Happy New Year! This is a big one – 2020, new year and a new decade. January always seems to be a time of cleansing. Starting fresh in all areas of life especially our health. In light of this, I am sharing a super quick and easy smoothie bowl that I make for my gang. It’s a great breakfast of after the gym recovery or even a delicious dessert. It is cold, creamy, healthy, naturally sweetened, nutrient-rich, satisfying and EASY.
Ya’ll know I shop at Heinen’s! Their selection of fresh tropical fruit, frozen fruit and the amazing “health aisle” make Heinen’s a one-stop-shop for gathering everything you need to stock your fridge and pantry for smoothie bowls.
The smoothie bowl I am making today is my basic go-to recipe HOWEVER it can be changed up countless ways. Since my kids have been very small I have been tucking greens into their smoothies. They’re good vegetable eaters to begin with but a little extra is never a bad idea.
Today’s recipe starts with frozen bananas and frozen mixed berries and non sweetened almond milk. That’s it. Three ingredients. You could stop there but why would you? The toppings are where the fun begins. As I said I add a handful of greens to the base. The berries keep the color pink and hide any green so your secret is safe.
The magic is in the blending method. First, you need a high powered blender. There are several kinds on the market. I happen to use a Vitamix. Add in the bananas and berries and blend on low, stopping to scrape down the sides until it looks like crushed pebbles (pink ones) Then slowly add a small amount of almond milk. You can always add but too much liquid will make it too thin to support toppings. You want it to reach the consistency of delicious soft serve. Just keep it on low and scrape down the sides several times.
Once this is in your bowl it’s time to add toppings. Today I’m adding kiwi, mango, and coconut for a tropical flavor as well as chi seeds and cocoa nibs for omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, iron and a little crunch.
I like to use frozen acai berry. Pronounced ah-sigh-EE. It comes from the acai berry grown on the acai palm tree in south American rainforests. It can be found closer to home in individual packets in the freezer section at Heinen’s. Acai has become synonymous with superfood. It has been reported that the acai berry contains more antioxidants than any other berry with claims that acai helps aid in weight loss, brain function and the prevention of cancer. What’s not to like with all these benefits? Adding any nutrient-rich, dark berries along with citrus and greens like spinach, kale and even avocado make these bowls a powerhouse of fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats.
Some additional smoothie bowl add ins or add ons are:
- Chai seeds
- Flax seeds
- Granola
- Nut butter
- Avocado
- Coconut
- Chocolate shavings
- Peaches
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Passion fruit
- Papaya
- Guava
- Nut milks
Basic Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup baby spinach
Method
- Add berries, bananas and spinach to a highs peen blender. Blend on low until the mixture resembles course pebbles. Scrape down the sides frequently as you blend. Be sure blade has stopped before you scrape down the sides.
- Slowly add almond milk while blending slowly continuing to scrape sides until the mixture resembles soft serve.
- Place smoothie into a bowl and top with desired ingredients.
Enjoy immediately.
About the Author
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. Her Blog, Table and Dish is a website devoted to celebrating and curating the many ways that food binds us. Sally hopes that her recipes and images will inspire you to gather your friends and family in the kitchen to make memories, use the time to connect with busy kids, chat over mixing bowls, get messy, laugh, sing, set the table, clear the table, pass the salt, debate the days topics and pray. You can follow her here as a weekly contributor to 365Barrington and Heinen’s as well as via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
Have you heard about Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ program? Sign up for free to receive exclusive weekly specials via email and earn Heinen’s rewards. As a Tasteful Rewards™ membership benefit, Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of your qualified purchases made between September and April to a local school of your choice through their Teaming Up for Education Program. CLICK HERE to sign up for Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ and, trust me, this is one email that will always please your palate!
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meatheads) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
