It all the time looks like one recipe fashion 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 reputation in recent times. This once-niche well being meals has now develop into a mainstream staple in folks’s food plan.
These thick and creamy concoctions are way over simply visually interesting; they’re additionally loaded with nutrient-rich fruits, veggies and grains that enhance your well being in a myriad of the way. “Smoothie bowls will be a simple strategy to embrace nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which might assist total 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 mentioning that smoothie bowls are a bit totally different than common smoothies—whereas they do share a standard 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 inclined to drink smoothies via a straw. Smoothie bowls however, are thicker, creamier and served in a bowl, which permits for toppings and customarily makes for a extra well-rounded and filling meal.
Try these tasty and health-conscious smoothie bowl recipes which are designed to cut-back on bloating whereas powering you with vitality.
Smoothie Bowls and Bloating: Truth or Fad?
To know the potential for smoothie bowls to really banish bloating, it’s necessary to look at their core elements. Firstly, many smoothie bowls characteristic a base of frozen fruit, resembling 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, resembling granola, seeds, nuts and even recent cut-up fruit.
Whereas these substances will be undeniably nutritious, boosting nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, their position in bloating is advanced. For starters, it relies on the precise substances of a given smoothie bowl to establish whether or not or not it may possibly really trigger or forestall bloating.
On the upside, many smoothie bowls are jam-packed with fiber, since they characteristic lots of fruits and veggies. This fiber may also help assist digestion and forestall constipation, each of that are a standard contributor to bloating, Routhenstein explains. Furthermore, some smoothie bowls incorporate substances like chia seeds or flaxseed, which comprise soluble fiber that may soak up water within the digestive tract, doubtlessly easing discomfort.
Since smoothies are largely liquid, in addition they are usually hydrating, however may also help encourage optimum digestive perform.
Whereas smoothie bowls are usually extra wholesome than dangerous total, it’s price noting that some, particularly those who you buy at a retailer or a smoothie bar, will be excessive in added sugars. This may sadly result in digestive points, in line with analysis.
It’s additionally price mentioning that sure fruits and sweeteners which are generally utilized in smoothie bowls would possibly comprise what’s often called FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), which might trigger bloating in delicate people. When you do occur to be delicate to those sure meals excessive in FODMAPs, resembling oats, quinoa, apples, apricots, grapes, mangoes, peaches, plums, and so on., you might very effectively expertise bloating from a smoothie bowl.
Dairy merchandise, like Greek yogurt, are one other potential wrongdoer, as lactose intolerance impacts a good portion of the inhabitants. Gluten-containing substances, resembling granola with added wheat, can even set off bloating in people with gluten sensitivity or celiac illness.
Final, however not least, one other downside to smoothie bowls is that they lack the strong texture of normal meals. When you’re changing a meal with a smoothie bowl, it’s potential that it may impression your satiety and starvation, in line with a research revealed within the journal Vitamins.
The Finest Smoothie Bowl Recipes to Banish Bloat
It’s potential to create a smoothie bowl that does assist minimize down on bloat—as a substitute of inflicting it. First, you need to be sure you’re selecting the best base substances—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 resembling Greek yogurt of kefir to assist assist intestine well being.
Listed here are a few of the greatest smoothie bowl recipes for reducing 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 substances. Cucumber and pineapple work collectively to ease digestive discomfort and scale 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 recent berries and a drizzle of honey, this smoothie bowl shouldn’t be 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 stuffed with antioxidants and fiber, each of which assist in digestion and total 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 improve intestine flora. For an added crunch, prime your bowl with granola, however select one which’s low in added sugars to stop bloating. The mix of those substances helps digestive well being whereas additionally offering a scrumptious and satisfying meal that may preserve you energized all through the day.
Base: Blended berries, banana, Greek yogurt, coconut water
Toppings: Granola (verify for low-sugar choices), sliced strawberries, a sprinkle of bee pollen
Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bowl
Wish to really feel such as you’re on a tropical trip with out having to e-book a flight? Do this smoothie bowl that includes mango and papaya, each of that are celebrated for his or her potential to ease digestion. Mango accommodates 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 accommodates an enzyme referred to as papain, which is greatest recognized for its protein-digesting skills. This enzyme may also help break down advanced proteins into smaller, extra manageable peptides, lowering digestive pressure. To prime all of it off, papaya is wealthy in fiber, which additionally contributes to total 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 research, revealed within the journal Vitamins, even discovered that cucumber, together with a couple of different veggies like spinach and carrot, had been linked to a diminished danger of gastric illness.
Mint has been used for hundreds of years to scale back disagreeable abdomen signs like bloating. Its compounds may also help loosen up the muscle groups of the digestive tract, lowering spasms and bloating. When you occur to be feeling nauseous, mint can even assist present some short-term reduction.
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, remember to verify the ingredient listing of any store-bought granola or yogurt to make sure they align together with your dietary wants. The very last thing you want is a dairy base once you’re lactose illiberal.
It’s additionally useful to regulate the sweetness to your choice utilizing pure sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit as a substitute of precise sugar cane. Not solely are they naturally calorie-free, however they’ve a decrease glycemic index, which implies they’ve minimal impression on blood sugar ranges, making them a greater choice for people with diabetes or insulin resistance.
The Takeaway
Over time and after a bit of experimentation with totally different substances, you’ll find the fitting smoothie bowl recipes that work greatest to your physique, so you possibly can reap the advantages of a scrumptious meal and handle signs of bloat.