Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of this new breakfast trend.
What is a Smoothie Bowl?
What is a smoothie bowl? It’s just what it sounds like—a smoothie in a bowl. The only difference is that you enjoy it with a spoon. When the smoothie is extra thick, it’s sometimes more suitable to enjoy in a bowl rather than a glass.
But, it is so much more than that. It is an opportunity to add other nourishing toppings to your smoothie. A smoothie bowl is basically a blank canvas, and you are the artist. It is a fun activity that allows adults to act somewhat like a kid.
Sometimes I toss my smoothie back into the blender and add more liquid because it’s too thick to slurp up. Instead of putting it back into the blender, why not just place it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon? Add your choice of toppings like fresh blueberries, banana, chia seeds, or coconut flakes. You can also thicken your smoothie naturally with avocado, coconut butter, and almond or cashew butter.
5 Healthy Smoothie Bowl Recipes
Smoothie bowls are really easy to make, too. Here are five smoothie bowl recipes to help you start your day:
1. Crunchy Coconut Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are an excellent way to get your fiber in the morning, along with some healthy fats and phytonutrients. Fiber is important for a healthy gut and detoxification, while good fats are necessary for brain and heart health. The phytonutrients in green vegetables like spinach help you prevent various diseases such as cancer.
Adding granola to this recipe will allow for some extra crunch to your breakfast. Coconut flakes and cashews or almonds are also good crunchy ingredients for this smoothie recipe. It makes one to two servings, depending on how much liquid you use.
Ingredients:
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 cup of fresh spinach
- 1 banana
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root
- 1 scoop of fermented vegan protein
- 1 scoop of greens powder
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 cups or more of almond milk, or to desired consistency
Suggested toppings:
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Granola
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Choice of fruit: banana, raspberries, and strawberries
Directions:
- Place all smoothie ingredients into a high-speed blender, and combine until smooth and creamy.
- Pour everything into a bowl, and top with your choice of fresh strawberries, raspberries, or banana. To add some crunch, cashews, almonds, granola, and coconut flakes are perfect for the recipe.
2. Deliciously Green Smoothie Bowl
A green smoothie is my go-to morning smoothie. It is a great way to consume lots of greens in the morning. My preferred leafy green is spinach. It is incredibly high in nearly every important nutrient, including vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, and vitamin C.
Each week at the farmers’ market, I pick up three big bags of spinach specifically for my morning smoothie. Adding avocado and banana will thicken the smoothie; therefore, putting it into a bowl is a better idea. Here is how I make my green smoothie bowl.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of spinach
- 2 cups of filtered water
- 1 tbsp. of pumpkin seed protein powder
- 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1 avocado
- 1 banana
- 2 tbsp. of ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp. of hemp hearts
- 1 tsp. of triphala powder
- 1 tbsp. of coconut oil
Suggested toppings:
- Raspberries
- Chia seeds
- Almonds
- Unsweetened vegan chocolate chips
- Currants
- Cashews
Directions:
Combine all the smoothie ingredients into a high-speed blender until it is completely smooth. Place the mixture into a bowl, and top with your favorite ingredients.
3. Delicious Blueberry Smoothie Bowl
Blueberries are the ultimate antioxidant fruit, and the perfect ingredient for a smoothie bowl. Although it is best to consume vegetable-heavy smoothies with lots of fats, enjoying a mostly blueberry smoothie from time to time is good, too. After all, blueberries contain antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and flavonoids.
Since I consume a lot of smoothies, it is more convenient to have a frozen bag of blueberries on hand for each morning. However, for this recipe, be sure to get fresh blueberries for the top of the smoothie bowl. Once the smoothie is in the bowl, top it with other ingredients like shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chia seeds, and more blueberries.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1 banana
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 tbsp. of cashew butter
- 1 tbsp. of pumpkin seed protein powder
- 1 cup of cashew milk
- 1 cup of ice
Suggested toppings:
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Chia seeds
- Sliced almonds
- Fresh blueberries
- 1 sliced banana
Directions:
- Place all smoothie ingredients in the blender, and blend until it is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the smoothie mixture contents into a bowl, and top with your favorite toppings, such as shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chia seeds, fresh blueberries, and a sliced banana.
4. The Berry Beet Smoothie Bowl
Beets in a smoothie bowl? You betcha. Beets give a smoothie bowl a bright red color and loads of nutrients. They are also full of betalains, which are responsible for this vegetable’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Beets also support the body’s ability to detoxify. It is the betalains that trigger activity of the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, and this helps eliminate toxins from the body. Beets also contain other key nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, folate, potassium, and fiber. Adding strawberries or raspberries also provide additional nutrients to this bright red smoothie bowl.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
- 1 cup of ice
- 1 scoop of antioxidant-rich reds powder
- 1 small beet, halved
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 tbsp. of pumpkin seed butter
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 cup of frozen raspberries or a few fresh or frozen strawberries
Suggested toppings:
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- A few raspberries
- 1 sliced banana
Directions:
- Place all smoothie ingredients into the blender and combine until smooth.
- Pour into a large bowl, and top with your favorite ingredients, such as sliced banana, raspberries, and shredded coconut.
5. The Chocolate Mint Smoothie
A smoothie bowl is sometimes similar to dessert in a bowl. The following chocolate mint smoothie is a prime example of this; however, it is also a good way to consume lots of important nutrients as well, especially when you add spinach, kale, avocado, and mint to the mix. Taking a bite of this smoothie bowl will taste like a classic chocolate mint ice cream, except with less sugar and a lot more nutrition. You should be able to get two servings from the recipe, so feel free to share with others.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of almond milk
- 1 cup of ice
- 1 tbsp. of pumpkin seed protein powder
- 1 scoop of greens powder
- 4 kale leaves
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 drops of peppermint essential oil
- 2 tbsp. of raw cacao powder
- 2 tbsp. of mint leaves
Suggested toppings:
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Raw cacao nibs or vegan chocolate chips
- 1/2 sliced avocado
- Currants
- Goji berries
Directions:
- Place all smoothie ingredients into the blender, and combine until smooth.
- Pour into a large bowl, and top with your favorite ingredients, such as goji berries, currants, cacao nibs, avocado slices, and shredded coconut.
Smoothie Bowls: Your New Favorite Breakfast
The above smoothie bowl recipes will get you started. Think of a smoothie like cereal. You can enjoy it with a spoon; however, it doesn’t contain milk and grains. It also allows you to add various favorite toppings to finish things off. A smoothie bowl is a great way to have fun with your food before you devour it. Enjoy every bite because it won’t last long!
Sources:
McCarthy, J., “Coconut Crunch Smoothie Bowl,” Joyous Health, March 29, 2017; https://www.joyoushealth.com/27097-blog-coconut-crunch-smoothie-bowl.
“McCarthy, J., “Blueberry Bliss Smoothie Bowl,” Joyous Health, April 4, 2015; https://www.joyoushealth.com/22222-blog-blueberry-bliss-smoothie-bowl.
“Berry Smoothie Bowl with Beets + Giveaway!” Holistic Foodie, July 7, 2016; http://holisticfoodie.com/tag/smoothie-bowl/.
“Vibrant Vegan Green Smoothie Bowl,” Holistic Foodie, Aug. 23, 2015; http://holisticfoodie.com/vegan-green-smoothie-bowl/.
Raidt, D., “Chocolate-Mint Green Smoothie Bowl,” Hello Glow, March 11, 2015; http://helloglow.co/chocolate-mint-green-smoothie-bowl/.
Mateljan, G., The World’s Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the healthiest way of eating (Seattle: George Mateljan Foundation, 2007), 98, 244, 408.
“20 Smoothie Bowl Recipes – the Trend Both Kids and Adults Love!” Dr. Axe; https://draxe.com/smoothie-bowl-recipes/, last accessed March 31, 2017.