For the past couple of years I’ve been more mindful about food and improving upon what I eat. I added in more vegetables, eliminated red meat & most dairy (bye bye cheese!) along with a few other tweaks.
I’m not usually very hungry in the morning so typically I eat my first meal sometime in the late morning or early afternoon and love to start with something light and fruit based. I’ve always loved smoothies but ever since I discovered acai bowls (move over avocado toast!), I’m totally hooked – as in obsessed! My day doesn’t feel complete if I don’t start out with an acai bowl.
At first I could only got them when I was out. Wherever I am, I look up to see where there’s an acai bowl shop. When we were in FL in February I got my fix in both Jupiter and Orlando. This summer I was really happy to discover healthier food options at the Jersey Shore – especially acai bowls! I love that it’s becoming more mainstream!
Then I discovered that Costco was selling premade frozen acai bowls and that worked for awhile. I liked the ease but they were more snack sized than meal sized and the frozen berries didn’t always taste as fresh as I’d like. Turns out anyway this was a seasonal item and Costco is now back to offering soup instead of acai bowls. Weird!!!
No biggie because on my hunt I came across frozen acai packets which changed my life! I can now make it at home – daily – and customize it to my liking.
If you’ve never had acai bowls think of a thick berry smoothie eaten in a bowl with toppings instead of drinking it in a glass.
Acai is a berry – a superfood that’s become way more mainstream over the past decade. I’ve never seen it in berry format – only blended frozen or as a drink.
While making it on your own may not be as easy as buying the premade ones, it’s still easy enough and definitely worth a try.
This is how I make it…
I start with the base which includes a half of a banana, a slightly thawed acai packet, some frozen berries and a touch of water – as little as possible to get the blender going. (I have a Nutribullet) The acai comes sweetened and unsweetened. I try to go with the no sugar added whenever possible. The riper the banana, the more natural sweetness you’ll be adding to the base.
Once blended I pour it in a bowl and add in whatever fresh berries I have on hand, the other half of the banana broken up into chunks, granola and my favorite part – a big ol’ swirl of natural peanut butter! Ahhh!!! This is by far my favorite meal of the day!
Other suggestions for toppings include shredded coconut, honey, another nut butter, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, oat meal, cocoa nibs and whatever else you like! be as creative as you can!
Do you love acai bowls? If so, what are your favorite toppings?
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