3 Easy Ways To Make Poke Bowls Even Healthier

Full of good fats, fibre, vitamins and antioxidants

PPoke, which means ‘slice’ or ‘cut’ in Hawaiian, is a raw fish salad served over rice and topped with soy sauce, scallions and sesame oil. Other toppings include wasabi, seaweed, chilli, avocado, pineapple or pickled vegetables.

Poke for protein and good fats

Traditional poke bowls are served with raw fish, low in saturated fats and packed with protein, omega three and omega 6.

You can make vegetarian bowls powerful with plant-based proteins such as tofu. Try adding in edamame beans to bump up your protein and boost fibre intake too.

Adding avocado is a quick — and delicious! — way to increase the amount of heart, skin and mood-boosting healthy fats in your diet.

Poke for healthy carbohydrates

Poke bowls are traditionally made with white rice, which is a good source of carbohydrates and fibre but is known as a high GI (glycemic index) food.

High GI foods, like white bread, pasta and shaved ice (another Hawaiian favourite!), are broken down fast in the body. These foods cause a quick rise in blood sugar levels that drop off soon after, resulting in what many people know as a post sugar energy slump.

Food with low GI levels, like brown rice and whole grains, take more time to be broken down by the body. These foods cause sustainable energy levels over a more extended period.

If possible, swap out white rice for brown, or ask for half the rice and extra veggies instead. Opt for beetroot, carrots, and radishes to add colour, fibre, and antioxidants to your poke bowl.

You can substitute rice for other whole grains if you’re making your bowl, such as quinoa. Quinoa’s a complete source of protein which makes it an excellent choice for vegetarians.

Poke for enzymes, minerals and good gut bacteria

The nutritional deal breakers of poke bowls come in the more adventurous toppings. Stick to the traditional soy sauce and skip the creamy toppings, which can be high in calories and saturated fats.

Pineapple’s a nutritious and delicious choice, as it contains an enzyme named bromelain that helps break down protein.

Sesame seeds, often found in poke bowls, provide a healthy zinc hit.

Seaweed contains iodine, while pickled vegetables like kimchi (fermented cabbage) provide healthy gut bacteria.

Overall, the more colourful, the better, when it comes to nutrition, the better.

So, top off your poke bowl with as many green, red, yellow and orange vegetables as you like.

And as a bonus, look out for poke places that nourish the planet as well as your body. In Hawaii, sustainably caught fish and paper straws are the norms, which is great if you’re caught short without your metal straw.

Mahalo!

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