Smoothie bowls seem to be really popular at the moment and when made well are a great healthy way to start the day. They don’t have to be expensive either – use whatever fruit and vegetables you have to hand and top with toasted nuts and seeds or gluten free oats. I always have bags of frozen fruit and vegetables to hand too which when blend make the smoothie bowl so deliciously creamy. The key is to include sufficient protein and fat to help balance blood sugar. If you are not keen on loads of kale in smoothies then opt for a lighter vegetable – spinach, lettuce, courgette or leftover steamed cauliflower and broccoli are equally delicious. Just watch your fruit intake – many are far too high in fruits and will spike your blood sugar. Try and get your body used to lower sugar options and your energy levels will improve through the day. One of the benefits of smoothie bowls is that they feeling like proper food for breakfast rather than simply make a drink. You only need a blender and five minutes to whip up a bowl of nutrient-dense joy. Swapping your smoothie from a cup to a bowl helps slow down your eating too making you more mindful about what you are putting in your mouth.
Overview
Difficulty – Easy
Time – 5 minutes
Serves 2
What’s good about it?
Combining protein, fats with fruit really helps to slow down how quickly sugars are released into the bloodstream. Adding nut butter or coconut oil is a great way to add healthy fats to smoothie bowls while protein powders or additional nuts and seeds will increase the protein content. For the liquid try kefir or a mixture of yogurt and milk to give the body a morning dose of beneficial bacteria
Instructions
- Place the banana, spinach, berries, protein powder, nut butter, milk or kefir and cacao powder in a blender and process until smooth.
- Stir in the chia seeds or buckwheat groats or blitz them in for a smoother texture
- Pour into two bowls. Serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt the scatter over berries, nuts and seeds according to taste.
Ingredients
1 frozen sliced banana
Large handful of spinach or other greens
250ml coconut kefir, almond milk
100g / 1 cup frozen berries
1tbsp tahini, nut butter
30g chocolate or vanilla protein powder
3tbsp raw cacao powder
1tbsp chia seeds or 2tbsp buckwheat groats
Fresh berries, nuts and seeds, desiccated coconut, toasted oats and coconut yogurt or kefir to top (use what you have in the cupboard)