With superfood ingredients like turmeric, ginger, apple, and kale, you’ll give your body what it needs to fight inflammation.
You’ll feel like a goddess ready to tackle the world after enjoying a smoothie bowl powered by superfoods.
You’ve probably heard that some foods cause inflammation in the body (think: sugar, white flour, dairy), and some foods help your body fight inflammation. The latter is what we’re concentrating on for this smoothie bowl, which is great for post-run recovery, or simply to help you start the day off on a better, healthier foot. It uses turmeric and ginger, which are total rock stars of the anti-inflammatory nutrition world. It also provides a hefty dose of other foods that combat inflammation, such as kale, almonds, blueberries, and strawberries.
The main difference between a smoothie and a smoothie bowl—a current darling in the world of wellness, especially the acai bowl—is the obvious one that you eat a smoothie bowl with a spoon, rather than drink it. But smoothie bowls also tend to be a bit heartier—less water, and often thicker ingredients like nut butters, avocados, or oats. Unfortunately, those kinds of ingredients can dial up the calorie count big-time and quickly. Personally, I think focusing on keeping my high-calorie items chewable, rather than drinkable or slurpable, is generally a good practice. If you do blend them, it’s wise, as with the nuts, to keep it to a small amount.
I do find that a smoothie bowl offers more satiety than a smoothie. After all there are toppings that you chew and you use a spoon, but because it’s blended, it’s still easy to have that “doesn’t count” feeling. On that note, you may want to consider blending your ingredients only until chunky rather than completely smooth, so you’re still required to chew a bit.
A few additional notes:
- Definitely try for organic ingredients, if possible.
- If you’re not used to working with fresh turmeric (which is sooo much tastier than the powdered stuff), know that it stains. Don’t set it down on a white counter, for example, and if you want to peel a lot at once, definitely wear plastic gloves. (If I’m just peeling one, I’ll just peel it quickly and wash my hands right away.)
- I didn’t indicate the amount of water below, but just add enough to cover the ingredients, and add more conservatively as needed so you keep the thickness to that of oatmeal.
INGREDIENTS
Base
- Thumb-sized amount of fresh turmeric (about the size of a thumb) or a few teaspoons of powdered turmeric (start off with less than that if you’re not used to the taste)
- Thumb-sized amount of fresh ginger
Blend on high until smooth. Then add and blend:
- Half of a green apple (more if you like sweeter tastes)
- Four almonds
- Four cashews
- Half a scoop of protein powder (I like either Sunwarrior Natural or Vega Smoothie Vanilla)
- Handful of kale
- Handful of romaine
- Optional: A touch of pure maple syrup or stevia
Blend until desired smoothness.
- Stir in chia seeds. (Besides being chock-full of Omega-3s, they will also help the smoothie set after about five minutes.)
Toppings
- Sliced strawberries
- Blueberries
- Nuts
- Cacoa nibs
- Any other healthy ingredient that sounds good to you!
Servings: About 2 cups
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