Superfood of the Month: Acai Bowls

Last January I took a 5 week trip to Australia and one of my favourite things about the place was the health food culture there - I'd never seen so many superfood cafes in my life!

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and being the most important meal too, I always like to have something which I find satisfying - and Acai bowls definitely tick that box!

In essence, Acai bowls are basically a smoothie (made from Acai berries, ice, coconut water/apple juice and banana) topped with buckwheat granola and a multitude of superfoods ranging from fresh fruit to chia seeds and nuts. I tried my first Acai bowl in a cafe called Coco Bliss in Brisbane and it was absolutely delicious!

One of the things I find so indulgent about these bowls is the fact that Acai doesn't taste like your traditional berry; Acai has a deep taste as opposed to sweet and sharp and it actually has some undertones of dark chocolate - so if you're a chocolate lover you can't go wrong with this breakfast choice!

As mentioned in my post last week on Herbal Teas, Acai berries are full of antioxidants and have a number of fantastic health benefits, but unfortunately for us Brits they can only be found overseas. However, with thanks to health stores such as Holland & Barrett, one thing we can get our hands on is Acai Berry Powder.

Acai Berry Powder is a dehydrated, freeze-dried version of the berry itself and although relatively expensive at £22.99 per pot, it's worth the investment. I have managed to recreate my own Acai bowls using this powder and although it will never be as good as the real thing it's definitely the next best thing.


Recipe:

2-3 TBSP Acai Powder
1 Frozen Banana
Handful of Frozen Blueberries
200ml Coconut Water/ Apple Juice
Berries, Banana, Granola, Chia Seeds, Goji Berries & Flaked almonds to top!




With the health industry growing in London, Acai bowls are becoming more prevalent with cafes such as the Good Life Eatery in Sloane Square and food van Sweetly Simple selling the best Acai bowls I've tried in England. Apparently it's possible to buy frozen Acai smoothie packs too, but I'm yet to get my hands on these badboys!


- Megan