We all see the recipes on Pinterest, Twitter, and other social media outlets…. The latest power foods you feel obligated to incorporate into your diet so you live a long life/ avoid an incurable disease/ ward off weight, etc. What fit foods should you try and which aren’t worth your time can be VERY confusing. Here’s some tips to navigate through the challenging waters.
Smoothie Bowls.
Pretty? Yes. Healthy? Possibly.
Admittedly – I didn’t “get” this until I tried it. In my brain, you drink a smoothie, not eat one. That aside, I had generally equated smoothies as the fruit equivalent to the bagel: 5 servings of any one food group is generally not satiating, can be full of hidden sugar, and often high calorie.
After trying out a few bowls, my advice is to still proceed with caution: choose recipes that aren’t chock full of added sugar, only fruit, or include large amounts of high calorie “toppings” if you are watching calories or trying to make it through to lunch without snacking. The trick is to find recipes that have a healthy mix of carbs, fat and protein.
Some options below that you don’t need to feel guilty about:
I can almost guarantee you will have a “WTF?” moment when you check out the ingredients list for this recipe. Frankly, it sounds odd. It tastes pretty good though. I tried it without toppings and it did seem a little light on the sweet side, so would suggest sliced frozen banana on top, or maybe even a little drizzle of pure maple syrup to give it some more of a carrot cake taste. Alternately (and this is what I ended up doing), add 1/2 cup uncooked, old fashioned oats and that drizzle of maple syrup, put it in the fridge and you have carrot cake overnight oats for the a.m. I liked it that way better than the smoothie!
Smoothie: Serves: 1. Nutrition: 471 calories, 15.9g fat, 4.3g sat fat, 54.6g carbs, 8.6g fiber, 32.5g sugar, 25.3 g protein (Facts include: One scoop vital protein collagen, 1/4 C carrots, 1 tbls Unsweetened Coconut, 1 Medjool Date)
Overnight oats: Serves: 1. Nutrition: 478 calories, 10.9g fat, 1.7g sat fat, 71.1g carbs, 11.8g fiber, 27.2g sugar, 28.7 g protein (Facts include: One scoop vital protein collagen, 1/2 tbls pure maple syrup (no toppings))
2. Arugula, Romaine and Pear Smoothie Bowl
I was excited to try this one, and then ECSTATIC when my 6-year old wanted to help (a self-described salad hater). I thought it was good as is, but he needed some sweetness so we added in half a fresh pineapple and he gobbled it all up. No longer a salad-hater!
Serves: 1 (without the extra pineapple). Nutrition: 223 calories, 10.9 g fat, 1.2 g sat fat, 29.2 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 13.2 g sugar, 6.6 g protein (calculated without toppings)
3. Chia Berry Coconut Smoothie Bowl
My kids tried this one with me too; they each needed a teaspoon of honey, but otherwise thought it delicious with chia seeds, coconut and some sliced banana on top. They had no clue there was collagen in there, either! Bonus!
Serves: 2. Nutrition: 282 calories, 16.2 g fat, 3.9 saturated fat, 32.2 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 13.3 g sugar, 7 g protein
What smoothie bowls have you tried to add to the list? Please share!
