A Berry Healthy Valentine’s Day Smoothie Bowl

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Show yourself some love & blend up a delicious Smoothie Bowl for Valentine’s Day!

You’re a smooth[ie] operator 😉

I’m all for boxes of chocolates and candy hearts but leading up to the most romantic day of the year, I still want to eat nutritious meals that satisfy my sweet tooth! Cue this Valentine’s Day Smoothie Bowl.

I like my smoothie bowls as thick as Beyoncé, topped with a variety of superfoods, and as tasty as a dessert.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, I combined my love for spoonable smoothie bowls, nutritious food, and delicious flavors to bring you A Berry Healthy Valentine’s Day Smoothie Bowl!

Here are tips to creating a THICK smoothie bowl:

• Use frozen fruit. If you only is fresh produce, throw them in the freezer and wait 1-2 hours. This works best if your fruits and vegetables are ripe or even overripe.
• In order to achieve a consistency you can eat with a spoon and cover with toppings that do not sink into your base, use LESS liquid. You can gradually add more as you blend if you need, but start with 1:3 liquid-to-fruit ratio.
• Invest in a high-powered blender. Your old blenders from the 70’s may not have the horsepower to blend a thick smoothie bowl. I recommend The Ninja Foodie SS101 Smoothie Bowl Make & Nutrient Extractor or another “bullet” shaped blender.
• Freeze some your liquid in ice cube trays! I would not freeze almond milk as it separates.
• Add nutritious ingredients that thicken your bowl- 1-2 tablespoons of protein powder, handful of oats, ground flaxseed or chia seeds, coconut cream, avocado, beetroot powder or Spirulina are good ideas.

Balance Your Bowl

• Don’t make your smoothie bowl with just fruit and granola- that is a lot of carbs and sugar without any protein or fats!
• Add protein with protein powder in your smoothie base (plant-based protein powders tend to make your bowl thicker) & using a soy or cow’s milk. I used Silk Ultra Unsweetened Plant-Based Protein Drink!
• Include healthy fats (& texture!) with unsweetened coconut shreds, nuts, but butter drizzles, pepitas, & seeds.
• Be mindful of honey or agave drizzles- they still count as added sugar.

A Berry Healthy Valentine’s Day Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons strawberry protein powder (I used Vegan Power Pro)
• 2/3 cup soy milk, separated (you can use any milk- I think dairy and soy work best)
• 1 cup frozen dragonfruit chunks
• 1 frozen, overripe banana
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon coconut cream
• Toppings: unsweetened coconut, pomegranate, strawberries, dragon fruit balls, raspberries, and a dark chocolate heart (cacao nibs work, too!)

Instructions

1. In a high-powdered blender, add protein powder 1/3 liquid and blend until combined.
2. Add fruit, cocoa powder, flaxseed, and coconut cream. Poor in remaining milk and blend for 1-3 minutes.
3. Assess consistency and add more liquid as needed, but be patient! It takes time to make a thick bowl. You may need more than the 2/3 cup but add 1-2 tablespoons at a time to prevent a thin consistency.
4. Once you’ve reached a smooth consistency, use a small spatula to spoon into a bowl.
5. Add toppings and style your bowl

Make this smoothie bowl? We want to see! Share your masterpiece and tag us on Instagram @nutrition.awareness.

You may also like…

• Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie Bowl
• Cherry Almond Coffee Smoothie

Disclaimer: Some blog posts may contain one or more affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Kait Richardson is a registered dietitian nutritionist in Orlando, FL. She is a partner at a private practice, Nutrition Awareness, where she helps frustrated yo-yo dieters reach their health goals using 1:1 nutrition coaching. She is the co-host of the Nutrition Awareness Podcast.