Spring Green Smoothie Bowls

Now that the “Spring ahead” time change has happened, and we’re all mourning the loss of that precious extra hour of sleep, let’s get an energy boost with these Spring Green Smoothie Bowls!

I thought this would be a great recipe to kick off St. Patrick’s Day week.  Just look at that pretty spring green color!  I even decorated one of the smoothie bowls to look like an Irish flag.  (And I may or may not have tried to arrange my spinach leaves to look like a 4-leaf clover.  Nerd alert.) 😉So, why a smoothie bowl and not just a regular smoothie?

I wondered the same thing, but I think I’ve found a few reasons…

1. First of all, smoothie bowls are definitely trending right now!  I see them everywhere, yet I had never made one until I started experimenting with this recipe.  I had to see what the hype was about.  Definitely worth the hype. 🙂
2.  Can we just agree that toppings pretty much make EVERYTHING better?!  This is like decking out an ice cream sundae, only it’s good for you!  The possibilities are endless with these bowls, since you could do about a zillion topping combinations or even switch up the base smoothie recipe.  (In case you couldn’t tell from my other blog posts, I LOVE versatile recipes!)
3. And finally, I don’t know about you, but I prefer to eat my calories rather than drink them.  Smoothie bowls allow you to eat your smoothies rather than drink them, since you load them up with crunchy nuts or seeds, extra fruit, and/or nut butter.  I actually used to eat my drinkable smoothies with a spoon anyway, so I think smoothie bowls were made for me!  These definitely feel more like a meal!

Now that I’ve hopefully convinced you to try a smoothie bowl, I should probably tell you how to make one.

It all begins by choosing your favorite ingredients.For this recipe, I really wanted the green color of the spinach to pop, so I selected a mixture of frozen mango, pineapple, and peaches.  (The lighter the fruit color, the more green your smoothie will be.)  I also added banana and avocado for extra creaminess, and my favorite protein powder.  Finished it all off with a splash of orange juice and almond milk and it’s time to blend!I used a Ninja single serving cup that I attached to the blender base.  The recipe is written for one serving, so this worked well.  You can also use a full-size blender, which I used when I made some for both Mark and myself.

Just blend your ingredients until smooth, and it should look something like this!  If you want a thicker smoothie, use less milk, or add extra frozen fruit.  Mine was slightly thick, but pourable.Grab your favorite bowl and spoon, pour in the green goodness, and decorate with toppings to your heart’s delight!All three bowls pictured use the same base.  My “Irish” bowl was topped with kiwi, banana, coconut, and mango.  The middle bowl has raspberries, sliced almonds, chia seeds, and almond butter.  And I used orange segments, coconut, strawberries, and banana for the bowl on the left.

Once you make them artsy and beautiful (and post an Instagram photo to make all your friends envious), dive in and mix it all together!  I threw on extra nuts and chia seeds before I devoured mine.I had a blast making these and you will, too!  I look forward to hearing how you decorate YOUR smoothie bowls in the comments section!So, leave the Shamrock Shake behind this year and try a healthy, filling, and fun Spring Green Smoothie Bowl!

Spring Green Smoothie Bowls

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 1

Ingredients

GREEN SMOOTHIE

• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup frozen fruit (I used a peach, pineapple, mango combo)
• ½ banana (save the other half for toppings)
• ¼ avocado
• 1 tablespoon protein powder (optional- i use this brand)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• ¼-1/2 cup almond milk (depending on how thick or thin you want it)

TOPPINGS:

First Bowl:

• banana slices
• shredded coconut
• kiwi slices
• mango chunks

Second Bowl:

• raspberries
• sliced almonds
• chia seeds
• almond butter

Third Bowl:

• banana slices
• strawberries
• shredded coconut
• orange segments

Instructions

1. In a blender, add all of your smoothie ingredients.
2. Pulse a few times to mix together and then blend until smooth.
3. Pour your smoothie into a bowl and add toppings of choice.
4. Devour.

Notes

~The smoothie base is easily adaptable. You could try it with kale, but it does have a stronger flavor than spinach, so just take note. You can also switch up the fruit, but use light-colored fruits to keep the green color.
~Protein powder is totally optional. I love the collagen protein because it makes for a creamier smoothie.
~If you want a heavier smoothie, use avocado or yogurt. If not, leave it out.
~I didn't measure out the toppings, so just decorate your bowls as you see fit!

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