On a recent podcast episode on No-Cook Summer Meals, Gina mentioned smoothies for dinner – something her kids really enjoy. Her idea came at a time where our house is bursting with freshly picked Michigan fruit that is consumed fresh and then whatever remains, is frozen for use throughout the year.
I mean, there is nothing more irritating than paying $9 per pound for frozen berries when I can hand pick organic, local berries for $1 a pound! Needless to say, I stock up and if I so happen to run our before the following summer and fresh haul come…I kick myself.
A few weeks ago, we picked 18 pounds of blueberries and most were consumed fresh. I know, craziness. So, we then picked 20 pounds last weekend and we’re eating them a bit more slowly this go-round. More have gotten thrown into freezer bags and that’s perfectly fine by me!
Being a little underwhelmed with cooking and meal planning lately, I decided we’d offer up Gina’s suggestion for smoothie bowls one night this week. Smoothies aren’t always something I have time to whip up in the morning and so this was perfect. And not only that, but my kids thought it was SUPER cool to put on their own toppings. I laid everything out and then got creative with it!
One of the toppings I offered was dragon fruit – I made a special trip to the store for dragon fruit and starfruit. The dragon fruit ran me $5 and the starfruit $2. I swear, the things we do for our kids and the blog. I mean, that magenta skin with the white, speckled flesh is unique and fun, isn’t it?! I thought I’d really WOW my kids with something new and fun.
As I was cutting it, Shea exclaims, “DRAGON FRUIT! I have that at my summer camp all the time – it’s soooo good!”. Apparently, this camp knows where to get dragon fruit for far less than what I paid, but it was music to my ears that she’s trying and liking new foods! For me, smoothie bowls were new but they’ll be making a reappearance, no doubt!
Blueberry-Coconut Smoothie Bowls
Smoothie bowls are a fun way to both eat smoothies and to top them with your favorite toppings - fruit, granola, nuts, chia...the sky is the limit!
Ingredients
- 1 banana, peeled (frozen if thicker consistency desired)
- 2 cups frozen blueberries
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled
- 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1 (13.66 oz) can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large blender.
- Blend until smooth and serve in bowls topped with toppings* of your choosing - fruit, chia, nuts, granola, and dried coconut are some of my favorites!
Notes
*toppings not included in nutrition info
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 smootie bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 19.3gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 32mgCarbohydrates: 27.0gFiber: 6.3gSugar: 14.3gProtein: 4.5g
Eat all the berries before they’re gone, tasteless, or crazy expensive! 😉
- Strawberry Crustless “Pie”
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
- Blueberry Arugula Salad with Brown Rice
- Blueberry-Lemon Baked Oatmeal
- Summer Salad with Blueberries, Nectarines, and Chicken
- Baked Blueberry-Walnut Oatmeal
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Strawberry-Kale Quinoa Salad
Be well,
