If you follow my blog, then you’ll already know I have a slight obsession with avocado, so it was only a matter of time before it turned up in a smoothie bowl. As a fellow foodie you’ll know beautiful bowls are all the rage. Admittedly, I joined the craze – who wants to be seen with a plastic straw anyway – but despite the abundance of healthy fresh and brightly colored ingredients and endless creativity, they do unfortunately have their drawbacks. But hear me out before you decline the avo.
Simply put, smoothie bowls contain a heck of a lot of calories. Yes, they provide excellent nutrition, but if weight loss is your goal then its something to consider. Most bowls consist of at least three portions of fruit, which you wouldn’t typically eat in one sitting if they were presented whole. When blended, the size shrinks dramatically, making it easier to consume a vast amount in next to no time. Even when you look at the list below, the likelihood is that you’d mentally struggle to eat one ingredient after the after. Essentially smoothie bowls look petite in nature (and taste delish obvs) but they can be as calorie dense as they are nutrient dense.
You’ll be happy to hear my recipe is fairly light on calories and isn’t dominated by carbs, which is important so breakfast doesn’t turn into a sugar bomb. Net carbs are 23g, but if you want to lower this you can switch out the blueberries for unsweetened shredded coconut or flaked almonds. I have also balanced the macros by adding some healthy fats and protein (hello avo & hemp seeds). This is especially important to prevent a spike in blood sugar, a dip in energy and unwanted weight gain. Since there isn’t much to chew, it is easy to demolish a smoothie bowl in quick time, which might cause overeating. When we eat mindfully – taking our time and savoring our food – our brain is signaled by the hunger hormone ghrelin that we are full. Eating too quickly means a delay in the message and a potential over consumption of calories. Listening to your body can eliminate feeling bloated and uncomfortably full, and assist with weight management. Aim to spend 20 minutes enjoying each spoonful…
Adding detoxing ingredients like ginger and lemon help build defense against disease and eliminate toxins in the colon and liver. Ginger has anti-spasmodic properties so its a great choice for IBS with lemon proving a good dose of vitamin C and very little sugar. Most importantly, the addition of these powerful cleansers transform the taste of your bowl!
Ingredients (Serves 2):
Blend;
1 cup unsweetened coconut & almond milk blend
1 medium avocado
1 medium banana
1/3 cup pineapple
2 tsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice
Top each bowl with;
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1/4 cup blueberries
enjoy!