Behold, the acai-mango, chia smoothie bowl, in all its glory. Surrounded by all the fresh fruit and nutrients my heart desires!
In the spring and summer months, my body instantly starts to crave fresh fruits and raw vegetables. The cold of winter and heavy, hearty comfort foods are long gone, and the warm summer air means fresh, whole foods on my plate (and in my bowls).
For lunches, it’s normal for me to crave a huge platter of cut up raw vegetables with one or two types of hummus or dipping sauces. And for breakfasts, I swap out warm steel cut oats (another winter food in my books) for fresh smoothie bowls, chia pudding cups, or a combination of the two, like this chia smoothie bowl.
Smoothies have become pretty integral to my diet over the last few years. With the right combination of fruits, nut butters (for healthy fats and protein), it’s a great way to get all the nutrients and vitamins of fresh, raw fruits, nuts, and seeds.
This smoothie recipe though, is a special one, as it has a rich concentration of phytonutrients (an extract from certain plants which contributes to overall general health). I’m using Genuine Health’s vegan greens+ O as a smoothie or bowl booster here, which uses organic spirulina (a superfood I love) as a main component of its formula.
In the past I used to struggle a lot with ingredients labels, and discerning which products I was buying off the shelf were actually good for me. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s inside the vegan greens+ O:
- Arthrospira platensis: Organic spirulina 1,450mg
- Daucus carota: Organic carrot root 1,200mg
- Malus domestica: Organic apple peel (Appleboost®) 1,200mg
- Helianthus annuus seed: Sunflower lecithin 1,100mg
- Salvia hispanica L.: Organic chia seed 400mg
- Medicago sativa: Organic alfalfa grass 383mg
- Chlorella vulgaris: Organic chlorella (cracked cell) 300mg
- Oryza sativa: Organic brown rice 300 mg
- Beta vulgaris: Organic red beet root 200mg
- Brassica oleracea italica: Organic broccoli sprouts (non-GMO) 200mg
- Brassica oleracea: Organic broccoli 200mg
Check out the greens rich in nutrients like spirulina, broccoli sprouts, chlorella, alfalfa grass and so many more. For a full listing of the formula, check out the ingredients list of the vegan greens+ O here.
Another biggie on my checklist when looking for the right smoothie boosters and powders are ones that help stabilize the pH levels in our bodies.
I’ve been meaning to create a post or a video on alkaline vs acid diets, and which foods are good and bad for each. Is this something you’d be interested in? Let me know in the comments below!
Let’s circle back to this smoothie-chia bowl recipe for a quick sec, though.
Recreate this vegan chia smoothie bowl at home
Ingredients
Smoothie
- 1 fresh (or frozen) banana
- 1 apple
- 1 pear
- ½ cup almond milk
- ¼ water
- 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
- 2 scoops Genuine Health vegan greens+ O (acai mango flavour)
Chia pudding
- 2 cups of above smoothie mix
- ¼ chia seeds
- ¼ cup water
Directions
In a glass bowl, mix together two cups of your smoothie mix + ¼ cup of chia seeds + ¼ cup water and whisk together.
Cover with plastic wrap or lid, and let sit in fridge for 2+ hours or overnight.
The chia seeds will start to congeal, and form a pudding-like texture. And voila!
You can top your bowl with any fresh fruit you’re in the mood for. With summer around the corner, and mangoes currently in season, I decided to cut up a fresh one to use as a topper.
Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and hemp seeds are all great natural sources of protein, healthy fats and fibre, so I used those as toppers, too! A few coconut flakes, and boom – a finished product ready for the gram 😉
What do you love adding to your smoothie bowls? Drop a comment below and I’ll try it out in my next smoothie bowl!
Nick Joly | Inspired by Nick
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Thanks to Genuine Health for sponsoring this post.
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