Summer is in full swing so no doubt you’ve being flooded with bikini bodies & picture-perfect smoothie bowls on Instagram. Smoothie bowls are a social media & café crowd mainstay, but we do have to ask... despite their rep, are they actually healthy?
What’s a Smoothie Bowl?
For the sake of stating the obvious, smoothie bowls are just regular smoothies in a bowl with strategic garnishing. So, like regular smoothies not all are created equal, it’s about achieving a healthy balance.
Common Pitfalls & how to keep your smoothie bowl healthy
Portion Size
Remember that the volume of your smoothie will be less after blending compared to before you blend it. Don’t fall into the trap of adding more just to bulk it out or bulking it out to fit your bowl.
Instead, think about how much of each ingredient you need to make a good smoothie, measure it out when putting it in. Keep in mind that you’ll be adding toppings to make it totally Insta-worthy, so this should be factored in when thinking about a balanced smoothie base.
To combat boosting the portion to fit your bowl, use a smaller bowl for serving or just don’t fill it all the way. We love these coconut bowls as they’re compact, natural & the perfect size for a single serve smoothie bowl.
Another bonus with watching portion size? You’ll avoid wasting ingredients when you throw them out and you’ll save money because you don’t overbuy ingredients in the first place.
Overloading the sugar
Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE fruit, its colourful, delicious & packed with nutrients! But upping the vegetable content to fruit ratio is a great way to sneak extra veg you’re your diet without realising it.
Sweetener comes in a number of different forms for smoothie bowls, with some favourite natural options being honey, maple syrup, rice malt syrup & agave. Remember that these are still sugar & that most of the time they’re not necessary thanks to the beautiful fruit you’re already putting in.
Going over the top
Toppings are a key part of smoothie bowls & a major part of what makes them look so damn good. But! It can be easy to accidentally go over the top with the toppings you choose.
Finding balance in your smoothie bowl is not just a case of watching your portion size & what you put in the actual smoothie. The garnishes that you use hold nutritional content that you need to take into account when thinking about the bowl as a whole.
Be sure to not overload on any toppings that are high in fat or sugar, keep it natural & draw inspiration from the ingredients you’ve got in the smoothie for a super delicious smoothie bowl.
Keeping these points in mind and making simple changes will set you up for a brilliantly balanced & oh so beautiful smoothie bowl. For the perfect no-fuss smoothie base, try our smoothie mixes & slightly reduce the liquid you use in order to make them just that bit thicker. Then top with your favourite garnishes (we love fresh strawberries, toasted coconut flakes & chia seeds!)
Tell us in the comments what your favourite smoothie type is & how you top your smoothie bowls.
