Smoothie bowls, known here as “SIABs,” are one of my favorite breakfasts. If you’re on the go, a traditional tumbler with a straw is ideal, but at home, I prefer to eat my smoothies soup style with a spoon.
Here’s why:
1. It slows me down. Slurping a smoothie up small spoonful by small spoonful is a lot harder than chugging it down or even using a straw. I appreciate that I savor the meal a bit longer.
2. Toppings!! You can’t add anything crunchy and then use a straw. Granola is the best of all. I haven’t had any granola on hand lately, but cereal, crumbled crunchy things or nuts make great toppings. So do fresh fruit and seeds like flax, hemp and chia.
3. Magic shell. If you take coconut butter and melt it down (in hot water or a microwave) and then drizzle it on a cold smoothie, it makes a lovely magic shell topping. Crunch away! If you don’t have coconut butter, melted nut or seed butter drizzle makes a great sauce, but it won’t harden.
4. Satiety. The more food behaviors I tick off in one meal, the more satisfied I am. So just drinking a meal doesn’t leave me as satisfied as using a spoon, watching what I’m eating, and chewing. Therefore I am psychologically more satisfied after eating a SIAB than drinking one.
5. You can pack so much goodness inside. This isn’t really an argument for bowls but just for smoothies in general over more classic breakfasts like cereal with milk. I’ve never been one for veggie scrambles or salsa tacos for breakfast, but I can pack some greens into my smoothies! My favorite smoothie of late is as follows:
- 1 cup organic cow’s milk (for protein!)
- 1.5 cups fresh baby spinach (for greens!)
- 1 frozen banana (for fiber and sweetness!)
- 1 small handful berries (for antioxidants!)
- 1 half scoop Vega Coconut Almond (for the most amazing flavor!)
The frozen banana makes it fluffy. The greens and berries are hidden inside. The milk provides creamy staying power and the Vega just has such a great flavor with a hint of coconut.
Topped with some crunchy corn Chex : )
What’s your favorite smoothie in a bowl combo?
Melissa says
February 7, 2017 at 7:25 amI’ve never made a smoothie in a bowl, but I’ve always thought they look so great and refreshing. I also love the added topping of cereal or granola for crunch and texture!
Jen says
February 7, 2017 at 7:26 amI agree, there is something much more fun about a smoothie in a bowl! I cannot stand protein powder (tried the Vega coconut, no go), so a little collagen powder is a good protein substitute. My favorite bowl is cashew milk, frozen spinach, banana, Amazing Grass chocolate powder, topped with drippy peanut butter, granola and chia or hemp. Think I know what lunch is going to be today! 😀
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
February 7, 2017 at 7:42 amI almost always eat my smoothies in a bowl for those reason! I’m a classic banana peanut butter fan! I usually add a date for sweetener and top with dried coconut!
Ash Diamond says
February 7, 2017 at 7:43 amWe are loving that Vega flavor these days too! SOO delicious!
Cameron says
February 7, 2017 at 7:56 amI always eat my smoothies in a bowl for the same reason- I love toppings and the spoon effect makes me fuller and more satisfied. My favorite topping to my go-to smoothie (protein powder, green powder, spinach, frozen cauliflower, frozen banana, berries) is granola and cacao nibs. If I don’t have granola, walnuts and cacao nibs. Always cacao nibs!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
February 7, 2017 at 8:03 amSlowing the meal down is one of the key reasons why I love smoothie bowls. I can really savour my food that way!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Kori says
February 7, 2017 at 9:43 amPractically every evening, Matt makes a smoothie for dessert. He adds various fruits, Fage Greek yogurt, almond milk, peanut butter, and then he’ll stir in GF Multigrain Cheerios. He eats it with a spoon out of the Ninja single-serve blender tumbler. I love SIAB’s too!
KathEats says
February 7, 2017 at 1:47 pmHaha love it!
Nicole Haber says
February 7, 2017 at 10:18 ami am sold on this. i’ve never made a smoothie bowl but time to try. the only downside is a bowl is less portable
Aimee says
February 7, 2017 at 10:40 amI never really have coconut butter on hand, but realized coconut oil works as a magic shell topping as well, and I always have the oil on hand! I add a little maple syrup and cocoa powder to the liquid oil. Delish.
polly says
February 7, 2017 at 11:43 ami love everything about this post. 🙂 It’s one of my favorites bc its so simple and great info and so Kath. 🙂 LOVE YOU!
XOXO
KathEats says
February 7, 2017 at 1:45 pmIf you still blogged your meals, I bet your smoothie bowls would be the best!!
Jess says
February 7, 2017 at 2:52 pmIs this the Polly that had the blog about peaches and yoga? If so, I read your blog ALL THE TIME and loved it! 🙂 hope you’re well! Kath, I’m dying to try this! I’m on the Whole30 so I’ll use coconut milk, banana, greens, berries and almond butter and definitely top with the coconut butter magic shell! Maybe dried cherries too. Yum sounds like dinner tonight!
Taryn says
February 7, 2017 at 12:17 pmI still drink my smoothies, mainly because I am at work and need the portable cup and straw. My current favorite is cashewmilk, 2 scoops chocolate fudge brownie protein powder, large spoonful of almond butter, and frozen cherries. Sometimes I omit the cherries and replace it with raw oats and ice (gotta get my carbs in somehow)! I drink mine at 10:30am so I can fast for at least 14 hours each day. It’s SUPER filling!
Jess says
February 7, 2017 at 2:54 pmCan you explain your reason for fasting the entire day after breakfast? No judgment- curious!
eliz says
February 13, 2017 at 6:01 pmI bet she means no food from around 8pm until 10:30am.
Kerry says
February 7, 2017 at 12:23 pmBanana, kefir, coconut water, frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries and fronzen mango. Topped with cacao nibs, walnuts and hemp hearts!
Sam @ Hygge Wellness says
February 7, 2017 at 1:03 pmIt makes a lot of sense that we probably more mindfully enjoy our smoothies when we slowly eat them from a bowl. I’ll definitely try that! Thanks for the tips : )
Alexandria says
February 7, 2017 at 1:37 pmLove the whole “makes you think” aspect of smoothie bowls (and all the textures! I’m a total texture eater too). We love frozen bananas + milk + raw oats + cinnamon + dates. Like a healthy date shake! Sprinkle on some coconut & chias and you’re set.
KathEats says
February 7, 2017 at 1:44 pmI haven’t done much with dates, but I need to add them to my list!
Michelle says
February 7, 2017 at 5:11 pmI need to try this! Often after a smoothie I “think” I am still hungry although I’m definitely not. I think the act of “eating” it out of a bowl would make a big difference! Thanks for the idea.
Naomi says
February 7, 2017 at 6:00 pmYES to all the toppings! Drizzling coconut butter on top is such a good idea! I love to throw avocado and a little coconut flour into my smoothie bowl. The avocado makes it so creamy, and the coconut flour thickens it up.
Allie says
February 7, 2017 at 6:21 pmHi! Love your blog but I miss the old format. You now have so many pop-ups and advertisements! It takes forever for it to load on my computer and when it does, it’s full of pop-up ads 🙁
Casey the College Celiac says
February 7, 2017 at 6:34 pmGirl, I am a renowned smoothie bowl addict! My favorite always involves a creamy green smoothie bowl (if you’ve never tried adding frozen zucchini or squash, it’s a great, flavorless way to sneak in some veggies and make your smoothie thicker) topped with things like granola, trail mix, sunbutter, and berries.
KathEats says
February 7, 2017 at 9:46 pmGreat idea on the squash but I haven’t tried it
Annie says
February 7, 2017 at 7:51 pmI love smoothies but rarely have them as a meal. I love to chew and have crunch to feel satisfied! I’ll need to try smoothie bowls when the weather up here in Boston gets warmer!
Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy says
February 7, 2017 at 9:13 pmI’m all about smoothie bowls for the toppings! I’ve even started experimenting with blending things like sweet potatoes and cauliflower into my bowls – you don’t taste them but they bulk it up and add extra veggies 🙂
KathEats says
February 7, 2017 at 9:45 pmBrave but I believe you!
Nicolette says
February 8, 2017 at 6:00 pmI like the super-thick consistency of SIAB’s I eat them on the daily, and pretty much always consists of: Oats, roasted Kabocha squash, Peanut Flour (like PB2), Almond milk, frozen banana (and sometimes other frozen fruit like blueberries), and stevia and sea salt. Sometimes I blend all the oats in, other times I leave half out and just mix them in for extra texture!!
KathEats says
February 8, 2017 at 7:58 pmLove your combo – thick is good! And squash!
eliz says
February 13, 2017 at 5:56 pmfrozen- sweet potato, kale, strawberry, blueberry, bluebonnet whey, water, almond milk. Top with kamut puffs and drizzle of pb.
Amy says
February 24, 2017 at 8:46 amI tried this today instead of just drinking my shake. It was awesome and way more filling! Great suggestion! I used vanilla protein powder, almond milk, and a little dark chocolate PB powder topped with Kashi dark chocolate cluster cereal and a sliced banana. I’m excited to mix it up and try different variations!