Rainbow Plant-Diversity Buddha Bowl

Recipes for a Happy Microbiome

Some nights you just want one bowl that feels good to eat and good for you. This is that bowl. It leans on a simple idea that researchers keep coming back to: the more different plants you eat across a week, the more diverse and resilient your gut community tends to be. Pile on the colors and let your microbes do the rest.

Prep 15 min · Makes 2 bowls

Why this feeds your flora

Beneficial gut bacteria are picky about fiber — different species ferment different plant fibers. A bowl that mixes leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, seeds, and several vegetables delivers a wide range of prebiotic fibers and polyphenols in one sitting, which is associated with a more diverse microbiome. The chickpeas and quinoa add resistant starch and inulin-type fibers your bacteria ferment into short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, a favorite fuel for the cells lining your colon.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, rinsed)
• 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded beet
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro or dill)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it

1. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper into a quick dressing.
2. Warm the cooked quinoa and chickpeas slightly, or use them at room temperature.
3. Lay the greens in a wide bowl and arrange the cabbage, carrot, beet, avocado and quinoa in separate colorful sections.
4. Add the chickpeas, scatter the pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs over the top.
5. Drizzle with the dressing just before eating and toss at the table.

The takeaway

Count the plants in this bowl — there are around a dozen. Aiming for many different plants each week, rather than a lot of any single one, is one of the most repeatable ways to foster a varied, well-fed gut community.

Recipes foster a healthy environment for your gut flora — they support your microbiome, they don't treat conditions. The most direct way to know which fibers and strains your gut is missing is to sequence it. Flore turns your gut data into a personalized probiotic and prebiotic formula, so your kitchen and your formula pull in the same direction.

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