Experience New Flavors with Smoothie Bowls!

We all have our “go-to” meals and snacks that we default to when planning what to eat, especially when we are overwhelmed by the sea of trending new recipes. If you’ve found yourself in a seemingly endless dietary loop of the same old line-up, we want to share a new recipe with you sent to us by our friend Hanan from @ohmygoodiescc. Her deliciously creative Cucumber Mango Smoothie Bowl recipe is a fresh take on classic smoothies. Brighten up your breakfast, or refresh your lunch with this wonderfully flavorful, nutrition-packed super food medley.

There have been many recipe trends making their rounds the last little while, but one of the most delicious—and my personal favorite—is smoothie bowls. If you haven’t heard of a smoothie bowl, they’re like a classic smoothie, but with two noticeable differences. First, they have a thicker consistency and second, you can load on the toppings. One of the great things about smoothie bowls is that you can get as creative as you want with them. Honestly, the flavour possibilities are endless! They are perfect for any time of the day, making them a great way to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into your daily routine. 

Over the past few years, smoothie bowls have grown in popularity. More and more people are trying them out. As people explore flavor combinations and garnishing designs, it is easy to get excited to try another recipe. Plus, this is a dish that can be interactive with family and friends while promoting healthy eating. With the visually appealing nature of smoothie bowls, it’s fun to see the work of art you end up with. 

And for all those social media lovers, your smoothie bowl creation could be your next fun, exciting post. I encourage you try my recipe to get started, or to switch things up if you’ve been looking for a unique recipe. You will not be disappointed.

I like to mix up both fresh and frozen fruit & veggies to get that ice-cream like texture. My kids are a little bit picky when it comes to vegetables, so I try to use the ones I know they enjoy. Luckily, they love Pure Flavor^® Gourmet Mini Cucumbers. If you’ve been following along, you will see these pop up quite often in recipes and for snacking ideas. They are a definite lunch box favorite.  Any chance I get to use them in a recipe, I take it! 

The great thing about Pure Flavor’s^® Gourmet Mini Cucumbers is that they contain so many health benefits. In addition to their light, yet crunchy texture, they are loaded with fiber, Vitamin K, and are made up of over 90% water. The hydrating and nutritious benefits of these cucumbers make them a perfect addition to your smoothie bowl! 

Since we’re working with such a great ingredient, it only made sense to keep this smoothie bowl bright and packed with all the “good stuff”. I used ingredients that I know will compliment these delicious cucumbers, both in nutrition and flavour. Mangos have a sweet and very subtle tartness to them when they are ripe. Since it might be difficult to find fresh mangos out of season, frozen works best here. Using frozen fruit will also help you get to that perfect ‘soft serve’ texture.

Along with mangos I’ve added avocado, bananas, some full fat plain Greek yogurt, a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a drizzle of honey and some flax seeds and chia seeds. When using bananas, I like to slice them up ahead of time and freeze them before tossing them into the blender with the other ingredients. Add the almond milk in small amounts until you’ve reached your desired consistency. The smoothie blend should be thick enough that you will need a spoon to scoop it out of your blender. If this isn’t a super food smoothie bowl, I don’t know what is!

The result is a healthy and nutrient packed treat that is both delicious and hydrating! You will notice the refreshing flavour of the Mini Cucumbers bursting through.  

And now comes the fun part… garnish! This is where you can really get creative. I use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips of cucumber, which I twist and place on top of my smoothie bowl. Some of my other favourite toppings are avocado slices, coconut flakes, mango cubes, pomegranate arils, and an extra sprinkling of chia and flax seeds.

This is definitely one of the circling trends that you are going to want to try for yourself. It’s simple, fresh, and super nutritious. The possibilities of what to combine and how to top it are endless – let your imagination run wild. It’s easy to see how you can use greenhouse grown vegetables in so many unique ways, no matter the season. Now the best part – dig in and enjoy!

For Hanan Ghadban’s full Cucumber Mango Smoothie Bowl recipe, click here.

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