Smoothie bowls — Your health fix this summer

Four years ago, the humble smoothie got a makeover and became an Instagram sensation. Now, exquisite-looking smoothie bowls are finding their way into the diets of health-conscious Indians

Do a search for #smoothiebowl on Instagram, and it’ll cough up two million posts. And that’s just one of the hundreds of hashtags that Instagrammers use, to tag their photos of delicate, beautiful-looking smoothie bowls. In 2015, Telegraph.co.uk predicted that smoothie bowls were going to become “food’s next big trend”. Right enough, people all over the world caught on to the ingenuous idea of serving a thick smoothie in an open bowl, instead of a tall glass, and garnishing it with a variety of toppings, arranged such as to make it look #instasensational, while being #instagood for your body!

Holistic health coach Bhavna Kapoor loves making a delicious green smoothie of banana, mango, mint, curry leaves and soaked figs blended together and topped with frozen pomegranates and mango slices.

In India too, smoothie bowls are becoming a hit, with fans swearing by its health benefits, good looks and incredible tastes. Holistic health coach Bhavna Kapoor, who offers personalised coaching programmes through www.healthnut.in, loves making a delicious green smoothie of banana, mango, mint, curry leaves and soaked figs blended together and topped with frozen pomegranates and mango slices. “Smoothie bowls are not just delicious or pretty to look at, they also pack in a bunch of macro and micro nutrients and are very energising,” Kapoor says.

Depending on what goes into the making of a smoothie bowl, it can be had for breakfast or an evening snack—if fruit-based, or lunch or dinner—if made of vegetables. “It helps one to incorporate a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, in a way that’s filling and satisfying,” says Kapoor. “Other nutrient-dense foods such as leafy greens, seeds, nuts and berries can be added too, which many of us don’t know how to include in our daily meals.”

Several restaurants across metros have now started including smoothie bowls in their menus as well. One of the first to introduce organic smoothie bowls to their menu in India is the Mumbai-based Sequel Bistro & Juice Bar. It offers four types of rejuvenating smoothie bowls, such as the Matcha Detox Bowl and the Immunity Booster Acai Bowl. “The idea was to create pre/post workout bowls that are nutrient-dense, taste delicious and are completely natural,” says Vanika Choudhary, founder and chef at Sequel. “We also use a diverse mix of super foods, such as moringa, cacao, acai, spirulina etc.” She says that smoothie bowls are easy on digestion, loaded with probiotics if you add yogurt, and a great way to incorporate both seasonal and local fruits and berries.

Choudhary however, advises a word of caution, “Watch out for the ones that are loaded with sugar, made with store-bought artificial products and have stabilisers, thickeners or preservatives to improve shelf-life.” In Mumbai, you can also find exquisite, fresh smoothie bowls at Jamjar Diner, Santé Spa Cuisine and Kitchen Garden by Suzette, while Super Bowls, Cafe Tesu, Another Fine Day and Fab Café are the go-to places in Delhi NCR.

Superfood Smoothie Bowl Recipe by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

Banana: 2

Papaya (chopped): 1 cup

Apple (peeled and chopped): ½ cup

Cocoa Powder: 2 tbsp

Drinking Chocolate Powder: 2 tbsp

Yogurt: 1 ½ cup

GARNISH (for one bowl)

Soaked basil seeds: 2 tbsp

Pumpkin seeds: 2 tbsp

Banana (sliced): 1

Frozen Blueberries: 6

Peanut Butter: 1 tbsp

METHOD

1.Blend all the ingredients, besides the ones for garnishing, in a blender jar for two minutes.

2.Pour into two separate bowls.

3.Top with all the garnishes in a design of your fancy. Serve immediately.