Come again? A smoothie bowl? What’s that? Don’t worry, its nothing too complicated. In fact it’s the easiest way to add more fruits and vegetables into your diet! My earlier post on smoothies really talks about why smoothies are good for you and also gives you plenty of ideas to create your own smoothies. With so much variety in fruits, vegetables and super foods, sky is really the limit when it comes to creating your unique blend of smoothie! Just be bold and give different combinations a try. You may like some more than others but I guarantee you that you can never really hate any combination!
A smoothie bowl gets even better. Because now you make a large portion of smoothie, pour it into a bowl and then add various textural elements to it like – fresh or frozen fruit, nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut etc. That way it feels like a complete breakfast or a meal. These days I have also been adding collagen peptides to my smoothies. Collagen is a great supplement that provides joint support and reduces inflammation in our body. Collagen is also great for gut health, which in turn is responsible for proper functioning of our immune systems. So for all folks who have autoimmune conditions like RA, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, Crohn’s etc, consuming collagen regularly can have a positive impact on their condition. Since I have RA, I have collagen daily – mostly in my smoothies or in my chicory latte. And the other great plus about adding collagen peptides is that it gives a real creamy and fluffy texture to the smoothie. Love that!
This recipe is a very simple smoothie bowl with a mix of fresh and frozen fruits with some hidden veggies! Yes I really love adding veggies into smoothies since you cut down on the sugar content (yes, some of us cannot tolerate even fruit sugars in higher amounts sadly, me included!). And my kids finish the smoothie without even guessing that so many vegetables went into them! This particular one is the one that I make most often! You cannot go wrong with berries and bananas! The predominant flavors being of berries and bananas, its really convenient to sneak in a couple veggies here! My favorites to add in smoothies are celery, zucchini and cauliflower. Have you ever tasted raw zucchini? It is so yum!
As I avoid most nuts being on an AIP diet, I have not added nuts here. But if you are not on AIP, you could add walnuts or almonds for a crunch factor! I add those when I make these bowls for my kids.
Thus smoothie bowls are my ‘ go to’ for breakfast, snack or dessert because of these five reasons:
- They are quick to make – you need just a blender!
- They are nutrient dense – you can add a variety of vegetables and fruits
- They are delicious – they almost feel like dessert!
- They do not have any added sugars
- They are satisfying yet they are light on the stomach
Bringing this healthy and delicious smoothie bowl to the Paleo AIP Recipe roundtable this week hosted by Phoenix Helix.
'Fruits and Veggies' Smoothie Bowl || Healthy Berry and Banana Smoothie ( Paleo, AIP)
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana, peeled, sliced and frozen
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries and / blackberries) thawed
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/2 cup zucchini chopped
- 1 apple, peeled and sliced
- 1 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 scoop collagen peptides
For toppings:
- fresh banana slices
- apple sliced thinly
- kiwi slices
- frozen mixed berries
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on medium speed till creamy and fluffy - about 1 minute.
- Pour smoothie into a large bowl and decorate with toppings!
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