In this episode, I make an acai bowl. If you have been buying acai bowls all over, you do not need to anymore because you can easily make it yourself! I like to sometimes have an acai bowl for breakfast or a snack. It’s a delicious way to get fiber in your diet!
Ingredients:
bananas
blueberries
granola
coconut milk
Directions:
Place 8 ounces of coconut milk, one banana, frozen blueberries and acai in high power blender (such as vitamix). You can buy the acai in little frozen packets, as I did in this video. It also comes in a powder form. You can use +/- 4 tablespoons of acai powder if you decide to buy the powder form. Blend on high speed. Place the mixture in a bowl. If you are wondering where I got my fancy heart bowl, it is the Breakfast Criminals bowl which you can find on amazon.
If you are concerned about the saturated fat in coconut milk, you can use rice or almond milk instead. Though almonds have saturated fat, the almond milk you buy in the store in which they filter out the sediment (which likely contains the saturated fat), does not have saturated fat. If you do not have any of the non-dairy milk, you can use almonds.
When you are done pouring the mixture into the bowl, you can add whatever garnish you like. In this video, I add banana and granola, but other possibilities are hemp seeds, strawberries, and kiwi.
Nutritional information
Bananas: Please refer to oatmeal raisin bites blog for more information on bananas.
Blueberries: Please refer to granola fig bar for more information on blueberries.
Acai: Acai berries are high in antioxidants. They are very high in anthocyanin, which is found in red wine. They are a plant antioxidant that lowers cholesterol levels. They also contain plant sterols which have cardio-protective benefits such as preventing blood clots and improving circulation by relaxing blood vessels. The National Institutes of Aging found that the acai berry was able to reduce the harmful effects of a high fat diet (in flies). Brazilians have used acai berries to treat skin conditions. Acai is high in vitamin C and ellagic acid which reduce the growth of cancer. They may also slow the process of aging. Lastly, acai has been shown to increase sex drive in men and prevent mental instability in menopausal women. (1)
Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is not the same as coconut water. I will go over how to make coconut milk with the pulp in another episode, but here I will talk about some of the benefits of coconuts.
Coconuts are high in fiber. They are also rich in many vitamins such as C, E, B1 B3, B5, and B6. Vitamin B1 is thiamine and keeps mucous membranes healthy. B3 is niacin which plays a role in liver and gland function. B5 (pantothenic acid) improves asthma, hair loss, stress, respiratory and heart problems, as well as boosting immunity. Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine is involved in making serotonin and norepinephrine, chemicals that transmit signals int he brain. Coconuts also contain many minerals like iron (used in red blood cells that carry oxygen in your body), selenium (important for a healthy immune system), sodium (which balances fluid our body), calcium (for your bones), magnesium (which plays a role the body’s enzymatic reactions), and phosphorous which maintains acid-base balance in the body.(2)
Granola: Granola is traditionally made of rolled oats. You can check out the oatmeal raisin bites episode to learn more about the benefits of oats. I will be making granola on a future episode. Stay tuned!
References:
(1) Group, Edward. “Twelve Health Benefits of Acai Berries.” Global Healing Center. 14 June 2010. Web. Accessed 8 December 2015. <www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-acai/>.
(2) Lewin, Jo. ‘The health benefits of…coconut milk.” good food. BBC Worldwide. Web. Accessed 8 December 2015. <www.bbcgoodfood.com/hoto/guide/ingredient-focus-coconut-milk>.