Ready to give the latest smoothie trend a whirl? Get your bowls and toppings ready.
Ready to give the latest smoothie trend a whirl? Get your bowls and toppings ready.
In 2016, the ubiquitous smoothie found a new home and got a makeover. If you’re unaware of the smoothie bowl trend, just jump on Instagram for a sec, where you’ll find nearly half a million posts with the hashtag #smoothiebowl, plus entire accounts (@smoothiebowls, @smoothiebowl and @smoothiebowlrecipes to name a few) dedicated to this fresh new food trend.
A smoothie bowl starts with a thick blend of whole foods, such as frozen fruits, veggies and other healthful mix-ins (e.g. avocado, oats or yogurt). Compared to the smoothies you’re used to sipping with a straw, the base of a smoothie bowl has a slightly thicker, almost ice-cream like consistency. The colorful base then gets poured into a bowl and topped with artfully decorated toppings that range from simple to over-the-top.
Why all the hype?
Well, #smoothiebowls are one social media food trend we can really get behind. Why? Because smoothie bowls have some redeeming qualities. First, they contain more fruit and less liquid, which makes for a more filling meal replacement and a perfect palette for toppings galore. Second, by eating with a spoon rather than a straw, this smoothie style encourages you to slow down and practice being a more mindful eater, since smoothie bowls can’t be gulped down on the go. Finally, the crowning jewel of smoothie bowls—all those beautiful toppings—allows you an extra opportunity to add healthful nutrients and superfoods to your day.
We were so excited to partner with smoothie bowl expert Katie Shields, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and the writer/creator/operator behind the beautiful blog Honestly Nourished, to bring you several fresh and fabulous smoothie bowl recipes in the July 2016 issue of Delicious Living. Katie fills her drool-worthy Instafeed with all kinds of healthful eating inspiration (including many beautiful smoothie bowls), so we knew she was just the gal to develop six condition-specific smoothie bowls for all your wellness needs.
You see, we didn’t want to give you smoothie bowls that just taste delicious and look gorgeous. No, we want both of those things plus function. Each of the smoothie bowls in our July issue are designed with ingredients to promote healing or prevention for a range of conditions, such as inflammation, bloating, poor immunity, indigestion and low energy. Want glowing skin? Dig into Katie’s Blueberry-Avocado Smoothie Bowl that features collagen powder to promote skin elasticity and repair, avocado as a source of skin-promoting unsaturated fatty acids and UV-ray-protecting lutein, and lemon, which is an abundant source of vitamin C that neutralizes free radicals that can damage skin cells. (P.S. Head over to Katie's blog to get a behind-the-scenes look at her smoothie bowl development.)
Take it over the top
The real fun of smoothie bowls is the toppings. One popular technique is to layer ingredients in stripes or concentric circles over your smoothie base. Other designs are more haphazard, adding just a sprinkle of chia seeds or a drizzle of coconut butter. You decide how much and how intricate you want your toppings to be. I’ve heard some Instagram stars take up to 30 minutes (and a toolbox of tweezers, cotton swabs and other styling tools) to get their toppings just right. But who has time for that? Our philosophy is that you can’t go wrong with a basic smattering of whole foods (we love using nuts, coconut flakes, fruit slices and granola) to top your bowls.
Give it a whirl—literally—and let us know what you think of smoothie bowls. Be sure to tag @deliciouslivingmag in your posts so we can see all of your fabulous smoothie bowl creations (and repost them!).
By the way: If social-ready smoothie trends are something you’re into, have you seen the latest smoothie madness? It’s called #smoothiestacks. That’s right—several different flavors of smoothies layered into a mason jar and often dripping profusely over the edge. We think that’s just a bit too fancy, too messy and too time consuming for a recipe that’s supposed to make your life easier. We’ll stick to our bowls on this one.
Are you into smoothie bowls? Which bowl from our July issue will you make?
