DIY Macro Bowl
There is nothing better to reboot your system than a simple and grounding macro bowl dinner. These are so delicious and super easy to throw together. It's the perfect way to use up leftover grains and veggies lying around your fridge. I love macro bowls because to me, they are the most BALANCED meal. The whole foundation of macrobiotics is based on the principle of yin and yang- aka balance. Here is the basic formula: They contain a complex carbohydrate/grain (brown rice/quinoa), a protein source (tempeh/beans/tofu), raw goodness (sprouts), loads of miconutrients and vitamins from the bountiful amounts of veggies, minerals and iron from the sea veggies, and healthy fats (Gomasio, tahini dressing, avocado, etc). Best of all, you can totally make it your own! I like adding some raw probiotic sauerkraut because it really aids in digesting all of these vitamins.
Do you ever feel like you have been neglecting your normally balanced diet? I know that when I'm performing on tour in foreign countries or other states, it's often difficult to eat as healthily as I normally would because of limited availability, weird schedules, etc. Now, that's not to say that I don't maintain my plantbased diet, but sometimes I have to eat more processed food than I normally would and a lot less greens and smoothies. For example, when I was performing in Minneapolis, the only places for food were Applebee's and Walgreens. I lived off of various snacks, oatmeal from Starbucks with added Philosophie Green Dream powder, fruit, and a conspicous picnic box from the shelves of Walgreens that contained unrefridgerated hummus with an extended shelf life. Sometimes you have to make compromises and just do your best.
Sometimes school or work gets busy, and you're too exhausted to cook your own meals. This was definitely the case for me when we were rehearsing La Bayadere this week with the legendary Natalia Makarova. She's such an inspiration and a lovely lady, but she's very particular. I was lucky if I stayed up past 8:45 this week; was so exhausted from working so hard in order to please her. The last thing I want to do when I'm that tired is cook, so I usually just stop by my favorite food places for dinner such as: Sweetgreen, Juice Press, Organic Avenue, Whole Foods, Hu Kitchen, etc. I'm lucky because I live in a city where healthy food is so readily available. For some, lazy meals can be limited to greasy takeout that can throw anyone's body out of balance if it becomes routine.
Macro bowls are the solution to any of the aforementioned conundrums (don't judge, I like that word).
Example macro bowl:
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/4 roasted kabocha squash,
- a large handful of kale and collard greens, steamed
- 1 tablespoon sauerkraut
- 1/4 head of broccoli, steamed
- serving of tempeh
- handful of alfalfa sprouts
Creamy macro bowl sauce
- 1 tbsp ACV
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- dash of agave
- 2 tbsp nut butter (tahini, peanut butter, cashew, almond, etc)
- water to desired consistency
- dash of garlic powder (optional)
There really isn't much to explain for the prep. You can either roast or steam your veggies. I roasted the kabocha after lightly spraying it with coconut oil at 400 F for 40 minutes. For the tempeh, if I'm really lazy I steam it, but usually I pan fry it in a bit of coconut oil.
Go all out and dust it all with a little gomasio and kelp flakes!
I think everyone can use a bit of macrobiotics in their life! If you have more questions about macrobiotics, definitely google it and read the book "The Kind Diet."