I’m sure by now you’ve probably seen açaí bowls all over instagram. They are trendy and for good reason!
I am a sucker for all things on trend. I always find myself searching for social media’s newest food trends, beauty hacks and anything wellness related! While surfing instagra, I discovered @earthyandy and @fivesechealth. They are both every vegan foodie’s dream. Smoothie queens to say the least. While I may not be vegan, I do enjoy eating vegan treats and meals. They are both inspiration on all things healthy.
What is açaí?
Acai berry is sourced from the acai plant native to the Amazon Rainforest of South America. Acai berries are considered a superfood that contain many benefits to health and beauty. The vitamins include vitamin a, b1 b2, b3, b6, c and vitamin k. They contain copper, iron, magnesium, and potassium–which are optimal for our health!
What does it do for me?
These little berries have so much good in them! And TASTE DELISH. Here are just a few of the bodily benefits:
- anti-inflammatory
- aid in weight loss
- boost your immune system
- fight off cancer cells
- energy booster
- improve mental function
- increase libido
- improve cellular health
- detoxifying
So…what is an acai bowl?
Acai bowls are also known as smoothie bowls, or sometimes pitaya bowls! Basically, they are a base of some sort of smoothie concoction and acai, blended with toppings. You eat it like an icecream sundae, but it is so, so much healthier for you! And so pretty! They are great for summertime, or if you love them like I do, year round.
My go to acai bowl
My favorite way to eat this is actually so simple! All of the first list of ingredients just go straight into the blender (I use a vitamix 750 series, it gets me the best consistency) Having a blender which different settings/speeds definitely helps, you want your base to be super thick. Kind of like soft serve icecream. Here’s what I usually use:
base (serves 2)
- 3-4 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of frozen mangos
- 1 frozen packet acai
- splash of almond milk (and I mean a tiny bit)
- 1 scoop vital proteins collagen & peptides (optional)
- spoonful nut butter (optional)
toppings:
Toppings are completely optional! Whatever you are in the mood for, as long as it’s healthy! For me I always start with fruit, usually strawberries, blueberries or mangos. Some hemp granola, cacao nibs, or bee pollen, goji berries are great too! The options are endless. I usually throw all or some of that on top and then top it all off with a spoonful or drizzle of almond butter, YUM.
These are honestly my favorite thing to eat, especially when I’m in the mood for something sweet. They’re all I eat in the summertime. Also, extremely filling, nutritious, and if you have a sweet tooth like me, than they are pretty much a treat. Not to mention, they are so aesthetically pleasing, you may not even want to eat it!
