A Sweet Way to Cool Off

By Amanda Reichardt

The next food fad is here and it is the smoothie bowl. They have taken off on Instagram where many have documented their creations or purchases (I am guilty). Many shops have even popped up selling these bowls in what tends to be beachy areas. For those who do not know these bowls are made similar to that of smoothies where one can design a customizable blend of raw vegetables and/or fruits with ice, yogurt, nuts, etc. These bowls are usually topped with fruit, nuts, or shaved coconut but think of ice cream; the amount of toppings that can be added are endless. As you may already be able to tell these can land on a spectrum from super healthy or a once and a while treat depending on how they are made.

To be sure that your bowl is more of a healthy meal or snack as opposed to a desert one may consider the type of ingredients they are adding. Using low-fat yogurt or even greek yogurt is a smart choice. Greek yogurt tends to be equal in calories to regular yogurt but half the sugar and double the protein because it is strained extensively to remove much of the whey liquid, giving way to its thicker consistency. You can also add heart healthy nuts like almonds and walnuts with your fruit on top. To balance out your meal you can add spinach to your smoothie base which will also thicken up the base a little more. By doing this you can ensure to have a balanced meal.

I make a simple smoothie bowl by blending together frozen fruit and yogurt for my smoothie base just enough for a smooth even texture throughout. If you find that your base is coming out too watery add ice and/or more yogurt. Typically I tend to make banana mango or blueberry and banana smoothie bases. Then I decorate the top with fresh fruit, nuts, granola, some dark chocolate, and then I finish it off with a light squeeze of honey with some shredded coconut. These bowls can be small or large so you may have one for a snack or even for breakfast. The natural sugars in the fruit are a good way to get you adjusted to your day like that of caffeine and the bowl can be filling enough to get you through till lunch. This can even be an alternative to a bowl of cereal some mornings.

Now that you are getting the hang of these things here are some fun toppings to consider

• Seeds like flax, chia, hemp, and sunflower
• Avocado
• Figs
• Peanut Butter
• Graham cracker

Good luck and get creative!

Amanda Reichardt is a Dietetic Student/Volunteer with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program