Healthy Buddha bowl recipe with roasted sweet potato and lemon tahini dressing — high protein, high fibre, anti-inflammatory lunch idea for women

Nourishing Buddha Bowl

Nourish
March 10, 2026•2 min read

✦ REST DAY RECIPE ✦

Nourishing Buddha Bowl

Plant-based · High protein · Made with love

Nourishing Buddha bowl with roasted sweet potato, spiced lentils, bulgur, fresh greens, apple, seeds, pecans, feta and homemade lemon tahini dressing — high protein anti-inflammatory lunch recipe by Sarativity holistic nutritionist Sara Tam"

SARA’S NOTE

This is the bowl I made on my first real rest day in months! I didn't plan it, I didn't track it, I just cooked slowly, with music on, and let nourishment feel like an act of care rather than a task to check off.

Want to read the full story behind this bowl? I Gave Myself a Day Off. Here's What Happened.

macros for the buddha bowl

INGREDIENTS

🌾 BASE

  • ½ cup Bulgur, cooked in stock

  • ⅔ cup Green lentils, cooked

🥬 GREENS & VEG

  • 1 handful Baby spinach

  • ⅓ cup Cabbage, shredded

  • ¼ cup Bell pepper, diced

  • ¼ cup Red onion, sliced

🍠 ROASTED

  • ½ cup Sweet potato, cubed & air fried

🍎 FRESH & TOPPINGS

  • ⅓ Apple, thinly sliced

  • 1 tbsp Feta, crumbled

  • 2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds

  • 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds

  • 2 tbsp Pecans

🍋 LEMON TAHINI DRESSING

  • 2 tbsp Tahini

  • 1 lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1 tbsp Olive oil

  • 1 clove Garlic, grated

  • 2–3 tbsp Warm water, to thin

  • pinch Salt + cumin (optional)

METHOD

1. Toss sweet potato cubes in olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Air fry at 400°F for 15–18 minutes, shaking halfway, until caramelized at the edges.

2. Cook bulgur in stock according to packet instructions. Warm lentils in a pan with a little olive oil, garlic and cumin until fragrant OR rinse, drain and use from the can as is.

3. Make the dressing: whisk tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Add warm water gradually until pourable. Season to taste.

4. Build your bowl: start with bulgur and lentils as the base. Layer spinach and cabbage, then arrange sweet potato, pepper, onion and apple on top.

5. Finish with feta, seeds and pecans. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini dressing and serve immediately.

Magic plate breakdown of the buddha bowl into 1/3 veggies, 1/3 protein, 1/3 starchy veg or grains and healthy fatsfull macro breakdown of recipe to educate busy women on where the macro sources come from. The goal is awareness not to obsess or calorie count!


🌿 Rest day note: Dressing keeps in the fridge for up to a week. This bowl is anti-inflammatory, grounding and deeply nourishing which is exactly what a recovering nervous system needs.

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Sara Tam is a Holistic Nutritionist, Health Coach, and Educator based in Ontario, Canada. She helps high-achieving women in their 30s nourish their bodies, regulate their energy, and build a sustainable relationship with food and life all without the guilt or the hustle. When she's not writing or working with clients, you'll find her cooking slowly, walking her dogs, cozying up with her hubby and kitty or doing a puzzle in her favourite chair.

Sara Tam

Sara Tam is a Holistic Nutritionist, Health Coach, and Educator based in Ontario, Canada. She helps high-achieving women in their 30s nourish their bodies, regulate their energy, and build a sustainable relationship with food and life all without the guilt or the hustle. When she's not writing or working with clients, you'll find her cooking slowly, walking her dogs, cozying up with her hubby and kitty or doing a puzzle in her favourite chair.

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