If you’re going to splurge on food it might as well be a delectable smoothie bowl and if you’re yet to jump on the smoothie bowl trend, today is the day! I am going to share with you the Mixed Berry Banana smoothie bowls I made from my birthday this past week! They are soo good and so full of feel good nutrients, you will love them. They are not as difficult to make as they look either, you just need a few supplies and the right technique!
SMOOTHIE BOWL INSPO
This bowl or bowls I should say, were inspired by my birthday this past week! Last year I made some super fun simple strawberry smoothie bowls for my family for breakfast and I thought I should make them again, except I changed up the flavor and made one to go for my sister. I mean, I was making the mess anyway, might as well share the fun! I do love making smoothie bowls, they’re really fun to create and of course, super delish but I don’t make them a ton. It’s not that they take longer to make it’s just that smoothies are my go to, love that they’re hands free and portable. So apparently I save smoothie bowls for when I have a little more time on my hands!
SMOOTHIE BOWL NUTRITION
Ok, you’re probably thinking – “I can see the calories adding up pretty quickly on those bowls, are those even that healthy?”
Here’s the scoop! Yes, they’re super healthy and also sorry to say but yes the calories can add up pretty quickly!
But let’s dive into that a bit before you avoid making smoothie bowls forever because of the high calorie content they could have! First, all of the ingredients in the bowls (ok with the exception of the chocolate chips) are squeaky clean and wholesome. They’re loaded with health benefits from a holistic standpoint; so full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, healthy carbs healthy fats, antioxidants, probiotics etc! They’re also a great weight management meal, as they contain healthy lean protein, high in fiber, great source of healthy fats and are a balanced meal that energizes and may keep you from having the munchies all day as they’re super satisfying!
If you want to make these on the regular then being mindful of portions is something you will want to be intentional about. First you need to know that this was a breakfast / post workout meal. I made it after a 30 minute barre workout so the carbs were just right. Next, because it was a complete breakfast and not a snack the calorie content is much higher than a midday snack would be. You can make them both ways though! I do have a ton more seasonal recipes coming to the blog this spring so if you’re not signed up for those updates and want to be the first to know about them, hop on my email list as I don’t always share these to social!
Balancing Calories
Generally, keeping the calories around 400 is a pretty decent amount but it’s all relative to your goals and your typical daily diet as well. If you’re eating ice-cream a few nights a week, then swapping that out for a hearty topping loaded smoothie bowl, will be a much better choice! If you’re losing weight right now, and being very mindful, stick to portion sizes for each topping. Don’t add an extra tablespoon of nuts just because it looks prettier and just go with a few slices of fruit on top instead of complete lines of fruit just for looks. You can also put them in a small dish and create beautiful bowls that way as well!
Being mindful of those small decisions can keep your calories in check and still allow you to enjoy an amazing smoothie bowl without the the bloating or sugar overload. These particular bowls clock in around 500 calories per bowl with a balance of protein, carbs, healthy fats and fiber!
If you’re coming from a calorie perspective and your total intake is around 1700-1800 calories for the day, then the 500 calorie smoothie bowl is aligned with eating 3 meals at 400-500 calories and two snacks at about 200 calories each which means it’s a guilt free dish to enjoy to the fullest! Where the calories really can add up is in the extras, like the extra peanut butter I drizzled on then end – if you watched my video! Again, just be mindful but also know that when your entire diet is balanced and intentional you don’t have to worry so much about a few added calories coming from balanced whole food dishes like these Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowls!
INGREDIENTS
This recipe is for two bowls. One for enjoying now and one for prepping ahead for later and it’s a splurge meal edition so we’re not skimping on the toppings here!
1-1.5C Frozen Strawberries (with the 1/2 cup reserved for toppings)
1-1.5C Frozen Blueberries (with the 1/2 cup reserved for toppings)
3 Cups Baby Spinach, triple washed
4 Chucks banana, frozen plus 1/2-1 small banana reserved for toppings
3 TBL Peanut Butter all natural (1Tbl reserved for toppings)
2 TBL Chia Seeds
1 TBL Pecans, chopped
Ginger, a dash
Cinnamon, a dash
1C Greek yogurt, Plain
1/2 TBL Maple Syrup
1/2C Vanilla Almond Milk
INSTRUCTIONS
Topping Prep
First, you’ll want to have all your toppings out; chia seeds, nuts, chocolate chips if using, sliced banana, peanut butter in a small dish and your bowls. Take 1/2 Cup of each of the frozen fruit; strawberries and blueberries and put them into a microwave safe dish. Heat them up about 30-45 seconds to take the chill off and thaw a bit.
Next place 1 Tbl of peanut butter into a microwave safe dish , set aside
Blending
Add 1C of frozen strawberries and 1C of frozen blueberries plus 1/2 small banana into the blender.
Add 2Tbl of peanut butter, spices and maple syrup along with the 1.5C greek yogurt and a splash or two of the vanilla almond milk.
Blend until smooth, scraping the sides and adding a small splash of almond milk as needed to blend. All blenders vary as the will the size of your fruit so it may take a little more or less liquid to get it to the right consistency.
Once the smoothie base is smooth, pour it into into two dishes, one of them being freezer friendly. One for now and one for later, like to take for lunch later or for tomorrow later or like pack and it up and deliver it to share with your bestie later! Either way, if you’re not having them both right now you’ll want the second bowl to be freezer friendly.
MEAL PREP
One the smoothie base part is blended you’ll pour it into two bowls and then place both bowls in the fridge while you create your toppings! Working fast, start by melting your peanut butter in the microwave about 15 seconds at a time until it is pourable. about 20-30 seconds is all it takes.
Next, take out both bowls, pour half the peanut butter on top of each bowl, then quickly add sliced banana, the other fruit, pecans and chia seeds. Drizzle a bit of any leftover pb on top of the bowl. Grab your favorite spoon and enjoy!!
FREEZING BOWLS:
Place the smoothie bowl into a freezer safe dish or meal prep container I’ll link the ones below that I have used for years. You can top the bowls now just as the recipe states, place the lid on your dish and freeze for lunch later or tomorrow morning’s breakfast. They are good in the freezer indefinitely but the longer they’re in there the less fresh tasting and more bland they will get. I’d say freeze for up to a week for best quality.
THAWING
To enjoy your bowl, remove from freezer about an hour prior to serving. To speed it up, microwave the bowl a bit and enjoy! To eat from frozen most often, I would recommend adding the toppings just before serving!
VARIATIONS
To make it sweeter: add a bit more honey or use vanilla yogurt instead of plain
To make it thicker: add a scoop of ice
To make it higher in protein: add a scoop of your favorite protein powder in when you’re blending the smoothie part and blend it into the base.
FAQS
How long can you prep these in advance before they get mushy? Honestly, if you’re making them to eat fresh they won’t last long, about 10 minutes before they start to disassemble. As soon as the base starts to thaw the toppings fall in and can get soggy. Which is still a great tasting dish but won’t give you the mix of crunchy and creamy textures that make them so good! You can prep them ahead and keep them in the fridge or freezer up to a half hour though, I have done that. Then pop them out, top them and enjoy immediately.
How much is too much when it comes to toppings? Like I said above in the nutrition section, being mindful of your overall diet really dicates any meal. You want to enjoy the bowls and also feel amazing after eating them not bloated or stuffed. Keep your portion sizes in check by following typical serving sizes for each item can help when making your own bowls, because yes there can be too much of even a good thing!
Ingredients
FOR THE BASE:
1C Frozen Strawberries
1C Frozen Blueberries
3 Cups Baby Spinach, triple washed
4 Chucks banana, frozen
2 TBL Peanut Butter all natural
Cinnamon, ground about 1/8 tsp
Ginger, about 1/8 tsp
1C Greek yogurt, Plain
1/2 TBL Maple Syrup
1/2C Vanilla Almond Milk
FOR THE TOPPINGS
1 TBL Pecans, chopped
2 TBl Chia Seeds
1Tbl Peanut butter, melted
1/2-1 small banana
1/4 Cup blueberries
1/4C Strawberries
Optional; semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
1.Add all the smoothie bowl base ingredients to the blender.
2.Blend on the pulse setting until creamy. Scrape the sides down as you go and add a splash of almond milk or cold water as needed until you get a smooth consistency.
3.Once the smoothie base is smooth, pour it into into two dishes.
4. Melt your peanut butter in the microwave about 15 seconds at a time until it is pourable. about 20-30 seconds is all it takes
5.Next pour half the peanut butter on top of each bowl, then quickly add the toppings however you like!
6. Grab your favorite spoon and enjoy!
Notes
FOR PREPPING AHEAD:
Place one or both bowls in freezer safe containers. Add the toppings, place the lids on the dishes end enjoy. Make sure to leave room in the container for the bowl to expand if you are using a glass container. Store up to one week.
To Serve from frozen; remove lid and let sit on the counter about an hour until thawed. You can also speed up this process by removing the lid and then microwaving the bowl as long as it is in a microwave safe container.