Real Food Live: Acai Smoothie Bowl Recipe

Hey everyone and welcome back to another amazing episode of Real Food Live

My name is Alina and I'm a holistic nutritionist and your co-host for today because we actually

have an amazing new host for Real Food Live. This is Lisa. Hi

Welcome to the show. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. Yeah

And now you're a holistic nutritionist as well. Yes. Do you want to tell people a little bit more about yourself too? Sure

So my name's Lisa Manzo and I'm a registered holistic nutritionist and a fitness trainer

and I'm also the author of a book called Healthy is Sexy and the owner of a fitness wellness

center in Etobicoke called Pure Energy Wellness Walks. And you know what else I really like about Lisa too is that not only is she a cook, an

entrepreneur, but she's also a mom. A very busy mom which you know helps connect with a lot of our audience members who also

have kids and are really busy and on the go. So I love that about you. Definitely

Thank you. Yes. It's all for moms. It's all about fast, easy meals packed with nutrients and energy and food to fuel your

entire day because you know we're literally running around all day long. Yeah

That's awesome. Okay so what are we making today? This looks great. Amazing

So we're making an acai smoothie bowl and I love love smoothie bowls

So most of you have probably noticed on social media that smoothie bowls are the biggest trend

They're on everyone's Instagram feed it seems. They honestly are and for good reason because not only do they photograph really well, they

are incredibly tasty and they are so easy to make and they're fast and you could put

fruits and veggies and nuts seeds and all your healthy amazing fats and know and feel

confident that you're going to get the energy and fuel you need. That's amazing

Whatever the day throws at you, you've got an awesome packed meal right here. Love it

So can you tell me first how is it different to an actual smoothie? Smoothie versus smoothie bowl

Any differences or is it just like the format? That's a good question. So smoothies are usually have more liquid in them

Basically what a smoothie bowl is is a smoothie but extra extra thick. Okay

And you're going to swap out your straw for a spoon. Nice

That's what it is. And is it going to keep you a bit more satiated as well if it's a bit thicker and has more

of those fats and such? You got it. So it is, it's going to last you throughout the entire day

It's going to last hours. You're going to be full and mainly because we are today using a lot of the fats that

we need. So and you probably agree with me as well, Alina, that fat does not make you fat. No

We as nutritionists love to just demolish that myth. Yes. Really. Because it doesn't

So the more you have, the better for you because you're going to be full for longer

You're going to feel great, which means you're not going to run to the junk food and all

of the bad stuff we talk about avoiding. Of course. And in fact it will actually lead to weight loss if anything. Right

Because it's balancing your blood sugar levels. Yeah. If you guys were tuned in with us last week, you'll remember the golden rule of a good

breakfast or pretty much any meal. Yes. I was telling the audience that you know what you want to have protein, fat and fiber and

that's going to help keep your blood sugar levels stable and not go up and down

So that's why we want this amazing good fat and fiber in here. Absolutely

And with the smoothie bowl, that's what it is. It is just an easy meal packed with your essential nutrients, your fiber, your vitamins and your

healthy fats. Awesome. So it will even actually satisfy any sugar craving that you may have, which is great

because you can eat it without feeling guilty. Love. And it will regulate your blood sugar levels. Cool

Alright, let's get started. I'm really excited. So why do people love smoothie bowls apart from the amazing things that Aline and I just

spoke about? Mainly because they are quick and easy. You can have it for breakfast, you can have it for lunch, you can have it for snack

Whatever it is, you can eat it and enjoy it. The amazing delicious ingredients you can put into it and you can have a lot of fun

with the toppings. That's my favorite part. Yeah. You can make it different every time

Every time. So it always feels like something different. And what I love is I've laid out some ingredients for the toppings here, but you don't need

to use these. You can use whatever your heart desires. It has a lot of personality smoothie bowls so you can make it your own and add your own

flares pretty much. Okay. That's what it is. Love it. So today specifically we're using, for our toppings, we're using one tablespoon of organic

chia seeds. Okay. We are using one tablespoon of organic hemp hearts. Okay

And we're using one tablespoon of my personal favorite, organic coconut flakes. Love it

So crunchy. I love the crunch. For all the coconut lovers out there. Yeah, that's me

That's me too. We're using about two to three organic strawberries sliced and then about a half of banana sliced

as well. Okay. So those are kind of the toppings that I've chosen for today's smoothie bowl

And then the ingredients itself is, because we're making an acai smoothie bowl, we're

doing two packs of the puree. Okay. So I've chosen to use unsweetened as I like to eliminate any��

Before you go ahead, I know a lot of people are probably going to be wondering where the

heck do I get acai berries because a lot of us haven't actually used it before and we've

just seen it on Instagram. So where can the average person go around and find that? Absolutely

So unfortunately in Toronto we are unable to get fresh acai berries

So we're only able to get the puree. And the biggest wholesaler of this is called Sambazon

And you can find this in the freezer section of your local health food store

And they're great, they're convenient. It comes in a four pack. So it's a pack like this

And like I said, I chose to get the unsweetened. So there's nothing else in there, right? Nothing

Just pure acai berries. That's all it is. Okay, awesome. And I like to add in the sweetener if you want something sweeter

So that's what we're going to use today. We're also going to use about a quarter cup of organic coconut milk

Right here for a healthy fat. Now is that coming from a can? That's like a full fat can, right

It is. Full fat can. So nothing light, full fat. Because that's what we want, that's what we need

Because if it's too light, it's going to become more soupy, right? More liquidy. We're actually trying to avoid that

And then about a quarter cup of organic coconut water. And I like Vita Coco here

And I always like to kind of put in my puree as well as my one frozen banana

Because remember, the more frozen fruit that we use, the less liquid, the thicker the smoothie

bowl and that's what we're looking for. So that's key. Okay, because I'm guessing the thicker it is, that's when you get those pretty Instagram

photos, right guys? Exactly. When you have all those top eggs. If it's too soupy, they're all just going to fall to the bottom

They will just sink through the mixture. You want them to simply float on the top of the bowl

And that's going to happen with your frozen fruit. So there's kind of a couple tips and tricks on making great smoothie bowls

One, which we just mentioned, is making that mixture really really thick with the frozen fruit

Also using a high speed blender is very important as well. Also the key is, which I'm going to do right now, is actually placing our bowl in the freezer

to chill the bowl. That's interesting! I would have never thought to do that

And you know why? It's because smoothie bowls are really delicate. So as soon as you're pouring the mixture into the bowl, it will begin to melt immediately

So by chilling the bowl, we're keeping that mixture nice and cold and just a little bit

thicker for a little bit longer. So it's safe to say this is not something that's going to be portable, right

I would recommend not to bring a portable. Smoothies are great portable, but smoothie bowls, you make them, you eat them immediately

Okay, that makes sense. So I'm going to just take this and put it in the freezer to chill. Okay

Sounds good. And in the meantime guys, I forgot to mention, as always, I'm on the comments as well

So if you have questions about substitutions, nutrition info, we're right here to answer

all your questions. Absolutely. Another tip that I have to making the perfect smoothie bowl is actually to choose your perfect bowl

So you want to make sure your bowl is deep as opposed to wide and shallow. Because again, smaller surface, mixture stays cooler for longer, and it's also a smaller

kind of size to put your toppings on as well. Yeah, that makes sense. For sure

So the first thing we're going to do is we're going to take our sambozan packs and we're going to run them under hot water for about five seconds

And we're also going to do that with our banana just to loosen it up a little bit

Just to thaw it a bit. Okay, cool. Just a little bit. And now, in the meantime, while that's happening, we can actually talk about acai berries too

Because I feel like those have been hyped up a lot in the past couple of years

People think it's like a magical elixir for like weight loss and anti-aging

So there's some myths out there about acai berries, but then there's some realities and

truths which are, yes, it is a superfood because it's very high in antioxidants

And of course, our antioxidants are really good for preventing aging, fighting oxidation

in the body which leads to cell damage. So it's good for your skin, it's good for your immune health, any other amazing benefits

you'd like to throw in? Yeah, so definitely like the beauty side of it is huge

That's why those beautiful Brazilians consume this very powerful superfood. But actually, if you look at all of the beauty products currently on the market right now

a lot of them do contain acai extract inside. Oh, actually in a topical form as well

Yes, in a topical form as well as eating the berry. And because, like you had mentioned, it's very high antioxidant content

So it's actually said to reverse or slow down the aging process

So it is one berry you definitely want to consume other than the other array of health

benefits that it does have. Exactly, you want a variety of superfoods and berries, but do keep in mind these guys

I believe have double the antioxidants of blueberries. Blueberries, grapes, yes, definitely

They also have a detoxification processing capabilities as well, which is kind of nice

Supporting the liver. Supporting the liver, yeah, even the blood. So because they have a high content of plant sterols, it helps support circulation

And it helps just overall blood composition. And it's also for men, it is said to increase the libido and to help with your sex drive

as well. Have those smoothie bowls. So it's for men and women

It's for both of you. Also I wanted to mention that acai berry in fact helps increase energy and stamina

And that's a big thing for me, and for most people, because when you're going all day

long you need that energy and that fuel. So it helps increase energy and stamina

It's even said to possibly aid in fatigue and exhaustion. That's amazing, because I think that's a common complaint for most people these days

Everyone is just very tired all the time, feeling exhausted. So if there's one more thing you can do to help boost your energy levels, why not

Do it, and at the same time improve your skin health, right? And your digestion, because there's fiber in here as well

Just like other berries, I mean the dietary fiber in berries is very high, so why not, right? Exactly

So you've added the full banana in there after thawing it for a couple of seconds. A couple of seconds, just under hot water

Again remember your banana needs to be frozen, nice and thick. And then we're just going to take that puree out here

And how many people are you making this for? Is this for one person

This is for two bowls. This is for two bowls. Or if you're like me, one really really big bowl, and then my daughter shares it with me

But generally two regular sized bowls. So it's kind of like the rule of thumb is one of those packs per bowl. Bowl. Okay

You got it. Amazing. You got it. So we put our frozen fruit here first, and now we're going to add in our liquid

So I like to put the full coconut milk in first, and then I like to slowly add in the

coconut water, depending on how thick I want it that day. So what's the reason for that, for adding the coconut milk first

The coconut first is because I want the full fat of the coconut milk

The coconut water is just kind of testing how thick I really really want it

But I need the coconut. For consistency. Yeah for consistency. I need that coconut milk to last

To be full. And it seems like we actually have a question from Nadia

Hi Nadia! Hi Nadia! Nadia says, should we be worried about the sugar content of the smoothie bowl

Absolutely not. Great question. So I've chosen the unsweetened version in the past for that exact reason

The coconut water is the only thing that's actually going to sweeten it up. In fact, you can also add a little bit of honey or a little bit of maple syrup if you

are craving something a little sweeter. But in terms of any sugar here or fine sugars of any sort, there's nothing

I guess you can control the toppings right? Because there is a little bit of banana and strawberry there. Absolutely

And the banana and the blender in itself too, is also being, it has fiber. Right

So it has fiber to slow it down like any whole fruit. Yes. It's going to help. Definitely

So if you're concerned in terms of the sugar in the fruit, you don't need to worry about that because they're natural sugars

And like I said, this is something that's going to be on an empty stomach so you're good in terms of digestion and food combining

But definitely nothing that you need to worry about at all. It's a great meal. Great question. Yeah. Okay. Cool

So I'm going to add one tablespoon of chia seeds, one tablespoon of hemp hearts. Okay

Lots of good omega 3's there guys in both of them. Perfect

So I'm going to blend this right here. Okay. And how long are we blending for

So probably a couple seconds here. We don't want, and you can also pulse it out as well

So let it pop. Okay. Nice. Every blender is different. You want to make sure that you're using a high speed blender and sometimes you might

need to get in there to kind of push it down because it is thick remember

So we want. Okay. There we go. Good. Oh, we have a few more questions too in the meantime. Sure

So Debra asks, hi Debra, she's wondering how about frozen pitaya? And I guess this goes back to a question I was asking you before too

What if we don't want to use acai berries? Is there another base we can use or other flavor combinations? Definitely

I mean, like I had mentioned before, smoothie bowls have a lot of personality, which means

that you can really create whatever you want here. Whatever berry, whatever fruit, as long as it's frozen

Even mangoes are really great because it's vibrant and orange. Pineapple, as long as it is frozen you can really substitute for any fruit. Yes. Okay

So it's not mandatory to use acai berries? No, not at all. Pitaya for example too. Right

So I'm not going to use it today, but definitely you can use whichever. Okay. I'm just going to pulse this just a little more

Cool, go for it. We have another question in the meantime too. Sure. Ah

So Joan asks, so hi Joan, Joan is wondering, can you store the balance of the canned coconut

milk in the fridge? Because you usually don't end up using the whole can, right? I know. And that's something that I go through as well

I know, and that's a great question. I always do. Okay. Yes, I always do

I cover it. Okay. I put it in a smoothie bowl and then I use it in another smoothie or another smoothie bowl

I also use it in a green tea latte if I'm making that. Nice. Okay

So definitely, yes. Okay. Now how long would that last? So let's say I have my can of coconut milk, I put it in the fridge with some, let's say

saran wrap on top. How long is that lasting? Yeah, that lasts about a couple days. Okay

So a good five days is totally fine. Yep. Nice. Okay, awesome

Hope that helped Joan. Okay, how is this looking? It's looking really, really good

It looks great. Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited. So, okay. Me too. See guys, that only took, I think it was under a minute of blending

Really quick. So I'm going to grab my bowl that's been chilling in the freezer

For sure. Right here. Thank you guys. In the meantime, if you guys do have, again, more questions about toppings or some of this

nutrition, feel free to ask away. Oh, look at that. Definitely. It's already like super, super cold. Yeah

It's freezing. Okay. Perfect. So, if you're anything like me and you like to add in extra fat and fiber, you're going

to put chia seeds and hemp hearts inside as well as decorating it on the top, which I've

done right now. So that's just going to give you a little bit more extra nutrients and fat

But if you wanted to eliminate that, you can. If you've been getting a lot of, if this is just a snack and you've been getting a lot

of fat throughout your diet, throughout the day with nuts and seeds and stuff of that

sort, you can eliminate that for sure. So we're going to pour the smoothie bowl. Amazing

Right here. So I always like to start in the center and then move out around. Okay

You may need the spatula. I'm going to need the spatula because remember, it's extra thick. Yes

Which is a good thing. So don't be worried if it's a bit too thick. That's what you want. That's what you want. Yes

Oh, that looks so good. Look at that. Look at that. So I'm going to actually switch my hands here

Okay. Perfect. So, right here. That looks amazing. And so what I do like to do is once I place it in the center, I like to take the spatula

and I like to smooth out the mixture. This is when you can start putting the toppings, right

For your nice Instagram photos. This is the exciting part, right? Okay

Start making it pretty. Alright. So I'm kind of smoothing this out so it's a nice smooth surface

Like so. And it doesn't have to be perfect. Nothing's perfect. So just kind of smoothing that out

Actually, I have a question for you too. Sure. So I know that we have a lot of good fats in here right now and fiber, but if someone

wanted to add in some protein. So if you want to add in a protein powder, for example, just to like get more in in the day

Is that something you can add in? Definitely. And I highly recommend it. Okay

It is more of a meal replacement. Okay. I would highly recommend adding in a plant-based protein

A plant-based protein powder that I really like is Sun Warrior. I like the natural

I've heard of them. They're good. Yeah. It's a natural vanilla chocolate

So you can kind of get creative with it. So you can use any flavor. It's not like it has to be plain protein powder. Yeah

It all depends on what fruits you're using because some, like if you're doing a banana chocolate smoothie bowl

That sounds so good. Yeah. Right? That sounds really good. When I have sugar cravings, that's what I go to

I would add in the chocolate Sun Warrior protein. Okay. Cool. That's great. Awesome

So I've got my banana here. Okay. And I'm just going to get really creative and I'm going to place the banana

Maybe we can put it here so these guys can get a closer look at everything. Perfect

I want you to get right in there. So we're going to place the banana like so

And again, you can do any pattern you want. You can get creative. Nice

So you're going to just place the banana like so. Now, are there any other favorite topping combinations you have

So banana chocolate was a nice one you just suggested. Yeah. Do you have a couple more

I have tropical. I really, really love mango pineapple. Okay. That's one of my favorites as well

That sounds great. Yeah. And really, you can do a strawberry banana, which is a really, really good

Strawberries and banana just go really well together. Of course. Honestly, they're just so good

And bananas are such great potassium and they give you such great fuel for your day, especially

before a workout. Bananas are a great, great source of fuel. And this could be even a workout recovery too, right

It definitely can be a workout recovery. I can imagine that you've been at the gym for a whole hour and you're just like on the

treadmill lifting weights, but then you have that vision in your mind

I will go home to my banana chocolate smoothie bowl and it's going to look amazing

And it's going to feel, you're going to feel okay because it's so healthy and it's filled with such healthy vitamins and nutrients

And if you have that protein, that's what your muscles need to repair. Yeah

That's perfect. So I'm just layering my strawberries like that. I like to, you know, divide the fruit with my chia seeds and my hemp hearts here. Okay

Now, do you end up taking a photo every time you make a smoothie bowl? Because I think that's what would happen to me

Yeah, probably. It's a problem. Probably. So side effect guys, there are some contraindications

But you can't not because it's so pretty. It's so pretty and you're so proud of making it. Right

For sure. Definitely would be. Oh, Pat has some comments. Hi Pat

Pat's saying, I like to add sugar-free granola. Yes. That is a really, really great idea as well if you want some of that crunch in there

I added the coconut today for that crunch, but I've definitely added granola, like a

really good high quality gluten-free granola. You can definitely add that or make your own granola

Homemade granola is always the best. Definitely. She's also saying she has acai berries very regularly

It's part of her diet. Oh, amazing. Your skin must be glowing. It looks phenomenal

I will look at your profile picture later. Yeah, they say you've got really healthy skin from eating this powerful berry

Oh, and we have another question. Sure. So, Joan is wondering, is it bitter

So, this is actually a great question I was going to ask you too. What does it taste like

For people who have no idea what the taste profile is. It is delicious. Okay

So, there is no bitter taste at all. There's nothing, and I know everybody's taste buds are quite different

So, Alina could probably attest to this. The healthier you do eat and closer to a whole food diet

we do change our taste buds. So, things that we found really good before may be way too sweet to eat now

So, this would be, I think, you know, if your taste buds have adjusted a little bit

and you don't need as much chocolate or ice cream or like sugar

When you have this, this would be like a treat. You're going to be like, oh yeah, this is more than enough sweet treat

So, yeah. Yes. So, it's not bitter. It's not super sweet. It's kind of, if this confuses you more, but it's kind of an in between

It's kind of an in between between sweet and bitter, but it's delicious

You really need to give it a try. Okay. Amazing. Yeah. Okay

Do we have to do anything else? Eat it. Let's eat it. Devoured by me. Cheers. Okay. Cheers

Clink spoons. I'm going to have some of that coconut there. Okay. Oh, good

Really good. Very, very good. And you know what? This is great on a hot morning like today

Oh, we so need this today. It is boiling outside and this is a perfect frozen treat

And this is just, this is great. This is the right hint of sweetness. I think so too

I love it. You like it. This is really, really great. Good

I'm happy. This is what we're going to dig into right after. You need to get some fruit in there. Oh, yes

I'm sorry. I do need to get right in there. After you've taken your photo, you've got to go to town. Doesn't matter anymore. Okay. Amazing. Cool

And then you can basically, you would have this right afterwards. Try not to store it for too long, correct

Right, because the, it's, smoothie bowls are delicate because the mixture will melt

So it's make it, eat it, indulge and let it go and make a new one tomorrow. Awesome. Cool

Well, thank you so much, Lisa. Thanks for having me. This was awesome. Awesome

Hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Please, if you have more questions, leave them. Lisa and I will look at it right afterwards and answer them as well

So tune in next week with Lisa at Thursday, 10 a.m. EST

Thanks, guys. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye