Green Smoothie Bowl

Ah, smoothie bowls. One of the latest health crazes! So colorful, so nutritious, so filling.

But are they?

Do you ever wonder why smoothie bowls try to seem super healthy, but they are actually frozen yogurt bowls in disguise? Do you ever find yourself rushing to finish a smoothie bowl before it melts into nothing? Do you feel immense regret when forking over $12-15 dollars for a bowl of sugar-water that leaves you wanting more?

I sure do.

There must be a healthier, cheaper, less melty choice out there.

After several attempts at making “island style” smoothie bowls at home, I may have stumbled upon the best ever smoothie bowl of all time. This one doesn’t melt away, and it is actually healthy, not just because of the green color. This smoothie bowl wins on so many levels.

1. It combines the benefits of several superfoods

2. It doesn’t melt; instead, it maintains its fluffy consistency for hours

3. It is cheaper per oz than smoothies you’ll get at a cafe

Since it includes spinach, spirulina, psyllium, and protein, it really rocks the nutrition game. And, depending on what you top it with, many nutritionists might consider this bowl to be “a complete protein.”

The psyllium is the secret ingredient. Much like flax seeds or chia seeds, psyllium husks absorb and retain water. You don’t need to add much liquid, and absolutely no ice, for this smoothie to become nice and fluffy in your standard kitchen blender.

Yes, buying spirulina, psyllium, protein powder, and whatever toppings you like will require some initial spending, but you’ll have smoothies for weeks! Frozen spinach isn’t too expensive, and you can even buy fresh spinach and freeze it. Freeze old bananas and use them when you can. Apples can last a pretty long time in the fridge. It’s up to you! Decide what’s best for your wallet and go with that.

And now, for the recipe you’ve been waiting for:

Green Smoothie Bowl

• 1-2 cups frozen spinach

• 1 serving protein powder of choice, unflavored

• 1 serving spirulina

• 1/2 banana or apple

• 2 tbs psyllium husks

• No more than 1 cup of coconut water, milk of choice, yogurt, or water. I use water or coconut water.
  

Toppings (you can use whatever you like, I used these!)

• 1/2 banana

• Fresh figs

• 1/4 cup granola of choice

• Handful of seeds of choice

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bumps

Cooler temperatures have me gravitating towards root vegetables, hearty flavors, and tasty baked treats. Unfortunately, I rarely allow myself to eat treats at breakfast time, instead opting for cold cereal, a spinach-berry smoothie, or overnight oats. 

Last year, I dabbled in no-flour baking with my banana bumps. Bananas are a wonderful combination of starchy-sweetness; and, in their mashed form, they make the perfect bonding agent for baked goods! Interestingly enough, sweet potatoes are very similar to bananas in that they can be easily used in baking. In addition, sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, and fiber. 

Over the fall months, I've successfully made at least two sweet potato dessert-style cakes (maybe I'll make another one and write about it!). They turned out incredibly moist and sweet, without any added sugars. So, thinking back to my banana bumps...why couldn't I substitute sweet potatoes for bananas? 

What follows is the triumphant metamorphosis of a root vegetable into a delicious breakfast treat!

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bumps 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup sweetener, such as agave, honey, or maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 handful raisins 
• 1 handful sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (You can sub any sort of dried fruits or seeds!)
• (I wanted to add ground flax meal, but I forgot. Next time!) 

Preheat the oven to 350, and wrap your sweet potatoes in tin-foil. Bake for one hour or until you can stab them easily with a fork. Leave the oven on because you will bake your cookies for about 20 minutes after mixing the batter. 

Hint - If you cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, they will bake faster.

Another hint - bake the potatoes the day before to save time. 

Grease a baking sheet, and set aside. 

Next, whip the potatoes at a high speed, leaving the skins on for added nutrients and fiber. Add all the dry ingredients to the potatoes until evenly distributed. 

Make 1/4 cup sized lumps and place them on your baking sheet. They won't rise, so it doesn't matter how close you place them on the sheet. 

Bake for 20 minutes, cool, and enjoy!

Fig and Maple Nut Bars

Figs are definitely my favorite dried fruit. As a child, I loved Fig Newtons. I'd carefully eat all the cookie parts away, exposing the chewy, nutty, figgy center. I'd eat my prize slowly, savoring each bite.

Not only do they taste like candy, figs contain a plethora of nutrients. Figs are high in fiber, high in potassium, and rich in polyphenals, which offer anti-aging properties. Several studies show that some elements in figs are toxic to certain skin cancer cells, and are useful in treating common illnesses that effect the digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Since figs contain a significant amount of B6, they can also be a home remedy for anemia. Figs are known to cultivate good gut bacteria, and they also can provide a natural boost to the body's ability to ward off sickness.

This simple recipe for Fig and Maple Nut Bars makes it easy to incorporate figs into a healthy treat. The process takes a little more than half-an-hour from start to finish. The results will leave you with 12 snack-size bars to eat on the go! 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried figs, stems removed
• 1 3/4 cup cashews
• 5 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla 
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Combine all the ingredients into a food processor. Mix everything up well, until you have a granola-like consistency. The resulting "dough" should be sticky yet loose. Transfer it to the baking dish, and press down with your hands until flat. You'll be cutting this gooey slab into bars when it's finished baking, so make sure the edges are even. Bake for 20 minutes, and allow the pan to cool before cutting the bars. I found it easy to use a pizza cutter for this step. Transfer to a sealed container to keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can freeze these as well. 

Enjoy!