Poke, burrito, nourish, acai bowls and more! From fast-casual restaurants to meal delivery services, bowl meals are experiencing significant popularity right now for a variety of reasons. Food bowls have become a prominent trend in recent years, reflecting a blend of convenience, nutrition, and diverse culinary influences. Let’s look at how consumers choose to enjoy their meals in bowl format and how you can add them to your current menu offerings.

Extra Guacamole, Please

Fast casual chains such as Chipotle, Qdoba, and Sweetgreen have popularized the bowl format. Bowl meals are highly customizable, and with new food fusions, the combinations are seemingly endless.

Ingredients are prepped and displayed in cold and hot wells during service. Customers can choose their base (rice, quinoa, greens, pasta), protein (chicken, beef, pork, tofu), and toppings (veggies, salsa, cheese, sauces, seaweed), which caters to diverse palates and dietary preferences. Health-conscious customers looking for a nutrient-dense meal packed with fresh veggies can just as easily order alongside customers looking for the extra scoop of queso or guac.

Dine In or On The Go

Easy to pack and transport, bowl meals are ideal for dine-in, takeout, delivery, and on-the-go eating. Not only are they ideal for customers, but establishments will find this menu item extremely versatile and easy to prep for busy meal service. The Matchbox or Shuttle are great oven options for prepping bowl ingredients. Their auto-load and unloading technology allows staff to multitask without worrying about overcooking proteins.

The MiLO, on the other hand, is perfect for kitchens that also need to cook items for service at different temperatures but are limited on prep space. Each cooking cavity in the MiLO can be independently controlled, and the unit is stackable with up to three cooking cavities, making it a cost-effective and space-saving solution for busy kitchens.

Culinary Bowl Trends

Artisanal Asian Soups: More than just instant ramen being made in dorm rooms, large-bowl Asian soups are in the spotlight, like Japanese ramen, Vietnamese pho, and Taiwanese beef noodle soup. These large bowls of soup are comprised of rice, wheat, or egg noodles in complex, rich broths and topped with various items like sliced meat, meatballs, vegetables, bamboo shoots, fresh herbs, and soft-boiled eggs. As these dishes spread worldwide, many restaurants have adapted these traditional recipes to allow customers to customize their noodles, broth, and topping preferences.

Burrito Bowls: Burrito bowls have roots in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. Unlike a traditional burrito wrapped in a tortilla, the ingredients are arranged in a bowl. A classic burrito bowl features a base of rice, beans, protein (such as chicken, beef, pork, or soy), and toppings like salsa, shredded cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. This bowl concept was made famous by fast-casual restaurants Chipotle and Qdoba.

Poke Bowls:  This traditional Hawaiian dish consists of diced raw fish, such as tuna or salmon, marinated in soy and other seasonings. It is typically served over rice and topped with fresh vegetables, seaweed, and sauces. Many establishments offer customizable poke bowls made with cooked shrimp, crab (natural or imitation) salad, and even tofu for customers hesitant to eat raw fish.

Mediterranean Bowls: These bowls start with a base of rice, couscous, hummus, or baba ghanoush (similar to hummus, but made with roasted eggplant). The toppings include roasted meats like lamb or chicken, falafel, marinated accouterments like olives, and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes.

Bibimbap Bowls: This is a traditional Korean dish that means mixed rice. Bibimbap consists of a bowl of rice topped with various cooked vegetables, meat (usually beef), a fried egg, and gochujang (a spicy Korean chili paste). Modern interpretations include other proteins like chicken and vegan options, replacing meat with tofu or additional vegetables.

Nourish Bowls: The Western interpretation of a rice bowl, nourish bowls offer a healthy and balanced meal in a convenient bowl. These bowls typically feature a base of rice, quinoa, farro, or mixed greens, topped with protein options like grilled salmon or chicken, and a variety of roasted vegetables. The aim of these bowls is to provide a balance of protein, fiber, and nutrients, making them a popular choice for health-conscious diners.

The popularity of bowl meals has become a prominent trend in recent years, reflecting a blend of convenience, nutrition, and a wide range of flavor combinations. We understand that the equipment you choose for your foodservice space is crucial to your business’s success. Schedule a culinary consultation with one of our experts today, and let us help you set up your culinary space for success. For more tips on keeping customers happy on their first or 100th visit, check out our blog about maintaining Food Quality Across Multiple Locations.