I was reading recently about the food in America vs other cultures. It brought up the point that most other countries eat a specific “style” of food, based off of their cultural heritage and the resources (aka soil and weather) that they have. Since they pretty much eat locally, it helps to keep them healthy. In America, we tend to eat quite a variety of foods, over process them, sell them cheaply, and tend to be ion the unhealthy side of things.
And I thought, well this could be true. But surely there is a way to eat a variety of foods, from a variety of cultures, and still be healthy. I know that for me and my husband, being vegan means that we often can’t eat at local, seasonal restaurants. But many Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, and Thai restaurants serve healthy foods we can eat.
And then – what would happen if you combined more than one culture?
Which has brought me to today’s recipe. A buddha bowl – some cooked foods, some raw, some protein, some carbs, lots of flavor. But today’s Buddha Bowl is mexican-inspired, featuring black beans, peppers, heat, and more.
Black Bean Buddha Bowl:
Makes 2 servings
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 avocado
2 tbsp salsa
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp water
pinch of sea salt
Drain and rinse the black beans. In a pot, add beans, salt, nutritional yeast, and spices on medium high heat. Add in the water and stir until heated and mixed together thoroughly. In a bowl, add half of the beans, rice, spinach, peppers, salsa, and avocado. Repeat in your other bowl – if you’re sharing 😉
Enjoy this full meal-in-a-bowl! Stay tuned tomorrow for a Healthy Living Tip!
Peace and Love,
Jessi
