Sensational Summertime Smoothie Bowl

When we’re looking for a healthy breakfast on the go, we reach for a bottle of our favorite kefir. Whether we opt for unflavored, fruity or fiber-filled, we know our cultured dairy beverage will help satisfy our hunger and balance our bellies while giving us the energy to power through our day.

When we have a little more time, or are feeling a bit fancy, we pull out our blenders, pick out our favorite frozen fruits and veggies, and pour out some kefir for what we like to call Sensational Summertime Smoothie Bowls (which, of course, can be consumed all year long. Simply rename accordingly).

Why We Love Them

It’s easy to assume a smoothie bowl is simply a smoothie poured into a bowl instead of a cup. In some ways, that’s true (if you enjoy sipping on SUPER thick, chunky smoothies). Smoothie bowls differ from traditional smoothies with regard to consistency, textures and thickness, among other things. But the big kicker for why they’re great simply comes down to the spoon.

What?

Yes, the spoon. How many times have you slurped and slurped on a smoothie so quickly that before you knew it, it was gone? And how many of those times have you felt satisfied immediately? Not many, right? If you’re anything like us, if a meal is over and you don’t feel satisfied, you immediately reach for more food. Eating a smoothie bowl requires more time, and in many case, more chewing. The chewing helps stimulate digestion and is a missing step when drinking a smoothie (have you heard of chewing your juice? That’s what we’re talking about.)

You can’t mindlessly eat a smoothie bowl, and while you can mindlessly choose to eat more after your smoothie bowl, you’re less likely to. Less mindless eating can lead to a healthier waistline – something that’s good for everyone.

Mixed Berry Bonanza

We’ve dabbled in smoothie bowls in the past, but seeing as it’s summer, we like to savor the flavors of the season. Today we chose deliciously simple blend of frozen fruit and creamy Pomegranate Lowfat Kefir. For some crunch, we topped it with some of our favorite goodies we had on hand, including:

Pomegranate Arils – full of digestion-supporting fiber, polyphenols and punicalagin, a compound that is shown to benefit the heart and blood vessels
Sunflower Seeds – lots of good fats, vitamin E and vitamin B1
Coconut Flakes – more healthy monounsaturated fats that help support healthy cholesterol
Hemp Seeds – a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids
Blueberries – an antioxidant powerhouse packed with vitamin C
Lifeway Lowfat Pomegrantate Kefir – 12 strains of live and active probiotics, calcium, protein and potassium (and deliciousness, which is very important).

To make a smoothie bowl, we add kefir and frozen fruit at a one-to-one ration (so for every cup of frozen fruit we have, we use one cup of kefir). Play around with what works for you, but the thicker, the better. Top with goodies to your liking, but keep in mind that calories, even the good ones, can add up fast, so choose wisely.