Soup, breakfast cereal, chili, or the occasional risotto have always been eaten out of a bowl. And yes, ice cream is best in a big bowl. But today, bowls have suddenly become fashionable for all sorts of foods _ smoothie bowls, Buddha or "wellness" bowls, raw fish poke bowls, or artfully layered burrito bowls.
On food blogs and Instagram, the "meal in a bowl" idea has suddenly become a part of our culinary vocabulary.
There's something satisfying and healthful about eating food from a bowl, and restaurants have come to realize that bowls are great for more than cereal and soup. They look beautiful and allow customers to choose exactly what they want in each bite.
Unlike plated food, which requires cutting, bowl food can be eaten one-handed, leaving the other hand free to hold a glass of wine. According to USA Today, even Prince Harry and Megan Markle chose to serve "bowl food" to their 600 wedding reception guests. We shouldn't be surprised because for much of the rest of the world eating out of a bowl is quite normal, whether it's Japanese ramen, Vietnamese Pho or Italian pasta.
The growing popularity of bowl food coincides with a focus on healthy eating. Typically, grains, greens, vegetables, and protein are arranged in layers and finished with a sauce or a poached egg _ bringing a variety of flavors and textures together in one bowl. These bowls are loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Dozens of bowl dishes can be created at home and adapted to your own tastes. For instance, try a bowl of roasted beets and feta with vinaigrette, apple, walnuts and kale; grilled chicken, wild rice, shredded kale, jicama, raisins, almonds, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette; or whole grains like quinoa or faro, with Swiss chard, roasted mushrooms, red onion, roasted tofu, sunflower seeds and miso sesame ginger dressing. For breakfast, try a smoothie poured into a bowl and topped with bananas, granola and a drizzle of honey.
