Poke bowls are popular healthy meals that many people are currently raving about. This Hawaiian specialty is made with marinated ahi tuna, served with savory sauces and vegetables. If you prefer plant-based poke bowls, there are vegan options Poke Bar offers to vegan customers.
Poke Bar bowls primarily contain fish, but there are vegan options that the staff can serve if you want only veggies and other vegan-friendly ingredients. The restaurant serves a whole-food plant-based version called vegan poke bowls for vegetarians. These delicious bowls have rich flavors and contain beets that give the same quality flavor and texture as poke.
If you can’t believe it, read on to understand how the vegan poke version tastes like the original poke. There are also some interesting things to know about beets like why this unusual ingredient is chosen by Poke Bar to serve vegan diners.
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What Type Of Food Can You Find In Poke Bar?
Poke is originally a local dish from Hawaii and the word means to cut crosswise into pieces or simply, to slice the raw tuna into cubes. While it’s a Hawaiian-American food it mainly features Japanese cuisine such as sesame oil, green onions, and soy sauce.
In 2012, poke bowls became popular among North Americans. As years passed by, a lot of creative chefs in restaurants explored new ingredients to offer more varieties to customers across the continent.
Poke Bar serves Hawaiian poke bowls that are mostly made with tuna fish, green vegetables, and flavorful sauce. While they also serve meat, the restaurant has been known to offer vegan options that include a mix of tofu and other plant-based proteins.
A lot of customers looking for healthier food options are turning to this restaurant because of their famous marinated beet poke, which is mixed with spicy mayo and colorful veggies to create a wonderful combination of flavors in a bowl.
The most popular toppings include avocado, corn, edamame, onions, pineapple, ginger, cucumber, and seaweed salad. For the vegan sauces, they only use house sauce and sweet chili to spice up their vegan poke bowls. The staff is knowledgeable when it comes to the vegan-friendly meals you can order so don’t be shy to ask.
Instead of brown rice or white rice, you can have kale noodles with your soup. The best thing about dining at Poke Bar is that the bowl is freshly made in front of you. If you want to take home some poke bowls, they use compostable takeout bowls with plastic lids.
Is Poke Bar Miso Soup Vegan?
Vegan poke bowls now offer miso soup which contains onions and tofu marinated in ginger soy sauce. It also comes with avocado, cucumber, red cabbage, and rice for a nutritious meal bowl. You can enjoy it for a healthy snack, lunch, or dinner and it’s so easy to prepare which may only take around 20 minutes.
Other vegan-friendly ingredients that can be added to miso soup include radish, lime wedges, carrot slices, and diced pineapple chunks or mango. The grain used is either cooked black or brown rice, however, quinoa is also a great option.
If you want to enjoy poke bowls but don’t eat fish or meat, you can try the Poke Bar miso soup. This is the ultimate vegan poke bowl that offers all the deliciousness in one savory meal. The small bowl of soup helps boost your immune system as roasted garlic may be added.
What Is In FOB Poke Sauce?
The signature FOB Poke Sauce contains Hawaiian soy sauce, sesame oil, and house soy sauce along with zesty mango sauce and creamy cilantro. FOB Poke Bar focuses on offering sauce options that are made with vegan ingredients such as veggies and fruits.
The ingredients are 100% guaranteed fresh when served to support healthier living in the greater Seattle area and in other locations. FOB Poke bowls are initially prepared with freshly washed lettuce greens and steamed rice.
Then proteins are added to build the main component of the bowl. You can choose from fresh cold shrimp, tuna, or salmon, but they also serve beet poke and tofu as healthy alternatives. For the sauce, options include homemade Wasabi Aioli and Hawaiian shoyu-based FOB sauce.
Vegan Beet Poke Bowl
Cooked beets are used in place of fish in plant-based poke bowls. Surprisingly, the marinade and the textures of beets work well together. Beet poke is tender and buttery while it has some hints of ginger, sesame, and soy. The savory flavor makes a wonderful snack that is both healthy and delicious.
Just like poke, boiled beets have similar colors and textures that are smooth and oily. However, beets give a more pinkish color than raw ahi tuna fish. They are diced to imitate the real fish meat and look almost the same thing.
Poke sauce is added to the bowl to allow the beet cubes to absorb the flavors of the green onion, ginger, garlic, soy, and toasted sesame oil. The taste is incredible you have to try it to know the resemblance between beet poke and tuna. The plant-based protein filling is also added to the bowl for a protein source.
Brown rice and edamame give this bowl enough fiber and protein for your daily nutritional needs. Spicy mayo is added to create more richness since beets lack of fat that ahi tuna provides.
Vegan Poke Bowl Toppings
When ordering food from Poke Bar, you will be asked what toppings you want for your poke bowl. The different toppings available make vegan poke bowls even more delicious and healthier. It also allows you to customize your meals based on your personal preferences.
Since you’re looking for something vegan, you want to make sure you’re choosing plant-based proteins and fiber. Light seasonings are added to the veggies to bring out their flavors even more. The following are the best topping ideas for your vegan poke bowl:
- Sesame seeds for sweet and nutty flavor
- Spicy mayo for added richness
- Green onion for some crunch
- Carrots for color
- Avocado for richer filling
- Watermelon radish for more color
- Edamame for extra saltiness
- Short grain brown rice for nutrients and fiber
Other toppings available include vegan ponzu sauce, red cabbage, sliced cucumber, marinated tofu, and cucumber seaweed salad. There are so many ways to make your vegan poke bowl more delicious and healthier.
Health Benefits Of Poke Bowls
Poke is one of the healthiest dishes today. Usually, it contains more salmon or tuna which are rich in great fats and proteins. The freedom to customize your poke bowls gives you more control to make them fresher, healthier, and tastier. The plant ingredients added to the bowl are guaranteed fresh-cut, making poke the go-to meal for vegans.
To make sure you stay in shape while eating poke bowls, make sure to know what is included in the bowl. The ideal ratio is 60% ahi tuna and 40% salmon to get more healthy fats and proteins. Do not order too much white rice and determine the calories you’re about to take in a day.
Moreover, it’s also important to make sure you work out and build muscle. Being active while you enjoy your poke bowls every day keeps unwanted weight gain. This is why it’s important to include more protein in your favorite Poke Bar bowl meal.
The rule of thumb is to add as many veggies into your meals as you can to maintain your health. Green vegetables have lots of fiber and fewer calories, making them the best choice for poke bowl ingredients.
Fiber is essential when dieting because it makes you feel full without consuming an excessive amount of calories. Therefore, you should be careful when adding guacamole or avocado to your bowl as they contain fats. The key is to eat it in moderation to ensure you still get enough healthy fats that your body needs.
When it comes to carbs, the main options include brown rice, white rice, and salad. While the macros of brown rice and white rice are the same, the only thing that makes brown rice better than white rice is the fiber content.
Go for one cup of rice when you order your poke bowl, the maximum should only be one and a half cups. This is to limit the carbs you consume when eating at Poke Bar restaurants in your area.
Now You Know!
Traditional poke bowls have salmon, tuna, or meat, but you can choose to only include veggies in your bowl to make it vegan. Poke is an excellent option if you’re on a diet and you want to limit your food to plant-based products.
Next time you eat out at a nearby Poke Bar restaurant, make sure to ask for healthier options that are vegan-friendly. Beet poke, for example, is the healthiest variety that you can enjoy no matter how many poke bowls you consume in a day. The secret to living healthy is in your food, so eat greens more and watch out for those calories.