How to Make a Smoothie Bowl: Skip the Straw and Grab a Spoon
Smoothies are a delicious way to start your day or fuel your afternoon with a powerful dose of fruits, vegetables and proteins. But sometimes, a drink just won’t cut it. There’s something about chewing that makes a meal feel more substantial, which can lead to fewer cravings later on. Enter: the smoothie bowl. Ditch the straw, grab a spoon, and learn how to make a smoothie bowl.
Smoothie bowls feature the same blended fruits and vegetables as your standard smoothie, however they contain less liquid and come with a chewy or crunchy topping. The additional texture makes the blended bowl more interesting, and opens up endless options for tasty toppings.
How to Make a Smoothie Bowl:
Pick your liquid but be stingy with it. Try various milks (dairy, almond, soy, coconut), water, coconut water, cold green tea or chilled coffee. Don’t pour in too much at first – you can always add a bit more liquid as you blend. You want the mixture’s consistency to be thick enough to prevent your toppings from sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
Toss in some leafy greens. “Baby” greens like baby spinach and baby kale blend well and add a potent nutritional punch to your smoothie bowl. Blend a handful or two of the leafy greens with your liquid first, before adding your other ingredients.
Choose frozen fruit instead of fresh. You’ll need the icy pieces to create the thicker texture for spooning instead of sipping. Buy frozen fruit or freeze your own. Wash fresh fruit, cut into small chunks if necessary, and freeze on a baking sheet for an hour before transferring to a bag for longer storage. All types of berries work well, and you can also try stone fruits, avocados, bananas, apples, pineapples, pears, and citrus.
Veg out. Fresh vegetables like carrots, beets, zucchini and cucumbers can add a different dimension to your smoothie bowl – and they rarely overpower the flavor.
Add some protein for staying power. Every meal or snack you eat should contain protein to keep you filling fuller longer. Greek yogurt, natural nut butters, smooth tofu, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and protein powders are all great additions for your smoothie bowl.
Top it off with pizzazz. Pour the thick mixture into a bowl. You should need a spoon to get it all out of the blender. Now it’s time for the fun part: the topping. Garnish your smoothie bowl with a small handful of roasted nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, cereal flakes, granola, or chocolate chips (dark, semi-sweet, milk chocolate or white). Don’t go overboard on the amount of these toppings that you add, or you’ll wind up with a calorie bomb. Topping your smoothie bowl with fresh berries and fruit? You can pile it high. Now grab a spoon and dig in!
Now that you know how to make a smoothie bowl, the sky’s the limit. Get creative and combine your favorite ingredients to discover your perfect smoothie.
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Photo by Meal Makeover Moms
