Breakfast club: At-home Acai Bowls

When I’m home in New York, I pretty much have my Saturday morning routine down to a science.

There’s something comforting about consistency on the weekends — and my timeline goes a little something like this: Snooze, coffee, SoulCycle, coffee, food, food, food, nap. Soon we’ll incorporate college football, but for now.

… That nap, though. Right?

Real talk: I eat a lot. In fact, I’m the hangry friend that can go from zero to 100 real quick.

As a part of my food brigade, I typically make a quick stop into Juice Generation after my morning cycling sessions to pick up an ah-mazingly delicious Acai (ah-sigh-ee bowl); however, since I’m on that freelance budget, I’ve started to make weekend brunch an at-home affair.

I shared a photo of my favorite meal of the moment on Instagram last week — and as promised, here are the details.

At-home acai bowls

• What it is: Basically, it’s a refreshingly cool, delicious, smoothie-like consistency — almost like sorbet.
• Top it off: I top mine with fruit, shredded coconut and a handful of high-fiber cereal (or granola).
• About the berry: Acai is a popular superfood made from a palm tree found in Brazil. It tastes like a rich blueberry and is packed with fiber, antioxidants and amino acids. While you can buy it as a powder (great for adding to smoothies and yogurt), I often buy the unsweetened frozen packs in natural food stores.
• The add-ins: For one, there’s powdered peanut butter (file under: things I order in bulk). For even more nutritional benefits, I’ve been adding Fuel-6 premium vegan protein packets.

I’m pretty new to the whole protein powder consumption business, but here’s what I know about it:

Vegan proteins offer the same type of benefits as whey, but without the animal products. In particular, Fuel-6 is a premium vegan protein made by DailyBurn. It has six sources of plant proteins (made from amino acids), and it’s gluten-, dairy- and soy-free. It doesn’t contain artificial colors or sweeteners, and it comes in two flavors — chocolate and vanilla. Both of which taste fantastic mixed in with these acai packets.

What I like about these convenient on-the-go packets (in comparison to the bigger tubs) is that they require no measuring — and no mess. If you’re intrigued, try mixing a packet (or a scoop) with almond milk, ice and a banana in a NutriBullet high-speed blender.

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Below is the super simple recipe I’ve been using, but you can use different mix-ins and toppings to create your ideal combination.

*Note: If you can’t find the frozen packets near you, two other options available on Amazon are Sambazon’s freeze-dried acai powder and Navitas organic acai powder. To make a similar bowl, freeze your banana (peeling it first) and add a bit more yogurt.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Sambazon açaí berry packs (found in the freezer section at Whole Foods or your local health food store) or acai powder
• 1 banana
• 1/3 cup almond milk (for thinner consistency, use m)
• Two heaping tablespoons of nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 packet of Fuel-6 vegan protein in chocolate (or vanilla; optional)
• 2 Tablespoons PB2 powdered peanut butter (optional; not necessary because of the Fuel-6 flavor, but delicious nonetheless)
• Berries, granola or high-fiber cereal to top

DIRECTIONS

Blend acai pack, banana, almond milk, yogurt and mixes (if applicable) in a NutriBullet high-speed blender until smooth. (I usually just pulse the mixture 10-12 times.) It will be thick, so add extra milk or water as needed. Pour into a bowl and top with fruit, cereal, granola or coconut.

Want more health & wellness? Check these out:

little life hacks | three-ingredient pancakes
my yoga journey | 29 lessons I learned in my 20’s

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Thanks to DailyBurn for partnering on this post