This is my idea of a quick, easy, balanced vegan meal. It contains whole grain carbohydrates, a serve of plant protein (100g/3.5oz firm tofu) and loads of fresh vegetables. It’s packed with ALA omega-3 fatty acids (from the flaxseed oil in the tahini dressing), vitamin E (in avocado) and antioxidants and dietary fibre from all the vegetables. Firm tofu is a great source of calcium if it’s set with calcium salts (look for E509 or E516 in the ingredients list), as is unhulled tahini (100mg/1 tablespoon). Enjoy!
To build the bowl:
1. Start with some cooked grain (I’ve chosen brown rice), top with sesame seeds (I used black)

2. Top with raw vegetables (I used carrot, red cabbage, beetroot, cucumber, avocado, red capsicum, spring onion, snowpea shoots)

3. Steam 100g/3.5oz firm tofu or tempeh along with any vegetables that you prefer cooked (I steamed the purple and green cauliflower, green beans and baby corn). I used a bamboo steamer perched above a wok-full of boiling water

4. Prepare the dressing and place on the side

Ingredients for tahini dressing:
-1 tablespoon (20mL) unhulled tahini (you can use hulled tahini if you prefer a milder tasting tahini)
-juice of 1/2 a lemon
-1/2 teaspoon (2.5mL) sesame oil
-1 teaspoon (5mL) of flaxseed oil
-a pinch of salt
-1 1/2 tablespoons (30mL/1oz) water

Delicious Recipe courtesy of:
Lucy Taylor
Lucy’s food journal
Check out more recipes at Bloom Nutritionist