Tropic Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

By Veronica Shah─

If you have never eaten a smoothie bowl before, you really should. The great thing about them is that you can mix and match lots of different ingredients, which leaves you with a nutrient dense meal. They are quick and easy to prepare, making them the ideal option when you are in a rush.

When preparing the base of a smoothie bowl, you generally want to use one cup of fruits, one cup of mellow tasting vegetables and one cup of a liquid of your choice. The fewer water rich ingredients you use, the thicker the base will be.

The ingredients used for the base of this tropical smoothie bowl are:

• 1/2 a cup of Greek yogurt –helps to thicken the mixture and provides significant amounts of protein and calcium. As we age, these nutrients become increasingly important because they ensure that our muscles and bones remain in tip-top condition.
• 1/2 a cup of frozen mango – most orange coloured fruits are high in vitamin A, and mangoes are no different. Half a cup will provide you with roughly 12% of your daily requirement. Vitamin A keeps your eyes, skin and hair healthy.
• 1/2 a cup of frozen papaya – another brightly colored fruit, the papaya is a rich source of vitamin C, providing you with 70% of your daily requirement per half cup serving. Vitamin C boosts heart health and is needed for the absorption of iron.
• 1 date – these dried fruits are nature’s candy because they contain large amounts of naturally occurring sugars; they quickly sweeten up any recipe they are added to.
• 1 cup of spinach – this leafy green vegetable doesn’t have an overpowering flavor, which means the other ingredients will easily mask it. This is great because whilst you won’t taste much of the spinach, it will still provide you with enough vitamin K for the day.
• 1/2 a cup of coconut water – unlike ordinary water, coconut water contains the electrolytes magnesium and potassium. These are required for numerous processes within the body.

To prepare the smoothie bowl base, simply add all of the ingredients mentioned above to a mini processor and allow to run for approximately half a minute, until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with berries, seeds, chopped nuts and fruit of your choice. Then dig in and enjoy!