The hotter it gets here, the more refreshing a green smoothie bowl tastes, especially after a workout! But I promise you, it’s fantastic even if you don’t work up a sweat beforehand.
I realize I’m late to the smoothie bowl train… what’s new? But in my opinion, this train is parked at the station, and smoothie bowls will never go out of style, at least not for me. First of all, a smoothie is just a drink… but a smoothie bowl… well now, that’s an EAT. And an eat’s always better in my book.
Oh, I’ve tried drinking a smoothie or even a protein shake for a quick meal or snack and telling myself I’m “done” afterward… nope, doesn’t work. I need to chew something to register with my brain that those calories count. There is scientific evidence to back me up, but I just call it satisfaction.
Second of all, a smoothie bowl is dead quick to make. Whirl it up in your blender, add a few toppings, and you’re eating 5 minutes later. This is a good thing if you’re famished after a workout! Sure, I took my time carefully arranging the toppings to look beautiful (or as much as possible) for this photo shoot, but when I’m just making one for myself… I reckon randomly-tossed toppings look just fine too!
And lastly, let’s not forget how much nutrition can be crammed into one smoothie bowl: 2 whole cups of spinach, people!! I could stop there. But I’ll go on to mention what a plethora of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and plant-based protein you can add with your toppings: chia seeds, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, almond flakes, fresh fruit, etc. The possibilities are endless…
Enjoy your smoothie bowl, and stay cool!
Green Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
For the smoothie:
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 2 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup frozen pineapple or mango
- 1 frozen banana, sliced
- 1 scoop protein powder (I use Vega One Viva Vanilla)
- ¾ cup liquid (coconut water, almond milk, or soy milk- I use coconut water)
For the toppings:
- ½ - 1 T. hemp or chia seeds
- ½ - 1 T. cacao nibs
- 1 T. unsweetened coconut
- 1 T. almond flakes or chopped walnuts
- 2 T. thinly sliced fresh mango
- ½ banana, thinly sliced
- 2 strawberries, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Blend all smoothie ingredients together (spinach, mint leaves, frozen fruit, protein powder, & liquid) until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary to keep blender blades moving.
- Pour into a chilled bowl and top with your desired toppings. Makes one serving.