5 Must-Make Summer Smoothie Bowls

What’s the draw to smoothie bowls? If you’ve ever taken the plunge into smoothies, you know that they – if made properly – can be very energizing. If you haven’t jumped on the smoothie bandwagon, you might be standing on the sidelines thinking the rest of us are crazy. You might be right. But I think they are a perfect way to get on-the-go nutrition in the summer.

So, take that smoothie, make it a little thicker (just less liquid), and pour it in a fun bowl with some toppings??? You have a healthy summer dessert! This has been life-saving for me as a momma. When I was a kid, we did what we called “Beltz Bowls” of ice cream (translation: a huge soup-sized bowl, piled up with as may scoops of ice cream as one could fit). Uh….you can not do that without feeling pretty yucky afterwards. And the older we get, the more the our body response with inflammation, stiffness, and bloating to foods like that.

My qualifications for a good smoothie bowl is:
– only natural sweeteners (like from bananas, pineapple, and dates)
– as many antioxidants as possible
– high in fiber (at least 4 grams)

Also, this top 5 list are gluten-free, nondairy and vegan (with exception of the Coffee Smoothie Bowl), and they each taste like summer…in their own unique way.

And here they are!

The first….a Blackberry Crumble Smoothie Bowl

This is SO DELICIOUS! I used unsweetened cashew butter to give this a dessert-like richness, and the crumble is sprinkled on top – an easy concoction of toasted oats, walnuts, date, and cinnamon. This tastes like blackberry ice cream…but with no added sugar.

#2: Supergreens Superglow Smoothie Bowl

“Supergreens” include fresh spinach, zucchini (say what? – yes, it makes the perfect addition to a smoothie when it’s frozen), but this includes frozen banana and pineapple to make it refreshing and sweet. Add in another “supergreen” on top with green tea powder. Only 124 calories and 4 grams of fiber per bowl!

#3: Coffee Smoothie Bowl

I dream about coffee when I’m going to bed. So, it was a must to put it into a morning smoothie bowl. This isn’t thick and rich, but rather has a refreshing and light coffee flavor. Greek yogurt gives it a protein boost, almond butter makes it creamy, and espresso powder gives it the perfect coffee flavor and caffeine kick!

#4: Vanilla Frosting Smoothie Bowl

Can I just say…..YUM. I wanted to create a healthy substitution for the “cake batter” ice cream flavor that one of my children love. If you take a frozen banana – no liquid, because you want it to have an ice-cream-like consistency – and then add an equal amount of vanilla protein powder, a small spoonful of unsweetened cashew butter and a dash of almond extract, and WOW! My littles liked it better than cake-batter ice cream. (And it’s 18 g of protein each bowl!) It really is amazing….message me if you try it!

#5: Sweet Lime Acai Smoothie Bowl

Lime needs to be added to everything in the summer. I wanted a smoothie bowl with tons of lime zest, since there are so many anti-inflammatory properties to it. So, pairing is with acai (the healing berry indigenous to the Amazon rainforest), gives it super nutrition.This smoothie bowl is tangy and fresh, and just screams summer (in a friendly way, of course:).

Enjoy making every memory this summer! …and remember that memories are made of good food:)

Cheers,
Annessa