Gluten Free/Vegan Smoothie Bowl

I am not a morning person and I personally don’t like eating heavy traditional American breakfast foods in the morning (Pancakes, bacon, sausage, etc). I like having something light in while my digestive system is waking up, so a smoothie bowl is the perfect thing. Usually when you get these at a restaurant, they can cost around $10.00. You can make your own for 1/3 of that amount. Best of all, you’re getting a boost of vitamins and minerals to get your day off to a healthy start.

The possibilities for smoothie bowls are endless. You can customize it with your favorite fruits and vegetable. Some people top it with chopped nuts and if you’re feeling fancy, you can slice a bunch of different fruits on top. But since most of us don’t have the time to cut fruit in the morning, my recipe is a quick and healthy way to get all the taste and benefits of smoothie bowl in the least amount of time.

Ingredients

Half an Apple (cored)
1 Frozen Banana
1 cup Frozen berry Mix (Mine has strawberry, blueberry and raspberry)
1 Small Carrot
1/2 cup of frozen spinach
1/3 cup Almond Milk (unsweetened)
1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
Gluten Free Granola (I use Trader Joes)

Tools:

Vitamix (Or any blender that you own)

Prep:

You’re going to want to freeze your bananas well beforehand. I usually peel and cut a bunch of bananas into 1- 2 inch chunks, spread them out on a piece of parchment lined cookie sheet and throw them in the freezer for about 4 hrs. After they’re frozen I store them in a tupperware in my freezer and I can conveniently grab them whenever I need them.

Save Time: I don’t bother peeling my carrot. I just give it a good wash and chop off the ends.

1. Throw all your ingredients into the blender. Start on the lowest setting on your blender and slowly move up in speed. Because there are quite a few frozen items, you’ll probably need to tamp it down periodically. This usually takes me around 1 minute but it will vary depending on your blender. The final consistency should be somewhere between a normal smoothie and ice cream. Be careful not to overblend or else the heat generated from the friction will turn your smoothie bowl into a soupy mess.

2. Pour your blend into a bowl and top it off with your gluten free granola.

Enjoy!

PS If you want some more calories and don’t really care about eating gluten free, I occasionally pair my smoothie bowl with a savory slice of avocado toast.