Falafel bowls are one of the greatest foods to exist. They're healthy, tasty and are customisable with endless variants. I have a falafel bowl at least twice a week and I like to mix them up according to my mood and cravings. They're also great if you have different diet goals. I like to eat a high protein diet so I love including high protein foods such as wholewheat carbs, dark leafy veg and copious amounts of hummus!
Basically, a bowl is divided into 5 components:
Falafels (obviously lmao)
Carbohydrates
Vegetables
Sauce
Garnish and herbs
Now there are endless options for each component but it can be a bit difficult to navigate between the options so I'm going to give you some of my favourites!
1. Falafels
- Aldi's Moroccan Falafels as well as their Mediterranean falafels are divine! They're baked not deep fried so they're healthier and they contain 2 portions within each pack. I like to cut them in half and then bake according to the pack's instructions. Since there are 9 falafels in a pack I normally use 4.5 per portion so I have the same amount of falafels everytime I eat!
- Cauldron's Middle Eastern falafels are a personal fav! They're one of my favourite brands of falafels and they taste very authentic. Like Aldi, these are also baked so again they're a healthier option. They also sell Moroccan falafels but I have yet to try these. If you do try these please let me know what they're like!
2. Carbohydrates
I definitely stick with wholewheat carbs since they're so much higher in fibre and protein than the refined varieties. Here is a list of my favourites.
- Wholewheat couscous
- Bulgur wheat
- Spelt
- Wholegrain pasta, red lentil , chickpea pasta etc (~50g or half a portion)
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Freekeh (this is green durum wheat and we eat a lot in Morocco, You can buy this ready to eat from most supermarkets)
- Wholewheat pita / chapati / bread
- Tortilla cut into triangles and baked at 180 degrees until crispy
- Egg / rice noodles
3. Vegetables
You definitely want a variety of vegetable to get a comprehensive intake of vitamins and minerals. You can do this by 'eating the rainbow' and mixing many different coloured veggies since they're contain different pigments, vitamins and minerals. Here are some vegetables I use regularly:
Carrots High in beta carotenes and vitamin A
(Red) cabbage Extremely high in vitamin C and fibre. Red cabbage has anthocyanins which is a great antioxidant
Beetroot very high in fibre and vitamin A
Leafy greens (kale, spinach, rocket) very high in vitamin K and C
Tomatoes very high in lycopene which has shown to have anti-cancer properties
Cucumber
(Grilled) peppers
Olives high in the important fatty acid oleic acid
Sweetcorn tastes amazing and is high in fibre
Mushrooms
Mixed roasted vegetables
4. Sauce
Without a sauce, falafels can get a bit dry. Sauces are also a great way to incorporating some fats into this meal to make it more balanced. Here are some classics:
Hummus
Tahini (There are the brown (hulled sesame seeds) and light (unhulled) varieties. I use dark as it has a stronger nuttier, albeit bitter flavour. Available at most supermarkets
Pomegranate molasses (You can get this from middle eastern / asian shops and adds a perfect sweet tanginess)
Garlic and Herb dressing
Honey and Mustard dressing
(Garlic) mayo
Chilli sauce
Sweet chilli sauce
Yoghurt / Tzaziki
5. Garnish and herbs
These really refine a bowl and pull it together. These are a must!
Sumac this has a lemony zing to it and is great sprinkled on top of rice and couscous / any carb!
Pomegranate seeds
Black nigella seed (these are found on top of naan and give a lovely flavour when sprinkled on top)
Hard cheeses like Feta, Halloumi etc Feta is best crumbled and halloumi is delicious pan fried
Mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc)
Fresh herbs (parsley, coriander etc)
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