People have been drinking smoothies for years, they are a wonderful way to ensure you consume superfoods, protein, vegetables that you may not like but are great for you as well as act as a source of vitamins and minerals.
With your traditional smoothie – everything is blended, and bowls are often topped with added goodness such as nuts, seeds, superfood powders, fresh fruit, granola, dark chocolate (on a cheat day) and honey.
While having a smoothie is a simple liquid snack and a way to add more veggies and fruits into your diet, a smoothie bowl is often a nourishing meal on its own.
A key trick is to create a smoothie bowl that provides your essential nutrients but also provides enough energy to keep you going until your next mealtime.
The possibilities are endless, however let’s take a look at some ingredients you can choose from
1. Pick a thickening protein (about 2 tablespoons)
Choose from: tofu, nut butter, Greek or coconut yogurt, cooked beans, flax, hemp or pumpkin seeds or plain old simple oats. Chia seeds absorb liquid, so they will also help thicken your smoothie.
2. Add a liquid (about 1/3 cup)
Choose from: water, coconut water, milk (plant based or dairy), veggie or fruit juice. If you have time – it is a great idea to freeze some of this into ice blocks using an ice tray.
3. Add fruit to thicken and sweeten (about 1 cup)
Choose from fresh avocado or apples, dates, frozen bananas, berries, peaches, or oranges. The key is frozen is possible and ideally in season (it’s perfectly fine to buy when in season and freeze (And its cheaper). We love to freeze ripe, peeled bananas in bite size chunks.
4. Don’t forget the greens! (a handful or two)
Choose from: kale, spinach, chard, romaine lettuce, peas, cucumber and celery. You often can’t even taste them, but because they are being blended into your smoothie bowl raw, you’ll be eating them in their purest and most nutritious form.
5. Tasty toppings (about 1 tablespoon each)
Choose from: sliced fresh fruit, nuts, nut butters, seeds (sunflower, chia, flax, hemp), chopped nuts, shredded coconut, granola or muesli, dark chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cacao nibs, chopped dates. Drizzle some honey, agave nectar, maple syrup or rice malt syrup.
6. Extra thickness
Choose from: Chia seeds (an amazing thickener), uncooked oats, cauliflower (low in calories), nut butters and even silken tofu. There are quite a few choices for what to add for additional thickness in your smoothie bowl