Are Smoothie Bowls Healthy
You might be wondering if smoothie bowls are healthier than traditional smoothies. The answer isnt entirely straightforward. Heres what you need to remember.
Smoothies are rich in antioxidants
When prepared correctly, both smoothies and smoothie bowls can be a healthful breakfast or snack.
The fruit and vegetables contained in the blend offer many useful nutrients that will keep your immunity up.
The fiber content is lacking
The human body needs fiber for many reasons. It improves your digestion, heart health, and blood sugar levels.
Fruit and veggies are a great source of fiber, but blending these ingredients together makes the fiber lose shape and become less filing.
Smoothie bowls: It all depends on the recipe
When preparing a smoothie bowl, you can use high-fiber toppings. However, that doesnt mean that all smoothie bowls are healthy.
Too many people fall into the trap of assuming that a smoothie bowl is always good for them. This means that they forget to be careful about portion sizes and overeat.
If you choose the wrong toppings, a daily smoothie bowl habit can cause weight gain. Commercially available smoothie bowls that you find in stores are especially troublesome, as they are severely lacking in vegetables and are high in calories and sugar.
Its easy to learn how to make a smoothie bowl that will protect your health. It all comes down to the ingredients.
More Smoothies To Try
The fun part about smoothie bowls is how customizable they can be. Make them simple or complex in their flavors and toppings. Your imagination is your limit when it comes to these smoothies. Add in your perfect toppings and extras to fit your healthy needs. Here are some favorite tried and true.
Beverages
What Is A Fruit Smoothie
A fruit smoothie is a drink made from blended fruits with a liquid base of fruit juice, yogurt, milk, ice cream, or other dairy product. Once you blend all your fruity ingredients into a smooth mixture, you have your perfect smoothie.
You can use various fruits to make a fruit smoothie, including bananas, oranges, apples, kiwis, peaches, and more. First, we’ll look at some fruit smoothie recipes that you can try. However, before we dive in, let’s look at the steps to make a basic smoothie.
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Bump It Up With Protein Healthy Fats And Superfoods And Blend Until Smooth
Adding protein and healthy fats to your smoothie bowl recipe helps to balance its nutrient profile and make it more of a meal replacement that holds you over until lunch. Plus it acts as a thickener, too.
You can use protein powder or nut butters for the protein. For healthy fats I like to use coconut butter or a bit of avocado. Superfoods I like to use are chia or flax seeds, but you can also use maca, powdered acai and/or greens.
Once the protein and healthy fats and superfoods are in, continue blending until the mixture is smooth.
The Smoothie Bowl Base
Frozen fruit Banana, berries, mango, and pineapple could be just the beginning. Frozen papaya, cherries, zuchinni, cauliflower and greens are great options, too.
Milk Use almond, oat, hemp, rice, or whatever you like. Milk helps to produce the thick and creamy smoothie bowl you are after.
Optional Ingredients These are “optional” but as I said before, they will give your smoothie bowl more of a meal replacement to keep you full until your next meal. Protein powder, nut butter, nuts, seeds, coconut oil or butter, or powdered superfoods like raw cacao or maca.
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Best Smoothie Bowl Toppings
OK, so the list of toppings for a smoothie bowl is practically endless, but here are some popular choices.
- Coconut flakes or shredded coconut
- Granola
- Nuts chopped or sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, or cashews
- Seeds chia, flax, or pumpkin seeds
- Nut butter peanut, almond, or cashew
- Fresh fruit sliced bananas, berries, pomegranate, pineapple, or mango
- Dried fruit
How To Make An Easy Smoothie Bowl
Ready to eat in less than 5 minutes, I call this a winning meal. Fast, refreshing and super good for you. Oh, and did I mention its luscious!?
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Peach Orange And Berry Smoothie Bowl
To make the smoothie, blend peaches, banana, and orange juice. The toppings are blackberries, blueberries, walnuts, hemp seeds, and a drizzle of honey.
Hemp seeds sound really weird, but they’re a great source of protein with a nutty flavor. Look for them near the sunflower seeds and almonds in your grocery store. Get the recipe at the bottom of the post.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This Frozen Fruit Smoothie Bowl is lightening quick to make and packed with antioxidants. Other adjectives I use to describe it are: easy, simple, healthy, tasty, gluten free, AND vegan. Seriously, what else could you want from a recipe?
While I have provided a recipe below, you should use it as more of a template than anything else. Smoothie bowls can be made with just about any combination of frozen fruits that you have on hand. Heck, you can even throw some veggies like spinach into the mix!
Whether you eat this delicious, rainbow colored bowl of beauty as a breakfast, snack or healthy dessert, you are sure to love it. Feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations and toppings to make this tasty meal as unique as you are.
Now grab your blender and meet me in the kitchen so we can whip up one of my very favorite summer treats.
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How Do You Thicken A Smoothie Bowl
If you are new to the world of smoothie bowls, you may be wondering how others create that super thick, ultra creamy consistency. In my opinion, smoothie bowls should always have a texture thats similar to soft serve ice cream. If you are adding toppings, this is an important part of the experience. When a smoothie is thick and creamy, you can add all sorts of delicious ingredients on top and they wont fall through.
- Use frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is essential for achieving a thick consistency. Frozen bananas and frozen mango are the best options for this. I recommend using all frozen fruit, so if your recipe calls for berries, buy a frozen variety.
- Use a small amount of liquid. Use just enough liquid to get the blades moving. I recommend using cup or less. This is easiest if you own a high-speed blender with a tamper, like a Vitamix blender. If you have a regular blender, be patient while blending. You may have to blend, stop blending and push the ingredients down toward the blades, blend again, and repeat until it is smooth.
- Blend the greens first. If you are including add-ins that need to be broken down, like leafy greens, blend them with the liquid first . This reduces the amount of time needed for blending later, which helps your fruit remain frozen and cold. Additionally, if the greens are already broken down, you wont need to add extra liquid while blending.
Is It Bad To Eat Smoothie Bowls Everyday
No! You can eat a smoothie bowl every single day and still be healthy. Smoothie bowls can pack a TON of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants to your diet. Make sure you are always using whole foods in your smoothie bowls like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. to keep them healthy. If you want to eat your smoothie bowl as a meal replacement, make sure you have a fat and protein source along with your fruits and vegetables!
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Freeze Your Fruit Overnight And Add It To The Smoothie
I learned very early on to avoid using ice cubes, so I started to pick up some additional blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, and some bananas in the store, chop them up, and stashed them in the freezer in separated ziplock bags.
It offered me a perfect alternative to ice cubes. if you dont want to go to the trouble and waste your time on processing the frozen fruit by yourself, you can always buy these in the store which actually works out cheaper and its a delicious and budget-friendly alternative.
Smoothie Bowls Vs Smoothie Drinks
Regardless how you put it together, smoothie bowls are a great alternative to regular smoothies because you can bulk them without worrying about being able to drink them through a straw. Anddddddyou can add loads of toppings to make it a full meal. These are my FeelGood smoothie bowls cuz they make me feel good making them, looking at them and especially eating them!
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Smoothie Bowl For Breakfast
I like smoothies, but they arent a meal to me, they are a drink. The smoothies that are packed with fruits, veggies, protein, etc. and are meant to be a meal still dont do it for me. I want and need to chew food. I would never survive a juice cleanse. I like to eat, not drink my meals. I make smoothies all of the time for snacks and for the boys, but not for meals.
I recently discovered a way to enjoy smoothies as a meal, smoothie bowls! Have you tried them? I am obsessed. You basically make a thick smoothie, pour it into a bowl, add a ton of toppings, and eat it with a spoon. Yes, you eat it, not drink it, so it totally counts as a meal!
I am currently loving this Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl. I make it at least twice a week. I love it and so do my boys!
The Absolute Best Smoothie Bowl Recipe
This vegan smoothie bowl recipe is inspired by Hollys favorite smoothie bowl from JuiceLand in Austin. It tastes like a strawberry milkshake and its pure, creamy, healthy, heaven in a bowl. We love that smoothie bowls are quick to make and even easier to smother in healthy toppings than regular old smoothies that youd drink through a straw. Not only do smoothie bowl toppings make things a little more fun, but they also take a slightly-filling smoothie into the actual-meal category.
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Making Smoothie Bowls Ahead Of Time
Preparing your favorite smoothie bowl recipes can take some time. Can you prepare and freeze them in advance?
Its safe to store smoothies in the freezer, as long as you use airtight containers. To thaw the blend, put it in the fridge overnight, but dont add toppings to your smoothie until before you intend to eat it.
You can slice up fruits for the topping and store it separately in your fridge. Remember that sliced fruits shouldnt be left outside of the fridge for more than two hours.
Tips For Making The Best Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
USE ONLY FROZEN FRUIT. If you want a super thick smoothie bowl, skip the fresh fruit. Use only frozen fruit in the blender!
ADD A SPLASH OF MILK IF NEEDED. If you need a little bit of liquid to get your blender going, add a splash at the beginning. Some fruits are rock hard and do need a bit of liquid to soften.
KEEP BLENDING UNTIL YOUR SMOOTHIE BOWL IS CREAMY. Either use your blender tamper to push the fruit down towards the blades, or turn off your blender to scrape the sides down towards the blades. Either way, keep blending until there are no chunks of fruit remaining.
ADD YOUR FAVORITE TOPPINGS. What is a smoothie bowl without toppings! I love adding toppings to my smoothie bowls for some crunch and texture. Plus, toppings taste super delicious paired with the cool creamy smoothie.
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Blueberry Spinach And Pineapple Smoothie Bowl
To make the smoothie, blend baby spinach, blueberries, apple juice, and ice. The toppings are blueberries, puffed kamut cereal, flax seeds, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of honey.
If you can’t find puffed kamut in your cereal aisle, substitute something like Rice Krispies. Get the recipe at the bottom of the post.
Is It Enough For Breakfast
The danger of smoothies is that its very easier to not add enough to them to keep you full for the morning. These bowls however are packed full of healthy ingredients that are full of fiber. One bowl is around 300 calories so its a perfect breakfast choice.
Healthy smoothie bowls are one of my go to breakfasts on busy mornings. Kids love them just as much as the grown ups and they are so easy to make. Are you going to jump n the smoothie bowl train?!
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What Toppings To Use
A smoothie bowl is all about the toppings. Whilst the smoothie itself is important, the toppings are where you can get really creative and add lots of texture and extra nutrients.
Extra fruit on top is a must. It adds lots of colour and gives it more of a berry boost. You then want to give it lots of crunch, so some oats, nuts and some coconut are the way to go.
Give the smoothie bowl a protein boost with a sprinkle of chia seeds. You could also add a drizzle of nut butter to finish it off.
Summer Smoothie Bowl Recipes
Hopefully we’ve answered all of your burning questions about making the perfect smoothie bowl, but feel free to comment below with any additional questions!
We consider ourselves smoothie experts at this point – we’ve developed well over 50 smoothie recipes for various clients. Plus, I truly make them on a daily basis at home!
Let’s briefly chat about these three summer smoothie bowls. First up: Cherry Berry. It’s made with frozen raspberries, strawberries, cherries and a surprise ingredient: beet powder! It’s tart, sweet, and makes the most of delicious summer berries.
Next up: Blueberry Coconut Pitaya. Frozen blueberries, banana and pink pitaya powder team up to make the most gorgeous, rich purple. Pitaya is optional, but a fun addition if you happen to have some.
We also add in a splash of hydrating coconut water to this smoothie bowl.
Lastly, Carrot Mango Peach Turmeric! How’s that for a name? Frozen peaches are one of our favorite smoothie ingredients, and they’re perfect for summer.
If you have a high-power blender, you can add a fresh carrot to your blender. If not, we suggest carrot juice instead. Turmeric adds an extra nutritional boost + a gorgeous deep yellow hue.
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Keep The Liquid To A Minimum
If youre working with a high-quality blender, the need to add a significant amount of liquid at the start is minimal. But since many of us start off using a fancy blender, its best that you add liquid a little at a time while youre bending if you add too much at the start, but youre going to end up with a watery runny smoothie.
I personally use the Ninja HB152 which is a little bit noisy, but an AMAZING blender that even can make soups for you.
Scrape Down Sides & Blend Again
It is very important to pause, turn off the blender, use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the container and push the ingredients down into the blades once the smoothie bowl reaches a chunky texture as pictured below. This helps combine all the ingredients without over-blending.
Secure the lid and continue blending, using the tamper to vigorously press the ingredients down into the blades, until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Add-ins.
If you are going to put some add-ins into this smoothie bowl recipe, now is the time. Some possible add-ins are:
- Chia seeds
- Acai powder
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How To Make A Smoothie Bowl
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl an easy guide to make juice-shop worthy smoothie bowls at home in four simple steps!
Any chance to make something healthy tastes like a decadent dessert, and I am IN! And smoothie bowls are one of my go-to healthy treats.
They have the rich and creamy consistancy of soft serve with all the nutrition of fruit. They are incredibly easy to make and made absolutely irresistible when topped with crunchy and creamy toppings.
My go-to method makes blending a smoothie bowl a breeze. As if we needed more reasons to enjoy them OFTEN 🙂
Thick Smoothie Bowls With Tons Of Toppings
Being served a runny, thin smoothie bowl, with the toppings sinking in, is one of my dining-out pet peeves! If the toppings cant sit on top, and you cant finish it without it completely melting, it doesnt belong in a bowl.
I have a method for making the best thick smoothie bowls. Put the blender away, and break out the food processor. Choose your favorite fruits, and keep them chopped and in the freezer ready to go.
When youre ready, its fast to process your favorite frozen fruits along with creamy coconut milk into an ice cream-worthy smoothie. These bowls are like soft serve ice cream except totally made from fruit.
Add your favorite smoothie bowl toppings I love:
- Nut and seed butters my new fav is Chocolate SunButter. This long-anticipated SunButter variety is finally here!
- Shredded Coconut
- Crumbled healthy cookies or muffins
If youre dying to try this, and enter to win Chocolate SunButter!
Its like Nutella except better! It has a rich chocolate flavor and is slightly salty. And instead of being mostly sugar, its main ingredient is protein and vitamin rich sunflower seeds.
Hop on over to the SunButter website to learn more about this delicious spread!
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