Smoothie Bowls Are All The Rage

November 17, 2016 Diana Schwarzlose

Sometimes I feel like smoothies are God's gift to me as a mama. I make a smoothie at home at least 4 or 5 days a week for breakfast or lunch because it is fast, easy, and I can pack a ton of nutrient-dense ingredients in one place. These are all important factors when you're taking care of little people that don't give a crap about your schedule, sanity, or health. They just don't get it, but I can't fault them for that...yet. Gimme 8 or so years.

Another reason I am obsessed with the liquid nourishment is simply because it is easy to digest, and therefore, my body doesn't spend a ton of energy breaking down the food I'm ingesting. This translates to having more energy to run after and take care of my kids, house, husband, friends, work, and myself! If you play your cards right, you can ingest plenty of protein, fat, and fiber to hold you over for a few hours without a problem and without the heaviness of a big meal.

However, there are times that drinking my meal gets old and boring, and I just want to sit down and chew my food (with the same benefits of a smoothie I already mentioned). Oh, no worries! Enter: The Smoothie Bowl Phenomenon.

This gives you all the health benefits of a smoothie (easy digestion, nutrient-dense) with an added bonus of the chew factor AND additional nutrient-dense ingredients! Cue the choir of angels, please.

For all my people, like my father-in-law, who get straight up hangry upon my suggestion to drink a smoothie for breakfast, I apologize, and this may be a smarter suggestion from me. ;)

If you're wondering how simple it is to experience this said phenomenon, read on...

You'll want to make a smoothie first, which should take you no more than 4 minutes, depending on whether or not you have to cut up or peel any of your ingredients before throwing them in the blender. Pick something easy like a handful of spinach, a frozen banana, 2 T of cacao nibs, pinch of salt and vanilla, and some almond milk. Once it's blended, pour it in a bowl, then top it with whatever packs a punch! For this smoothie, I'd suggest some almonds, shredded coconut, chia or hemp seeds, and cinnamon sprinkled all over the top! You have just made yourself a fast meal with a hefty freaking dose of antioxidants, fat, and fiber. Congrats!!

I know this isn't everyone's gig, but I'd encourage you to try one or two to see how you feel afterwards. Y'all know John is my guinea pig for everything, so when I asked him what he thought of the "bowl" idea, he basically told me he didn't understand why it had to be in a bowl as he didn't like "spooning" the smoothie part. He'd rather have all of it in a cup still and just chew the food that was in each sip. *Sigh* He keeps me grounded. :)

This is just intended to be another option for a quick meal that will give you a serious pick-me-up and won't leave you feeling tired and heavy! Hope you get creative and enjoy a few smoothie bowls over the next few weeks! If you need ideas, follow me on Instagram because I periodically post what I'm eating, which includes smoothie bowls like this one.