As the weather begins to get warmer, we tend to gravitate towards cold meals that can cool us down in the Hotlanta heat. One of our favorite go-to’s for breakfast or lunch is the, ever so popular, smoothie bowl. They are extremely fulfilling, nutritious, and can even satisfy your sweet tooth. Although we have many variations of smoothie bowls, we would like to share our favorite one with you first.
This bowl is filled with all of our favorite things; from kale to almond butter to dairy-free yogurt, it gives us everything we want and more. By now you all know that kale is our number one leafy green because of all the health benefits for our bodies. It is packed with vitamins and minerals, providing our bodies with a good source of iron (which is important for those who don’t eat meat) and fiber. So naturally, we had to include it in the base of our smoothie bowl.
We’ve had to experiment quite a bit to get the right consistency and after many watery smoothie bowls, we think we’ve got it! To give it a creamy texture we used cashew milk yogurt, a frozen banana, and dried dates. This gave it the thickness and creaminess of soft serve ice cream. For the cashew milk yogurt, we used Forager’s creamy Dairy-free Cashewgurts. Their yogurt still reaps all the benefits from cashews, but it also provides a dairy-free alternative that is rich in probiotics. On top of that, it is certified organic, non-GMO, free of lactose, gluten, and soy and is kosher! Doesn’t get much better than that!
To make the base of this smoothie bowl even better, we added in almond butter. This adds a source of protein and healthy fats to the smoothie bowl, so it will keep you feeling fuller longer. And just when you think this smoothie bowl couldn’t get better, it does…we add toppings! For the granola, we used One Degree Sprouted Oat Cinnamon Flax Granola. It is extremely important to read the ingredients of store-bought granola because they can be a sugar and fat bomb. One Degree provides products that are made with pure ingredients and will never contain anything artificial. They work with small farmers and producers who harvest nature’s most nutrient-rich grains, seeds, sweeteners, and other earthy ingredients to provide their customers with high-quality products. In turn, this allows us to add an extra hand full of granola without feeling guilty. Between the granola and the cacao nibs, this smoothie bowl has the perfect crunch.
Adding a little more power to the punch of this nutrient-dense smoothie bowl, we topped it off with bee pollen. Bee pollen is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids, and fatty acids, enzymes, carotenoids, and bioflavonoids. It has powerful antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties that strengthen the capillaries, reduce inflammation, stimulate the immune system and lower cholesterol levels naturally.
Put your creativity to use and create the most beautiful (and delicious!) smoothie bowl Instagram has ever seen! Make sure to tag us so we can see all of your amazing work!
Ingredients:
Base:
2 cups kale, chopped
1 cup plain, unsweetened cashew milk yogurt (or any non-dairy yogurt)
1 frozen banana
3 dates, pitted
1 T almond butter
Small handful of ice
Toppings:
Strawberries
Cacao nibs
Granola
Bee pollen
Honey (optional for your sweet tooth)
Instructions:
1.) Place all base ingredients besides the ice into a blender. Blend until almost smooth then add ice and blend until smooth.
2.) Pour contents of blender into your favorite bowl, add toppings, and enjoy!
