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Winter Buddha Bowl That's Loaded with Nutrients

By Holly Darnell, RD

January 28, 2025

During wintertime, there's less overall enthusiasm for a salad for obvious reasons: less fresh ingredients, salad is a cold dish and most of us prefer warm dishes during the cold weather months, etc. (Speaking of, you should still try our butternut squash salad, as that is a warm salad!)

Instead, try this winter bowl, a play on the Buddha bowl concept. It can also be referred to as a winter grain bowl. Using sweet potatoes and wild rice as the base, it's best served warm and can be an ideal lunch or dinner. It's loaded with nutrients and will please any palate.

What is a winter Buddha bowl?

These days, Buddha bowls are all the rage. Also known as grain or macro bowls, they have a balanced blend of the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat and protein.

Typically, a grain bowl contains five ingredient groups: whole grains, veggies, protein, dressing and sprinkles like nuts or seeds. This winter bowl features wild rice as the grain, and then it goes with winter veggies for that portion: namely nutrition-rich sweet potatoes, red onion and Brussels sprouts.

For the protein, rather than adding a meat, the wild rice is cooked with Ancient Nutrition's Bone Broth Protein Butternut Squash. This sipping broth makes for a great way to cook this rice and add both flavor as well as valuable protein. With 15 grams of protein per serving, this Bone Broth Protein also features collagen types I, II and III, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid as well as 18 amino acids.

The maple Dijon vinaigrette completes the sophisticated, warming flavor of this dish. It's highlighted by apple cider vinegar.

Nutrition facts: a powerhouse

Each hearty bowl is 380 calories, so it's a perfect size for a lunch. You can also use a half-serving for a starter at dinnertime. Macros include 52 grams of carbs, 12 grams of fat and 17 grams of protein.

Vitamins? This sweet potato bowl is loaded with them. For your Daily Value, it provides 237 percent of vitamin A, 145 percent of vitamin K and 71 percent of vitamin C.

It’s also full of minerals, reaching 36 percent of magnesium, 37 percent of phosphorus, 38 percent of zinc, 40 percent of copper and 65 percent of manganese. It’s like having a multivitamin/mineral in a bowl.

How to make a winter Buddha bowl

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.

In a medium-sized stockpot, get ready to make the wild rice with bone broth. Add three cups of warm water and two scoops of Bone Broth Protein Butternut Squash (you can also use Bone Broth Protein Pure). Turn to medium heat and whisk well to combine.

Add the wild rice to the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook the rice for around 50 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, add sweet potato, red onion, garlic powder, cumin, olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Mix until combined. 

In a separate small bowl, add Brussels sprouts, olive oil and sea salt. Stir until combined. 

Place both the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts mixtures on a lined baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sweet potato is fork tender and Brussels are crispy. 

While the vegetables are roasting and the rice is cooking, make the maple dijon vinaigrette. 

In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Whisk until combined; taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. 

Final step, assemble the winter bowl. Place arugula, wild rice, sweet potato and red onion, Brussels sprouts and microgreens in a bowl. You can mix them all together or place them in sections. Top with maple dijon vinaigrette and serve.

If you choose to serve a half-portion as a starter or side salad, consider serving with our delicious chicken pot pie or mushroom risotto.

More healthy bowl recipes

• High-protein breakfast bowl

• Quinoa bowl

• Liver and onions bowl

• Broccoli slaw

• High-protein chili

Recipe developed by Holly Darnell, RD. Holly is a registered dietitian nutritionist who unlocked self-love at the intersection of exceptional food and practical solutions for healthy living. She’s passionate about helping others make simple, positive lifestyle changes on their individual path to healing.