Acai bowl well being advantages: Tips on how to make a nutritious acai bowl at residence

You’ve little doubt seen these photogenic darlings of the well being meals world in your Insta feed – so what’s all of the fuss about acai bowls?

Acai bowls have more and more been popping up in health-conscious cafes and social media feeds in recent times.

However what precisely is acai and why all of the hype round it?

Right here’s all you’ll want to find out about this purple-hued berry and its historic origins, why it’s been touted as a superfood and how one can create your personal little bowl of well being at residence.

What’s acai?

Acai berries (pronounced ah-sah-ee} are native to Central and South America, and have been a staple meals of the Amazon’s ribeirinhos individuals for 1000’s of years.

As a result of problem in exporting the berries, in Australia they’re typically offered as a powder or a frozen puree.

It’s extremely doubtless you’ve grow to be aware of acai in its iteration as a smoothie bowl.

Why acai is a superfood

Practical nutritionist Fran Dargaville says acai is touted as a superfood due to its antioxidant content material.

“Whereas many plant meals comprise antioxidants, acai accommodates greater ranges than many different meals, with one serve of acai offering 5 occasions extra antioxidants than a cup of inexperienced tea,” she says.

Fran says antioxidants are key for safeguarding cells towards harm from free radicals, which may trigger oxidative stress – which may in flip result in power illness.

However that isn’t the place acai’s well being advantages finish, says dietitian Milly Smith.

“In addition to being excessive in antioxidants, acai additionally accommodates a variety of nutritional vitamins, minerals and is of course low in sugar and excessive in dietary fibre,” says Milly, of Dietitians Australia.

Tips on how to make your personal acai bowl

Making a wholesome acai bowl at house is oh-so simple.

Step 1: Make the acai bowl base

Fran suggests making a easy acai bowl out of:

One packet of unsweetened frozen acai;
One frozen banana; and
A small quantity of water or coconut milk.

“The banana provides sweetness and ensures a creamy consistency (just like ice cream), and the small quantity of liquid helps obtain the right texture,” says Fran.

Step 2: Add toppings

Fran suggests serving your acai bowl with sliced fruit resembling strawberries, banana and mango, which counterpoint the flavour of acai.

For further crunch, add nuts, seeds, or wholesome do-it-yourself granola.

Different acai bowl ideas to remember

Milly warns that acai bowls can generally be excessive in sugar and energy, so it’s necessary to maintain portion dimension in thoughts.

“(Acai bowls) are often made on a base of berry powder/puree and blended with fruit juice, then topped with different substances that may enhance the sugar load like granola and dried fruits,” she says.

“In addition to being excessive in sugar these substances are additionally excessive GI, which means they will trigger a giant spike in our blood sugar ranges.”

Fran provides that acai bowls generally don’t comprise ample fats and protein to substitute a meal.

To up your acai bowl’s dietary worth, Fran suggests including protein powder or collagen to make sure you’re getting a protein hit, and embody wholesome fat resembling nuts and seeds.

Love well being bowls? Right here’s some extra concepts and inspo: