I’m going to make a bold statement here: Açai Bowls are the new frozen yogurt. Gasp I know,  I know. Obviously I’m a big fan of frozen yogurt, but as the trend has played out I’ve gotten way more picky about froyo. So much of it taste like sugary chemicals and who knows how much actual yogurt is in the stuff. I wouldn’t be mad if more artisanal yogurt shops like Chobani Soho popped up. All delicious whole ingredients

I’ll back up, for folks who aren’t familiar with an Açai (ah-sah-ee) Bowl it’s a thick smoothie made with açai pulp (often frozen). Açai berries are found in the amazon on açai palms. They’re packed with antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. They’re dark purple in color and the resulting smoothie bowls are usually a beautiful dark purple. You can find açai smoothie packs at places like Whole Foods and Wegmans in the frozen fruit section. I’ve also seen açai powders but I’ve never tried them before. I like the taste and texture of the smoothie packs.

While the main ingredient is the açai pulp, after that the sky’s the limit. You can add your favorite fruits and veg to your smoothie bowl, and my favorite part are the toppings. I like to add minimal amounts of liquid so the resulting smoothie will be nice and thick like the picture below. I actually make all my smoothies in my food processor. I’d love to invest in a high powered blender but those things ain’t cheap. For my smoothie lovers out there, do you have a favorite brand?

If you go onto Instagram and search for #acaibowls you’ll be blown away by the beautiful creations. I spend way way way too much time looking at other people’s smoothies. I know that sounds weird…. because it totally is, HA! But hey, I’m usually inspired when I wake up.

One thing you have to watch, as with most smoothies, is that you don’t accidently overload it with too much sugar from fruit. I know I’m guitly of this sometimes, which is why I always try to add some kind of leafy green in as well, usually spinach because it doesn’t affect the taste of the smoothie. As for toppings I love my Purely Elizabeth granola which only has 6g of sugar per serving. It’s definitely the best store bought granola out there, and no I’m not being paid to say this.

All of this is why I’m prepared to bet that more nutritious and equally delicious Açai Bowls will blow up, at least in bigger cities where people are ok spending $7 on a smoothie. At least this is what I hope happens.

Any whoosles in the meantime let’s make our own! Basic formula:

Frozen Açai + Frozen Banana + Favorite Fruit/Veg + Almond Milk (or Coconut Water) + Toppings (here’s where you can really get creative and have fun!)

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One of my favorite parts of the smoothie bowl is adding toppings. I’m not a pro at making my smoothie bowls insta-gorgeous (yet) but I’ll get there some day. I love adding granola, seeds, coconut and as a special treat sometimes I’ll add almond butter. MMmm. I try not to go over board, but they key word is try.

Your Turn

• What are your favorite toppings (froyo/smoothie bowl/ice cream)?

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