Smoothie bowls have been the rage for some time now, and If you’re a trendy café lover like myself and have visited one recently or been scrolling through your favourite foodie Instagram accounts, you might have noticed that smoothie bowls (and close cousin the acai bowl) are still pretty popular right now and for good reason, they are packed full of nutrients. These nutrients in Smoothie bowls are the perfect way to start your day or give you a delicious boost, while also providing a great opportunity to get creative in the kitchen.
With low-carb smoothie bowls, its good to start with a thick blend of whole foods, such as frozen fruits, veggies and other healthy mix-ins (e.g. avocado, oats or yogurt),for instant.Compared to the smoothies we’re used to sipping with a straw, the base of a smoothie bowl has a slightly thicker, almost ice-cream like consistency. And Smoothie bowls have some redeeming qualities.
Firstly
Smoothie bowls contain more fruit and less liquid, which makes for a more filling meal replacement and a perfect palette for toppings galore.
Secondly
By eating with a spoon rather than a straw, this smoothie style encourages you to slow down and practice being a more mindful eater, since smoothie bowls can’t be gulped down on the go.
Finally,
When it comes to smoothie bowls, the crowning jewels are all those beautiful toppings that allows you an extra opportunity to add healthful nutrients and superfoods to your day.
And these are the tips from nutritionist to help us make amazing smoothie bowls that are not only amazingly delicious but also good for us, therefore we are getting all the good nutrients.
Portion watch
Frozen bananas are the key ingredient to get that creamy ice cream feel many smoothie bowl recipes, but also delivers essential nutrients like vitamins C and B6, folate and potassium.And banana’s are a high calorie food, we have to be careful as not to put too much.The U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggest between 1 1/2 and 2 cups of fruit for most adults with a light to moderate activity level.
When blending Fruit, yogurt, greens, and other ingredients, they may reach the fill line when you toss them in the blender, but once you blend them, they may only reach halfway. So, you think ,why not throw in even more fruit and yogurt and other stuff, right?Resist the urge.
Sure, blending reduces the volume of all those lovely ingredients, but that doesn’t mean you’re eating less. The key to a balanced meal is correct portion sizes, and so adding in a bunch more stuff can throw that balance off.
Go Green
Along with fruits, vegetables – especially the green variety – are a great way to ensure your smoothie bowl packs a nutrient punch.
Leafy green veggies like spinach, silverbeet and super kale are some of the most nutrient filled foods around. They contain essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, which is important for healthy skin and eyes and iron, which helps in transporting oxygen in the bloodlo
Low-Carb Green smoothie bowl
Research has found that these vegetables may even help to keep our brain young.Also avocado while actually a fruit and not a vegetable as i used to believe is another great green to add to your smoothie bowl mix.
“As well as being high in antioxidants, avocados are full of healthy monounsaturated fat, which can help lower ‘bad’ cholesterol and protect against heart disease.”
Moderate Protein Intake
We all need our protein for our cells to grow and repair, and including protein in your smoothie bowl can also help you stay full for longer periods of time.Protein helps to balance blood sugar levels and create a satiating smoothie, plus protein is essential for healing, growth and repair.
While some people like to add protein powder to their smoothie bowls, research says unless you’re using non-dairy alternatives like almond or coconut milk, for instance, it’s probably not necessary.
And our bodies can really only use 20 to 25 grams of protein in one sitting, so if you’re using cow’s milk or soy milk plus yoghurt, nuts and seeds, that would likely be adequate protein, according to research.
Cauliflower smoothie bowl
Non-dairy-based milks other than soy are quite low in protein, so that’s potentially where a protein powder or other source of protein like silken tofu could be useful.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats help to slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream, which is important in healthy low-carb smoothie bowls if you are including sweeter fruits. And that’s not all the benefits fats bring,they help to boost our brain function, improve our skin, hair and nails, help us absorb certain fat-soluble vitamins and reduce inflammation.
Healthy fats options for your smoothie bowls
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Flax oil
- Hemp oil
- Nuts and seeds
- Avocados
- Coconut milk, coconut meat or shredded coconut
Coconut Açai Smoothie Bowl
Not Forgetting The Herbs And Spices
Herbs and spices are a wonderful way to add extra flavour and nutritional benefit to your healthy low-carb smoothie bowls. Some favourites to use are:
- Cinnamon: helps to balance blood sugar
- Parsley or cilantro: aids in detox
- Turmeric: highly anti-inflammatory
- Ginger: anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory
- Lavender: helps with stress + anxiety
- Maca: helps with stress, energy and libido
- Cacao powder: rich in antioxidants and magnesium, which help combat free radicals and with relaxation
- Mint: great for digestion
- Basil: antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory
And whatever other herbs and spices you love. Go for it!
Toppings
Once your smoothie is blended, choose toppings for extra flavour, texture and crunch. You may want to select toppings that will complement your smoothie, or contrast it. For example, if your smoothie is quite sweet you can choose bitter/sour toppings, or vice versa.
A Word Of Advice
Don’t go over the top with the toppings.Most of the toppings above are nutrient dense, so you don’t want to end up feeling sick and stuffed at the bottom of the bowl. A good rule is to choose about 2-4 Tbsp of toppings, and try to use anywhere from 2-5 different toppings for best results.
Do Not Forget To Chill Your Bowl (Stash your bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes before making your smoothie. This will keep your smoothie cold as you eat it.)And Make It Pretty
ENJOY!
Try these delicious Low-Carb Smoothlie smoothie bowls
Green Smoothie Bowl
Get a couple of servings of vegetables in you before your day starts with this green low-carb smoothie bowl recipe. You can use coconut oil, nut butter, avocado, or another source of healthy fat.
Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 lightly packed cup torn greens (such as spinach or kale)
1/2 chopped pineapple, fresh or frozen (or 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks)
1 Tbsp honey.
1 tsp. greens powder, optional (such as Spirulina)
2 Tbsp. hemp seeds
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Top with diced pineapple
Preparation
Blend the kale, almond milk, ½ of the banana, avocado, ice, and 1 tablespoon of the agave until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and top with the raspberries, kiwi, chia seeds, remaining ½ banana, and a drizzle of agave.
Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients:
3 tbsp (15 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (substitute water, coconut water or plant-milk of choice)
1 serving vegan vanilla protein powder
1 cup (125 g) frozen zucchini chunks
1/2 cup (50 g) frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup (75 g) frozen blueberries
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
pinch of Himilayan salt or other unrefined sea salt (optional, do not use table salt)
Preparation
Add the coconut and liquid to a high-speed blender and blend on high for about a minute.Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until thick and creamy. To prevent it from thinning out, don’t over-mix or let run too long as the heat from the blender will melt it.
Scoop the mixture into a bowl, add your favourite toppings and enjoy with a spoon!
Coconut Açai Bowl
Ingredients:
For the Acai Puree
2 acai Superfruit Packs
1 banana
1/3 cup coconut water or vanilla almond milk
For the toppings:
Sliced Strawberries
Sliced Bananas
Shredded Coconut
Crumbled Granola
Preparation
Blend the 2 frozen acai packs in a blender with the banana and coconut water or almond milk until it’s thick and smooth like a smoothie.
Top with sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, toasted coconut and crumbled granola. Enjoy immediately.
I hope you have enjoyed these Healthy low-carb smoothie bowls. Please leave a comment and share your experience, we always love hearing from you guys.
Sharing is Caring!