4 Superfood Acai Bowl Recipes

Last week my daughter and I tried out a new restaurant called Vitality Bowls that features Acai bowls filled with a variety of different acai blends and toppings. We decided to try out the Warrior Bowl I think mostly because my daughter liked the name and the employee told me it was the least sweet of the bunch. I have to tell you we both fell in love on the first bite! It was so refreshing and is a cross between a smoothie and yogurt. Add on top some healthy granola, fruit of choice and nuts. There is quite a bit of natural sugar in these bowls so if you are sensitive to sugars be sure to not eat the whole bowl though you might be tempted it is so delicious. Also, acai is a detoxifier so this could be another reason to build up your serving size!

I wanted to find out what health benefits the Acai fruit has as I have heard some much about them lately. The acai berry comes from the acai palm tree which is native to Central and South America. It is about an inch-long and reddish-purple. Some studies have shown it to be even richer in antioxidants than cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or even blueberries. And according to the Global Healing Center it is one of the healthiest berries you will ever find.

Some of the many benefits include:

Heart Health.

Research shows that acai berries are extremely high in anthocyanins, a form of plant antioxidant associated with the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream as found in red wines.

Promotes Healthy Skin – from within.

The Brazilians have been consuming acai for years to help with skin conditions and for beauty. Since it is so high in Vitamin C I can see why this would give us a glow from within! The berries are one of the planets highest sources of antioxidants. One berry holding ten times the amount of antioxidants as grapes, and two times the amount of blueberries. (Source: Global Healing Center).

Promotes Digestive Health

The berries have powerful detoxification capacities in the human body and are a well-known traditional source of dietary fiber. But as I mentioned, try to build up to allow your system to get use to the high fiber found in acai.

May Help Fight Cancer

According to Global Healing Center, acai is very high in Vitamin C and ellagic acid, an immune-system-boosting combination that has been shown to suppress the growth of cancer. One study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that polyphenolic compounds extracted from acai reduced cancer cell proliferation by 56-86%. It is thought that acai’s phytochemcials can stop the process of carcinogenesis on a molecular level, killing off tumorous cells before they multiply. To read more about the many benefits of acai read the post by Global Healing Center.

Recipes:

So now that we know how good acai is for us – let’s find some recipes to try out! I would love to get a Warrior Bowl from our neighborhood Vitality Bowls every day but it would be too pricy. You can find acai in the frozen section of your local supermarket. And if they don’t carry it – ask them to!

Here are some of our favorites: