Food Uniform: Keto Bowl Basics
We own some great cookbooks. And while they’re beautiful pieces of art, they’re also almost completely useless.
Photo my Emily Scott for Mother Mag
I know that I’m not being fair. I have learned from them in the past and they’re definitely fun for a weekend project, but I don’t see them as books that actually help people eat well on a regular basis.
It’s difficult to believe that anyone has the time or interest to cook by complicated, time-intensive recipes day-in and day-out. Who wants to put in the effort to buy specific ingredients, prepare and clean up a complicated dish just to prepare a single meal? Especially when the product doesn’t even turn out that much better than a simpler alternative.
The foundation of our own diet is something we call a ‘Keto Bowl’. It's a simple dish with endless varieties and it’s perfect for eating simply and well, even in a small space.
The basic structure is simple and always the same: herb salad + protein + veggies. By varying the core ingredients and relying on simple yet nuanced cooking techniques, this understated dish will feel new almost every evening. It also has the benefit of being just about as healthy as possible, so you can reliably prepare it for the rest of your life!
Let’s start by laying out the basic Herb Salad, then follow-up with a few ways that you might change things around. In the end, you’ll want to follow your own preferences, while sticking true to the essence of the dish. Enjoy!
Herb Salad:
● A bunch of cilantro
● A bunch of fresh basil
● Mesculin mix w/ chopped baby bok choy
● Avocado
● Fresh Lime Juice
● Extra-virgin olive oil
Optional: nuts (macadamia, walnut, pecan, etc.), sprouts (broccoli, alfalfa, kale), hemp seeds of other delights
Basic Keto Bowl:
● Herb Salad
● Pan-roasted grass-fed beef (ground, ribeye, or hanger), fish, eggs, or other protein
● Charred or roasted veggies (asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels)
You can switch up the dish in about a million ways and it will always be healthy, fresh, and exploding with flavor. Nine times out of ten, we prepare it exactly as described above and it takes delicious (and different!) every time. If do you want to mix it up, here are a few sources of inspiration.
Nordic Bowl:
● Herb Salad w/ apple cider vinegar instead of lime juice
● Scrambled eggs
● Salmon Roe, smoked kippers, sardines, or other fish
● Extra macadamia nuts on top
Bok Choy Bowl:
● Herb Salad w/ roasted baby bok choy and mung bean sprouts (no mesculin mix)
● Shaved fennel
● Roasted asparagus
● Seared salmon
Egg Bowl:
● Scrambled eggs w/ chopped, thick-sliced bacon and cilantro
● Sprouts on top
● Use celery sticks to eat
● Optional: salmon roe (or other) on top
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from tiny house living, it’s that simple things matter most. In a world of constant connection, it’s important to remember that variety is no longer something that needs to be searched for. Instead, it’s inevitable in the application of simple principles.
It’s taken us our entire lives to ease into a tradition of elegance through simplicity, but through that transition we’ve come to appreciate the beauty in the small variations. Regardless of your path, we hope you find some inspiration while you're here!