Move over mason jars, there's a new girl in town. She's fun and pretty and everyone loves her.
Just kidding. But kinda not. Have you tried a smoothie bowl yet?
Turning your everyday smoothie into a healthy smoothie bowl is a great way to shake up your smoothie routine. Better yet, show off your healthy recipe skills and make one for a friend or significant other. They'll be so impressed.
Smoothie bowls are not only pretty, they're fun to eat. It looks all fancy but it's really just a smoothie that you eat like cereal. Keep your smoothie bowl healthy by being mindful of how much sugar is in the bowl and steering clear of artificial ingredients. Think whole fruits and veggies, raw nuts and seeds, and nut butters like almond butter.
How To Make A Healthy Smoothie Bowl
The Base
Start with your smoothie of choice. The toppings make it special so I keep my smoothie bowl base pretty simple.
Note to self: Make it on the thick side so all of the toppings don't sink to the bottom. It's happened to me a few times and is really a bummer.
Example for a white base:
- 10-12 ounces of purified water (adjust to keep your base thick)
- ½ frozen banana
- 1 serving of high-quality vanilla protein powder
- 1 serving of high-quality collagen protein powder (optional)
- 1 serving of a probiotic (optional)
- 4 ice cubes, or just use very cold water
- Add a bit of vanilla extract, cinnamon, or other spices to your smoothie for more flavor if desired.
For a green base:
- add 2 tablespoons of liquid chlorophyll to the white base
- optional: also add 1 handful of your favorite fresh greens
For a red or purple base:
- substitute or add strawberries, raspberries or a small peeled beet for the banana in the white base (red), or blueberries or an acai smoothie pack (purple); do not add the green ingredients to the red or purple base as it will turn brown (unless you're into it!)
The Toppings
Add about 2-3 tablespoons of fruit: Fresh or frozen fruit both work great. Berries, sliced kiwi, mango, apples.... the sky's the limit! Avocado is actually a fruit and works beautifully in sweet dishes and would make a great addition. Dried superfood berries like goji berries or mulberries are full of nutrition and also make a beautiful statement on a smoothie bowl.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of something crunchy: Choose a few superfoods to add some texture and nutrition to your bowl. Raw nuts, raw seeds, flaked coconut or even healthy homemade granola all make delicious additions. I like to chop up whole raw nuts for a smaller texture. Slivered almonds also work great. Chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds (aka hemp hearts), raw pumpkin seeds or raw sunflower seeds work nicely with a smoothie bowl.
Consider healthy extras: nut butter like almond butter, cacao nibs, or fresh herbs like mint all make fun additions, too.
If you're going for the wow factor, choose a few different colors that contrast with your smoothie. In the smoothie below, I have a red base so chose dark purple (blackberries), green (kiwi), yellow (mango), and some light colored seeds (hemp & white chia).
Beet & Berry Rainbow Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Serves 1
The base:
- 10 ounces of cold purified water (that's about 1.5 cups)
- ⅓ cup frozen raspberries
- 1 small red beet, peeled (about a 1 inch cube of raw beet)
- 1 serving of high-quality vanilla protein powder (I used USANA Nutrimeal Free)
- 1 serving of high-quality collagen protein powder (I used Bulletproof brand)
- 2 ice cubes
Toppings:
- About 2 tablespoons chopped mango
- 3 blackberries, cut in half
- ½ kiwi, cut into half moons
- 1 teaspoon hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon white chia seeds
Method: Blend the base on high in a high-speed blender until smooth. Be mindful to keep it thick. Pour into a small bowl. Arrange the fruit and seeds on top. Best served immediately. Enjoy!
P.S. The beet adds a ton of nutrition and color to this smoothie, but if you don't care for beets just leave it out. I used to not like beets, but they're really grown on me. Give them a try! They're really good for you.
Pin It
Leave a Reply