It all the time looks like one recipe model takes over TikTok—you begin seeing it pop up throughout your feed, however featured in all kinds of various methods. That’s what’s occurring proper now with smoothie bowls, which have exploded in recognition in recent times. This once-niche well being meals has now change into a mainstream staple in folks’s food regimen.
These thick and creamy concoctions are way over simply visually interesting; they’re additionally loaded with nutrient-rich fruits, veggies and grains that increase your well being in a myriad of how. “Smoothie bowls will be a simple technique to embrace nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which may assist general well being, together with coronary heart well being by offering vitamins like potassium and fiber that assist handle blood stress,” says Michelle Routhenstein, R.D.N., Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Preventive Cardiology Dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com.
It’s price stating that smoothie bowls are a bit totally different than common smoothies—whereas they do share a typical base of blended fruits and veggies, they differ primarily of their texture and presentation.
For instance, common smoothies are usually thinner and extra liquidy. You additionally are likely to drink smoothies by means of a straw. Smoothie bowls then again, are thicker, creamier and served in a bowl, which permits for toppings and usually makes for a extra well-rounded and filling meal.
Try these tasty and health-conscious smoothie bowl recipes which can be designed to cut-back on bloating whereas powering you with vitality.
Smoothie Bowls and Bloating: Truth or Fad?
To grasp the potential for smoothie bowls to actually banish bloating, it’s essential to look at their core parts. Firstly, many smoothie bowls function a base of frozen fruit, equivalent to berries, bananas or mangoes blended with a liquid like coconut water, almond milk or Greek yogurt. Since they’re specified by a bowl, it’s fairly widespread to include toppings, equivalent to granola, seeds, nuts and even contemporary cut-up fruit.
Whereas these elements will be undeniably nutritious, boosting nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, their position in bloating is advanced. For starters, it will depend on the precise elements of a given smoothie bowl to determine whether or not or not it may really trigger or stop bloating.
On the upside, many smoothie bowls are jam-packed with fiber, since they function lots of fruits and veggies. This fiber can assist support digestion and stop constipation, each of that are a typical contributor to bloating, Routhenstein explains. Furthermore, some smoothie bowls incorporate elements like chia seeds or flaxseed, which comprise soluble fiber that may soak up water within the digestive tract, probably easing discomfort.
Since smoothies are principally liquid, additionally they are usually hydrating, however can assist encourage optimum digestive operate.
Whereas smoothie bowls are usually extra wholesome than dangerous general, it’s price noting that some, particularly people who you buy at a retailer or a smoothie bar, will be excessive in added sugars. This will sadly result in digestive points, in keeping with research.
It’s additionally price stating that sure fruits and sweeteners which can be generally utilized in smoothie bowls would possibly comprise what’s generally known as FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), which may trigger bloating in delicate people. When you do occur to be delicate to those sure meals excessive in FODMAPs, equivalent to oats, quinoa, apples, apricots, grapes, mangoes, peaches, plums, and so on., you might very properly expertise bloating from a smoothie bowl.
Dairy merchandise, like Greek yogurt, are one other potential offender, as lactose intolerance impacts a good portion of the inhabitants. Gluten-containing elements, equivalent to granola with added wheat, can even set off bloating in people with gluten sensitivity or celiac illness.
Final, however not least, one other disadvantage to smoothie bowls is that they lack the stable texture of standard meals. When you’re changing a meal with a smoothie bowl, it’s attainable that it may influence your satiety and starvation, in keeping with a examine printed within the journal Nutrients.
The Finest Smoothie Bowl Recipes to Banish Bloat
It’s attainable to create a smoothie bowl that does assist minimize down on bloat—as an alternative of inflicting it. First, you need to be sure you’re selecting the best base elements—ideally low-FODMAP fruits (berries, bananas, pineapple or melon) when you are usually delicate to them, unsweetened liquid like almond milk or coconut water when you’re utilizing one thing aside from common water and the addition of probiotics equivalent to Greek yogurt of kefir to assist assist gut health.
Listed below are among the greatest smoothie bowl recipes for slicing again on bloat and cashing in on well being and wellness.
Inexperienced Goddess Smoothie Bowl
This smoothie bowl is a powerhouse of hydrating and anti inflammatory elements. Cucumber and pineapple work collectively to ease digestive discomfort and cut back bloating, whereas spinach provides a wealthy supply of important nutritional vitamins and minerals. Moreover, the bowl consists of chia seeds for added fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, and a splash of coconut water for further hydration, notes Routhenstein. Topped with contemporary berries and a drizzle of honey, this smoothie bowl just isn’t solely nutritious but additionally scrumptious, making it an ideal begin to your day.
Base: Spinach, cucumber, avocado, pineapple, coconut water
Toppings: Chia seeds, hemp seeds, sliced almonds, a drizzle of honey
Berry Blast Smoothie Bowl
Chock filled with antioxidants and fiber, each of which support in digestion and general intestine well being, this smoothie bowl lives as much as its title. Incorporating Greek yogurt into your smoothie bowl provides probiotics, which additional assist a wholesome digestive system and enhance gut flora. For an added crunch, high your bowl with granola, however select one which’s low in added sugars to forestall bloating. The mix of those elements helps digestive well being whereas additionally offering a scrumptious and satisfying meal that may hold you energized all through the day.
Base: Blended berries, banana, Greek yogurt, coconut water
Toppings: Granola (test for low-sugar choices), sliced strawberries, a sprinkle of bee pollen
Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bowl
Need to really feel such as you’re on a tropical trip with out having to e-book a flight? Do that smoothie bowl that includes mango and papaya, each of that are celebrated for his or her potential to ease digestion. Mango comprises amylase enzymes which assist the physique break down carbohydrates. These enzymes, just like these present in our saliva, provoke the digestive course of, making it simpler for our our bodies to soak up vitamins, explains Routhenstein.
Papaya additionally comprises an enzyme referred to as papain, which is greatest recognized for its protein-digesting talents. This enzyme can assist break down advanced proteins into smaller, extra manageable peptides, lowering digestive pressure. To high all of it off, papaya is wealthy in fiber, which additionally contributes to general intestine well being and regularity.
When mixed in a smoothie bowl, these tropical fruits create a dynamic duo that may assist a wholesome digestive system.
Base: Mango, papaya, coconut milk, pineapple
Toppings: Coconut flakes, sliced almonds, a squeeze of lime
Creamy Cucumber and Mint Smoothie Bowl
Cucumber has a excessive water content material, so it’s long-been related to reduction from digestive discomfort, notes Rothenstein. One examine, printed within the journal Nutrients, even discovered that cucumber, together with a number of different veggies like spinach and carrot, have been linked to a lowered threat of gastric illness.
Mint has been used for hundreds of years to reduce unpleasant stomach symptoms like bloating. Its compounds can assist chill out the muscle mass of the digestive tract, lowering spasms and bloating. When you occur to be feeling nauseous, mint can even assist present some temporary relief.
Base: Cucumber, spinach, mint, coconut water, Greek yogurt
Toppings: Sliced avocado, hemp seeds, a sprinkle of purple pepper flakes
What to Know Earlier than Making Your Personal Smoothie Bowls
Earlier than you get within the kitchen and begin whipping up your individual smoothie bowls with the objective of lowering bloat, make sure to test the ingredient record of any store-bought granola or yogurt to make sure they align along with your dietary wants. The very last thing you want is a dairy base while you’re lactose illiberal.
It’s additionally useful to regulate the sweetness to your desire utilizing pure sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit as an alternative of precise sugar cane. Not solely are they naturally calorie-free, however they’ve a lower glycemic index, which suggests they’ve minimal influence on blood sugar ranges, making them a greater possibility for people with diabetes or insulin resistance.
The Takeaway
Over time and after somewhat experimentation with totally different elements, one can find the suitable smoothie bowl recipes that work greatest on your physique, so you may reap the advantages of a scrumptious meal and handle signs of bloat.
