressing simply by combining olive oil with any vinegar of your choice and seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper.
The combinations you can create are endless! Can you see how easy it is to eat healthily?
Great!
Today’s Buddha bowl includes baked sweet potato (complex carbs), balsamic chicken (protein, peas), vegetables (spinach, cherry tomatoes), and baba ganoush (healthy fat, vegetables).
Baba ganoush, if you’re unfamiliar is a dip made from aubergines (eggplant) and spices. The recipe is almost identical to hummus. The only difference is that you make it with aubergines instead of chickpeas. If you’d rather a ready-made option, I’d highly recommend Odysea Aubergine Meze.
Nutrition Highlights
Beta-carotenes are vitamin A precursors, which are important for vision, skin health and immunity. Sweet potatoes and spinach are excellent sources of beta-carotene. This bowl provides 144% of the recommended daily intake (rdi).
Protein is crucial for muscle mass retention, growth and repair. As we get older, our protein needs increase. Chicken is an excellent source of quality protein (provides all the essential amino acids we need in adequate quantities). Peas and spinach are also protein sources. This bowl provides 47g of protein.
Dietary fibre is crucial for gut and heart health. Peas and spinach are excellent sources of dietary fibre. This bowl provides 9.9g of dietary fibre.
Iron is one nutrient that many women struggle to get enough of in the diet. Chicken is a great source of iron, and peas and spinach are excellent plant-based sources. Whenever you eat plant-exclusive meals rich in iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C alongside to boost the iron absorption. This bowl provides 29% of the RDI
Folates are a vitamin B that are crucial for women especially those in their reproductive years. Peas and iron are excellent sources of folic acid. Folic acid is important for DNA synthesis and acts as a cofactor for many proteins in the body. They also play a role in spinal cord development in babies. This bowl provides 90% of the RDI
Print
Sweet Potato and Balsamic Chicken Buddha Bowl
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 1
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
Description
A simple and delicious sweet potato and balsamic chicken buddha bowl
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, sliced and baked
- 50g baby spinach
- 50g peas
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 20g sweet corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon baba ganoush
For the chicken
- 1 medium chicken breast, diced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine balsamic vinegar, honey, and garlic powder in a small bowl then set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan, then add chicken and thyme. Fry for three minutes, turning frequently. Add the balsamic mixture and toss the chicken to coat evenly. Fry for a few more minutes until chicken is browned and tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the bowl, base the bowl with spinach. Top with sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, peas, cherry tomatoes, chicken and baba ganoush.
- Sprinkle with chilli flakes if you wish. Enjoy!
Notes
Replace chicken with tofu or tempeh, and honey with agave syrup for a plant-exclusive buddha bowl.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 1
- Calories: 458
- Sugar: 20.4g
- Fat: 9.9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 9.9g
- Protein: 47g
- Cholesterol: 113mg
