National Nutrition Month: Smoothie Bowls

Happy National Nutrition Month pretty friends! This month I’m going to share lots of healthy tips and recipes with you. I wanted to start out by sharing a few smoothie bowls I featured on my Instagram this past month. They are incredibly easy to make so don’t be intimidated by them. All you do is throw ingredients in a blender and use a mini shape cutter for the toppings! Easy as pie!

Mermaid Vegan Smoothie Bowl

• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 tablespoons coconut yogurt
• 1/4 cup coconut water
• 1 teaspoon blue spirulina
•  1/4 cup frozen coconut

Spirulina Nutrition

Have you heard of spirulina? If you have ever picked up a green juice at the grocery store, chances are you’ve had it before. Spirulina is a type of bacteria called cyanobacterium, which is often referred to as blue-green algae. You can purchase it in green or blue form. The blue form is more expensive and harder to find but it’s quite beautiful. Spirulina has become a popular protein source for vegetarians and vegans. It’s considered an excellent quality protein source (like eggs) and a complete protein because it has all essential amino acids.

A single tablespoon (7 grams) of dried spirulina powder contains (1):

• Protein: 4 grams.
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 11% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 15% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 4% of the RDA.
• Copper: 21% of the RDA.
• Iron: 11% of the RDA.
• It also contains decent amounts of magnesium, potassium and manganese, and small amounts of almost every other nutrient that we need.

Other health benefits of consuming spirulina (2)-

• Detoxes Heavy Metals (Especially Arsenic
• Helps Prevent Cancer
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Reduces Cholesterol
• Lowers Chance of Stroke
• Boosts Energy
• Speeds Up Weight Loss
• Alleviates Sinus Issues

If you would like to learn more about spirulina and see resources for each of these health benefit claims, click here.

Not for Pregnant Women or Children

Last year when I was first introduced to spirulina I read an article that said pregnant women and children should not consume spirulina. That really stuck out to me because most women (including myself) don’t really know that. There is not enough scientific information about consuming spirulina during pregnancy to make a determination on whether using it while pregnant or breast-feeding is safe. This means that the safe choice is to avoid this supplement while pregnant or nursing.

Spirulina might also be contaminated with microcystins, which are liver-damaging substances, as well as harmful bacteria. Babies and children are more sensitive to contaminated spirulina than adults. That brings up another point, it’s absolutely critical to make sure that the quality and purity of the spirulina that you consume is of the highest standards. Particularly, like anything that comes from the sea, be certain to only purchase blue-green algae that is free from contamination. Whether pregnant or not, avoid any spirulina product that is not tested and certified free of contaminants, including mycrocystins.

The other smoothies I created were these pretty pink strawberry and cranberry coconut bowls! All three of these bowls have the same base but different toppings. I used dragon fruit in all of them because it’s pretty and full of nutrients. Two of them I topped with Trader Joe’s Organic Coconut Granola, which is seriously the best granola I have had in a long time. I then had fun changing up the fruit- cranberries, papaya and kiwi! Whatever fruit you happen to have in your home will add nicely to this diverse bowl.

Pretty Pink Smoothie Bowls

• 1 cup cranberries or strawberries
• 1 cup Milkadamia Milk
• 2 scoops Vital Peptide Berry
• 2 frozen banana
• 2 tablespoon Siggis Plan Yogurt
• Top with Coconut Granola and Dragonfruit

Dragonfruit Nutrition

Aside from being one of the prettiest fruits, dragon fruit is quite the power house. Low in calories and filling, dragon fruit makes a good choice for anyone watching his calories. This is why I love to add it to all my smoothies! One small dragon fruit has about 60 calories. Not bad for such a delicious fruit! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says filling your diet with more low-energy-dense foods can help you lose weight and make it easier for you to maintain a healthy weight.

Another very appealing nutrient that dragon fruit is loaded with is vitamin C- meeting 15 percent of the daily value in one small fruit. In case you don’t remember from my Eat Pretty Challenge facts, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin you need to make collagen, the amino acid L-carnitine and neurotransmitters. It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting your cells from oxidative damage by free radicals, which may help lower your risk of heart disease and cancer. Vitamin C has also been shown to regenerate other antioxidants in your body, such as vitamin E. We will go into much further detail on these vitamins later this month!

I hope you learned something new in todays blog post! And I hope this shows you how easy it is to make a pretty smoothie bowl! Happy Nutrition Month friend!

 

Xo,