It’s no shock that people love to snap pictures of their food to showcase on Instagram. There’s a new food trend that’s popping up on health-conscience Instagram accounts: the smoothie bowl.
Known for its photogenic nature and easy-to-make recipes, the base of this new fad is frozen bananas for a thick consistency followed by a choice of favorite frozen fruits and topped with a combination of superfoods for added visual appeal.
It may look like a regular smoothie, but, rather than in a cup, it’s in a bowl. Likewise, the frozen bananas make the smoothie so thick it’s even referred to as ice cream in some Instagram captions. These smoothies are also eaten with a spoon rather than a straw.
For more experienced smoothie connoisseurs, acai berries can be used as the base of the smoothie, and protein powders such as maca powder can be added.
In order to get a pale yellow smoothie bowl, blend together pineapple, banana, coconut water and honey.
For a green smoothie bowl, combine kale leaves, banana, avocado, almond milk and ice.
A pink smoothie can be achieved by adding together raspberries, banana, soy milk, ice, almond butter and honey.
An orange smoothie can be made by blending banana, carrot juice, dates and ice.
Once the smoothie is made, next comes the toppings for decoration. These superfood toppings are known for being super dense in terms of nutrients. That means you get more nutrients per calorie.
Chia seeds, full of fiber, antioxidants and omega-3s, are examples of these superfoods. They help control hunger, manage blood sugar levels and prevent heart disease. Another superfood is bee pollen. It contains about 40 percent protein; vitamins B, C, E, A, K; amino acids; antioxidants; essential fatty acids; and a plethora of minerals. The bright yellow color of bee pollen is especially good for decorating smoothie bowls.
For a red decoration in your bowls, Goji berries are essential. They taste like a mix between a raisin and cranberry, and they’re high in minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, which help prevent diseases and amino acids. Another superfood is pumpkin seeds. They’re rich in carotenoids; zinc; sulfur; vitamins A, E, C, K, B; magnesium; and copper. They also help lower blood pressure and make it easier for the heart to pump blood.
Smoothie bowls are here to better people’s health and brighten up their Instagram feeds. Some Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration are @wholeandhealthy, @nutritionstripped and @smoothiebowls.