In the Buff Smoothie Bowl

There’s no turning back: we’ve officially shifted from the sleepy newborn stage into a whole other beast. It was good while it lasted, I have to say. Arlo’s development is steaming ahead, and with that has come his first sleep regression (or “progression”, if we’re seeing the glass half full), and his desire to never miss a cool thing in his new world. Things have gotten really stinkin’ cute, a bit ugly (mainly, the circles under my eyes), and kinda scary. He basically turned into the wide-eyed “deer in headlights” emoji overnight. Actually, I think someone should make a new emoji just for babies going through sleep regressions; how about a wide-eyed baby who is simultaneously laughing and crying? With devil horns too, of course…but I digress.

We’ve been through countless sleep setbacks before, with big sis, but for some reason I thought we might cruise past them this time. We’ve paid our dues! I protest to the Sleep Gods. LMAO, say the Sleep Gods. It’s okay, though—we will survive.

On the bright side, this crazy time has given me the nudge to start something I’ve wanted to do for a while now: shorter, more easygoing blog posts. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time (and even tried it out a while back if you recall, but eventually my inner Chatty Cathy got the best of me…oops). I’m trying it today and popping in with a quick recipe and a few photos. I just added this smoothie bowl to the app a week ago, and it’s my current obsession. I devour a bowl every single morning lately (and chase it with a coffee or matcha to warm up…the best.).

A few things to note. The recipe calls for dates, but I don’t tend to use them because I don’t mind a smoothie that’s just mildly sweet. However, my lovely tester, Nicole, thinks it’s a bit bland without the dates added in, so I’ll leave it up to you whether to include them or not. (Granted, it does taste ah-mazing with the dates.) You can always taste the smoothie before adding them in and then make the call to suit your own taste buds. Also, a word to the wise: Some blenders have a hard time blending hemp hearts and dates smooth enough, so I recommend using a high-speed blender for the best results. Lastly, I always use a stevia-free protein powder as I don’t like the taste of stevia (and find it can overpower some smoothie flavours), but whatever you use, just know that the protein powder will greatly impact the overall flavour. I use Sunwarrior Warrior Blend in Natural in this particular recipe. Some people love it and some don’t; use what you love and you can’t go wrong!

Well, I just clocked in at 500 words for what was supposed to be a quickie blog post. Chatty Cathy strikes again. (Eric just said, “Must be the Maritimer in you.”) Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought.

In the Buff Smoothie Bowl

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

★★★★★
4.8 from 35 reviews

Yield
2 to 2 1/2 cups (500 to 625 mL)

Prep time
10 minutes

Cook time
0 minutes

Total time
10 minutes

I just can't get enough of this creamy, monochrome smoothie bowl! Packed with protein and healthy fats, it keeps me going all morning long, and its subtle, earthy flavours and thick texture are the perfect base for loading on all kinds of toppings.

Ingredients

For the smoothie bowl:

• 1 to 1 1/4 cups (250 to 310 mL) almond milk, as needed
• 1/4 cup (40 g) packed avocado
• 1 large frozen banana, broken into chunks*
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) chia seeds
• 1 heaping tablespoon (12 g) hemp hearts
• 1 scoop (25 g or 1/4 cup) unflavoured protein powder (optional)**
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) almond butter
• 1 to 2 pitted Medjool dates, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 ice cubes, or as desired

Topping suggestions:

• The Perfect Granola, Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola Clusters, or granola of choice
• Fresh fruit (sliced banana, berries, etc.)
• Cinnamon
• Hemp hearts and/or toasted sliced almonds
• Shredded coconut

Directions

1. Add 1 cup (250 mL) of almond milk into a high-speed blender, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. If necessary, add more milk to get the blender going.
2. Pour into a bowl, and add your desired toppings. Serve immediately and enjoy with a spoon!

Tip:

* Be sure to use a large frozen banana or the texture of the smoothie bowl won't be thick enough.

** If you are omitting the protein powder, you can reduce the almond milk to 1 cup (250 mL), and add more from there if needed. I use Sunwarrior Warrior Blend protein powder in "Natural". It's important to use a neutral-flavoured protein powder so it doesn't overwhelm the delicate flavours of the smoothie bowl.

If you want a bit of a kick flavour-wise, try adding some fresh ginger (to taste) to heighten the flavours.

Nutrition Information

(click to expand)

Serving Size 2 1/2 cups (entire recipe) | Calories 470 calories | Total Fat 24 grams
Saturated Fat 2.5 grams | Sodium 240 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates 57 grams
Fiber 15 grams | Sugar 28 grams | Protein 13 grams

Nutritional info does not include toppings.
* Nutrition data is approximate and is for informational purposes only.

Also, just a heads up that I’ll be sharing this new recipe for nut-free freezer fudge in the next issue of In the Glow! Be sure you are signed up (and don’t forget to confirm your subscription). It’ll be going out before Valentine’s Day.