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Açaí Bowls

tidbitsfromemily
Dec 15, 2014
3 min read

This morning, one of my friends, sister, and I attended an hour session of yoga at Santana Row hosted by Lululemon. While it was quite difficult for me to wake up, I am so glad I went and felt energized afterwards. When we returned home, we made delicious açaí bowls to recharge ourselves. Here’s the recipe, enjoy! Do let me know if you end up trying this!

What is an açaí bowl?

An açaí (pronounced ah-sah-YEE) bowl is basically a smoothie of fruit (frozen açaí berries, banana, etc.) that is blended together into a creamy and thick consistency and then poured into a bowl. It’s topped with fun and fresh ingredients, like fresh fruits, crunchy granola, nuts, and more! It’s then eaten with a spoon.

Nutrition Spotlight: Açaí

Açai is a small, round reddish-purple drupe that is similar in appearance to a mixture between a grape and a blueberry and consists of a cluster of seeds that are harvested from palm trees found in Central and South America. Although research on açaí is not yet conclusive, açaí has been found to have a good source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidants: Antioxidants function as an electron donor/reducing agent to protect the body from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that contain one or more unpaired electrons in their outer shell and have the potential of damaging other molecules in the body such as proteins, phospholipids, and DNA in cells.

Anti-inflammatory: As mentioned in its name, anti-inflammatory properties means that it reduces inflammation in the body. As I have learned in my Human Anatomy and Physiology class, inflammation occurs any time there is tissue damage, microbial invasion, and/or irritating chemicals in the body. This can be detected by cardinal signs, including that of heat, redness, swelling, and pain! While your body’s immune system naturally has an inflammatory response of preventing the spread of damaging agents, disposing of pathogens and cell debris in the body and the like, anti-inflammatory properties has protective effects of reducing inflammation in the first place!

Recipe: Açaí Bowl

Ingredients:

2 SAMBAZON Açaí Superfruit Packs
1/2 cup frozen fruit
1/2 cup apple juice (or juice of choice)
Toppings of choice

Optional Ingredients:

1/2 cup vanilla almond, coconut or soy milk (or milk of choice)
1 scoop protein powder
1-3 tsp cacao powder

Directions:

Blend together two SAMBAZON Açaí Superfruit Packs, apple juice, and frozen fruit on high in a blender until you obtain a thick, creamy-like consistency.
Pour your açaí mixture into a bowl.
Top with ingredients of choice.

Tips:

OPTIONAL: under step 1, you can add milk of choice instead of juice of choice for your daily dose of calcium. If you’re feeling tropical and adventurous, maybe even try coconut milk for a richer, creamier flavor.
If your açaí mixture is too thick, slowly add more liquid until it smooths out.
If your açaí mixture is too thin, try adding protein powder or fruit (like a banana) for a thicker consistency.
To prevent a too thin texture, add the liquid ingredients in small increments into your mixture and gradually blend it all together.
Not sweet enough? Add maple syrup or agave to sweeten your mixture.
Feeling chocolatey? Add 1-3 tsp of cacao powder into mixture or as much cacao powder to your liking.
Some suggestions for toppings: Fruit–blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, golgi berries, mango, granola, flax seeds, chia seeds, shredded coconut, and more! The possibilities are endless!