Meet the humble acai (pronounced “ah-sigh-ee”) bowl. If you haven’t tasted this popular spin on a smoothie bowl, we highly recommend you give it a try!
As you probably know by now, we’re HUGE advocates of green smoothies for breakfast. We consider them the breakfast of champions due to their unwavering ability to deliver a ton of nutritional punch into the first meal of the day.
Smoothies also keep your digestive system from having to do a ton of work first thing in the morning. They give your digestive tract more time to rest before you introduce more solid meals. Extra rest means more efficiency, which translates to more regular bowel movements and a happier gut overall!
But back to this acai bowl.
Acai bowls answer the conundrum we’re sometimes faced with at the Conscious Cleanse: when people just don’t get down with drinking their breakfast. This acai bowl is the perfect solution because it’s chock-full of all the nutrition of a green smoothie but can be enjoyed in a more traditional meal sense – utensils and all.
Exactly what is acai, you may ask. In case you haven’t heard of this fruit yet, here’s the scoop: acai (properly written as açaí) is a berry that grows on a palm tree in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Technically this berry is not actually a berry, but more closely related to olives and apricots (pits included!). It’s considered a superfood thanks to its impressive quantities of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, fiber, and amino acids.
And all this from one little fruit!
Besides the fact that the flavor in this recipe is to die for, our favorite thing about it is the limitless potential for acai bowl possibilities. You can combine acai pulp with any combination of your favorite fruit, veg, and toppings. Just make sure you get unsweetened acai! We don’t want any added sugars because this concoction is sweet enough on its own.
Possibly an even bigger bonus is that kids love these things. They’re sweet, fun to eat (read: messy!), and a great way to get superfoods into our kiddos’ bodies on a regular basis.
Check out the recipe and let us know what you think in the comments below. What kind of acai bowl do you want to try next? You already know we’re leaning toward a green version!
With love and acai berries,
The Conscious Cleanse Team
Acai Chia Breakfast Bowl
Yields 2 servings
For the Bowl:
- ¼ to ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 frozen packets of unsweetened acai berry (we like Amafruit)
- 2 ripe and frozen bananas
- 1 tbsp chia seeds, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes
For the Toppings:
- 1 banana, sliced
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1 mango, chopped
- Chia seeds
Directions:
Place ¼ cup of coconut milk in a high-speed blender with acai berry packets, bananas and chia seeds. Blend on high until creamy to make bowl base. Add more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Transfer to a bowl and top with banana, blueberries, mango, and an extra sprinkle of chia seeds or any of your favorite toppings.
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Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
I was really excited to try this recipe but when I made it, I feel like it didn’t come out as thick as it should? Or as it looks in the picture? I’m thinking maybe I soaked the chia seeds in too much water… How much water does 1 Tbsp of chia seeds call for? Thanks!
Oh no. Sorry to hear that Nanette. I use probably 1/8 – 1/4 cup of water to 1 TB. chia. But if it was too runny, you could add more chia for sure to thicken it up. Hope that helps!