VitaBowl’s Vitalize Bowl. Photo courtesy of VitaBowl.
Eating food that promotes good health is undeniably a good idea. That‘s even more true during a pandemic, making it a good time to try VitaBowl‘s healthful, plant-based meal delivery created by a very kickass chef: Dominique Crenn.
The first woman in American to earn three Michelin stars, Crenn is on a mission to heal bodies one bowl at a time. The Frenchwoman behind San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn, she also recently won a James Beard Foundation Award (for Best Chef: West), was the very first female executive chef in Indonesia, and was the focus of a particularly memorable episode of “Chef’s Table.”
Crenn firmly believes that food is medicine. She helped create VitaBowl with the assistance of a world-renowned plant-based nutritionist. Loaded with nourishment and fresh flavors, each meal addresses a specific purpose, whether that be enhancing mood, assisting gut health, or helping digestion.
VitaBowls are freshly made and designed to be nutrient-dense and easily absorbed. There’s a major focus on superfoods, some of which are not very well-known outside Asia. Many of the bowl’s ingredients, including lentils, tofu, and chickpeas, are sprouted for additional nutrition.
VitaBowl’s Rejuvenate Bowl. Photo credit: Karin E. Baker for The LA Beat
These atypical plant-based dishes are influenced by some of Crenn’s favorite cultures, such as those of the Mediterranean, Asia, and Latin America. I tried five and enjoyed them all, with the Rejuvenate being my favorite. Designed to be a mood booster, it’s a vegan variation on classic Mediterranean flavors. An incredible plant-based tzatziki joins falafels made of sprouted lentils and flaxseed, along with kalamata olives, sweet potato, and arugula on a base of quinoa tabbouleh, with a kombucha vinaigrette.
I also loved the Indian-inspired Nourish VitaBowl, featuring coconut curry sauce, sprouted chickpeas, heirloom carrots, pickled beets, and pistachios on a bed of antioxidant-rich Forbidden black rice.
Also available and rave-worthy: the mood-boosting Elevate Bowl (avocado crema, broccolini, shaved brussels sprouts, California almonds, steamed kale, golden raisins, RightRice and heirloom red quinoa with kombucha vinaigrette), the Korean-inspired Vitalize (with wakame (seaweed), sprouted tofu, oyster mushrooms, kimchi, and sesame seeds with creamy Dallae tofu sauce over a bed of sweet potato glass noodles), and the Latin-inspired Balance bowl, featuring carnitas-like jackfruit, black beans, cabbage, chopped garlic, jalapenos, fresh cilantro, and chipotle cashew crema.
VitaBowl. Photo by Karin E. Baker for The LA Beat
Created locally, VitaBowl’s can be ordered here. Each restaurant-quality bowl of high-quality functional food is $12.99.
