The Kroger Co. is tapping into the growing trend of customizable bowls with its guide to building Perfect Bowl recipes.
According to Google Trends, searches for “Buddha bowl” are up 100% and “vegan recipes” are up 140%, so the recipe suggestions — including plenty of fresh produce and whole ingredients — reflect changing consumer preferences while highlighting fresh produce as a key player in the popular bowl-based dining trend.
“Bowls are a perfect template for a fresh and hearty meal that are easy to prep ahead of time for a lunch away from home or no hassle dinner,” Carlo Baldan, group vice president of fresh merchandising for Kroger, said in a news release. “Make mealtime fun with a build-your-own bowl night where everyone can help with dinner. Start with a grain base like rice or quinoa and customize with your family’s favorite fresh ingredients, proteins and toppings.”
Kroger suggests these popular styles of bowl builds:
The Buddha Bowl: A classic Buddha bowl is a one-dish vegetarian meal with lots of veggies, protein-packed tofu and savory turmeric tahini sauce.
- Base — Rice is a typical Buddha bowl base, but grains like quinoa or couscous can be used as substitutes.
- Protein — Chickpeas, beans, lentils, tofu or meat options like beef, fish or chicken.
- Vegetables — Fresh, roasted or sautéed vegetables, like sweetpotatoes, peppers and mushrooms.
- Sauce — Usually a creamy tahini sauce, or swap in a favorite sauce or dressing.
- Toppings — Try toppers like fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes and coconut.
- Recipe to try — A classic vegan Buddha bowl, packed with rice, Brussels sprouts and tofu.
The Poke Bowl: Only four key ingredients are needed for this bowl that packs a ton of flavor.
- Base — Typically sticky rice, or switch it up with sweetpotatoes or eggplant.
- Protein — Cubed ahi tuna works best, but consider tofu as a great vegetarian option.
- Sauce — Soy sauce, miso or spicy mayo bring the flavors of this bowl together.
- Toppings — For texture, add sesame seeds, cucumber or any other crunchy toppers.
- Recipe to try — This classic poke bowl recipe, inspired by the traditional Hawaiian bowl with ahi tuna marinated in umami flavorings.
The Rice Bowl: The most customizable bowl allowing for maximum variety and creativity.
- Base — White rice, brown rice, yellow rice, basmati or jasmine are all options.
- Protein — Customize this bowl with proteins like beef, chicken, fish or edamame.
- Vegetables — Bok choy, flavorful sprouts and tasty green onion will give this bowl a fresh crunch.
- Sauce — Sweet Korean barbecue, spicy sriracha or even a favorite salad dressing.
- Toppings — Get creative with fruits, nuts and other garnishes to add a variety of flavor.
- Recipe to try — A tasty cilantro steak bowl recipe, with fresh nectarine slices for a refreshing twist.
Build-your-own Bowl: Create a custom bowl to suit any meal — even breakfast — or get creative when reheating leftovers. Simply mix it in with other bowl staples for something delicious and flavorful.
More bowl-building ideas and dishes are available at Kroger’s blog, The Fresh Lane, with more than 50 bowl recipes and inspiration for breakfast, lunch and dinners, the release said, including these ideas:
- Harvest Bowl.
- Greek Green Bowl.
- Burger Bowl.
- Teriyaki Beef Bowl.
- Breakfast Quinoa Bowl.
