Week 3 in the summer smoothie series brings us to the oh-so-popular and delicious Acai Bowl! If you aren’t exactly sure what an acai bowl is, it’s basically a thick smoothie blended with acai powder.
Pronounced ah-sigh-ee, this berry is a powerful superfood, packed with antioxidants {10 times more antioxidants than red grapes}, iron, calcium, fiber, vitamin A, B vitamins, omega fats, and electrolytes. These low-glycemic, dark purple berries look similar to blueberries.
You might be wondering why we don’t eat them as berries and instead consume them in a powder form. Acai berries grow on palm trees found in Central and South America, around the Amazon River regions. Once they are picked, they quickly start to lose their nutritional potency, therefore, they must be freeze-dried or frozen in order to maintain their exceptional nutritional profile and be available for us to enjoy. I love the Navitas 100% pure freeze-dried acai powder that is organic and non-gmo.
When you combine the exceptional benefits of acai with the additional ingredients in this bowl, you get a powerhouse breakfast that is filled with flavor.
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 whole frozen fig
1 cup frozen pitted dark sweet cherries
1 tbsp acai powder
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp flaxseed
Toppings:
Fresh figs
Kiwi
Raspberries
Directions:
1. Pour almond milk into blender.
2. Add acai powder, hemp seeds and flaxseed and blend well.
3. Add frozen banana and fig and blend.
4. Add frozen cherries and blend well. You may need to use a tamper to help you blend as the smoothie will be thick due to frozen fruit.
5. Pour into bowl.
6. Add fresh figs, kiwi and raspberries for your toppings.
Note: You can add any fun toppings you’d like, such as bananas, coconut flakes, raw nuts, bee pollen, and strawberries.
Cheers to cherries, figs + superfoods!
Xoxo