And so, nearly a year into my PaleoPlus diet - I had never made a Smoothie Bowl. I've made tons of fruit and nut bowls. And quite a few smoothies for my kiddos. But never the official Smoothie Bowl. Until last week. Oh. My. Goodness.
It was pretty delightful!
I needed a quick, kid-friendly dinner for my son and I and he was mired in homework and studying for a test. (You may translate that to mean - in a less than pleasant mood.) On 1 child/heavy homework nights - I don't ask what he wants for dinner - I just make dinner and he eats it. The level of eye rolling and poking at unfamiliar vegetables changes based on what I am in the mood for or what is needing to be cooked up in the produce drawer before it goes south...but he's a teenage boy - he is always hungry, so he always eats!
We had a couple of nice days that got me outside to clean patio furniture and start planning my herb garden and I was in the mood for something light and fun. *lightbulb*! Smoothie Bowl.
My son would eat a Strawberry Banana Smoothie every single morning for breakfast if I let him. So, that seemed like the logical place to start.
I also had a pint of these fat, beautiful organic blackberries from a recent trip to Sprout's that were calling my name. Then I rummaged through my cupboard and found some nuts and chia seeds and set back a few strawberries to slice and a handful of blueberries (my very favorite snack these days).
It was so refreshing. It was filling. It was a treat without being too sweet. And it was pretty! It also got my son to eat chia seeds and blueberries (NOT his favorite snack!). Since this first smoothie, I have been writing down all manner of combinations to try the next time it's just the two of us for dinner.
As I've just admitted - I am a Smoothie Bowl novice - but I do have a foolproof recipe for the base that I will share. The trick is to keep a zipper bag full of frozen, peeled overripe bananas in the freezer at all times! I don't slice mine or anything - just peel them and lay them in a single layer in a freezer bag. Overripe bananas are incredibly sweet - especially if you and your family are off refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. Before we switched our diet - my kids wanted smoothies full of chocolate syrup or agave or sugar and now, just the fruit and some unsweetened nut milk is plenty sweet enough! Very exciting!
Also, my blender is pretty darned good - if yours is mediocre at best - you might want to chop up the frozen fruit before you put it in the blender so you get the smooth consistency you are looking for and don't ruin your blade or motor.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl Base (makes 2 bowls-worth)
1 banana, unfrozen
2 frozen overripe bananas
8-10 frozen strawberries
small handful of blueberries or blackberries (unsweetened, frozen is best)
1/4 cup of unsweetened nut milk (I usually use full-fat coconut milk or cashew milk) - you can always add more if you like
Put the unfrozen banana in chunks and the nut milk into the blender first and give it a quick buzz. Break up the frozen bananas into 3 or 4 pieces before adding them to the blender, then add the frozen strawberries and handful of blue or black berries and blend on low until thick and creamy. You will probably have to stop the blender to stir and scrape down the sides as the bigger pieces are breaking up. Be patient and DON'T overblend - it will end up too liquid-y to qualify as a Smoothie Bowl - it will still taste great, but the toppings will sink and you will lose some of the pretty-factor!
Pour it into a bowl and top with your favorite ingredients - I like some crunch, some creamy and some fruity sweetness. You don't have to line it up - you can just dump it on, but if you want to have yourself a photo opp meal - put the ingredients in lines across the top of your thick, frozen smoothie base or work in circles from the inside out. Take a picture, post it, tag it and then sit back with a big ole spoon and dig in!
Smoothie Bowl Topping Ideas
Sliced fresh fruit
Berries
Dried unsweetened (or fruit sweetened) fruits
Unsweetened Nut Butters
Sliced ripe avocado
Sliced or slivered nuts
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
Flax seed
Goji Berries
Bee Pollen
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Fresh mint
Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
Raw Cacoa Nibs
Raw Local Honey
As with all ingredients - make sure you are checking your labels and buying the purest, natural items available. Be careful of added sugars, nitrates, etc. If you can't pronounce it - you probably shouldn't eat it!
Don't forget to try adding greens (spinach, kale, avocado, etc) to really up your vitamin intake. As long as you are adding that overripe banana and some other fruit (ripe mango, pineapple, granny smith apples, peaches) you will keep the right touch of sweetness and please the whole family! I have a feeling we are going to have these at least every couple of weeks through the crazy hot Texas summer months. Never underestimate the joy of not having to turn on the oven when it's over 100° outside!
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