Are you looking for a hearty breakfast? If so then one of the best options is something called a protein acai bowl. Fun Fact: The acai berry has more antioxidants than blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You might be tired of the same breakfast foods like eggs & sausage, pancakes/waffles, or breakfast cereal. If so then you should definitely consider this dish. That’s because it combines the superfood with several protein sources and lots of flavors. It’s easily a nutritious and delicious food that could become your next favorite morning meal. Another benefit is you can also add many ingredients to make the bowl even better.
The acai berry is less known than other fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas. However, it’s become a popular superfood in part due to its high antioxidant level. This helps the body to fight off infection, illness, and disease. Antioxidants can keep away “free radical” molecules, which can cause a lot of problems for the human body. Then when the fruit is combined with high-protein sources it offers the perfect pairing. This is an outstanding way to jump-start your morning since studies show a high-protein breakfast is better than high-carbs, which can cause you to feel sluggish.
What In The World Are Acai Berries?
These are red/purple fruits that are about one inch long. The berries grow on the acai tree, which is a palm tree. It grew originally in Central/South America.
Various studies show that acai berries are sky-high in antioxidants. They even have more antioxidants versus strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, etc. Acai berries are also consumed due to the various health benefits they might provide.
For example, they’re also loaded with several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This is critical when doing meal planning since you’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough of all the daily nutrients you need. Make sure to learn about the nutrition facts of acai berries.
Another possible benefit of the superfood is for weight loss. There are various products on the market that claim the fruit can help you to shed pounds. However, many studies show that berry can provide this benefit.
However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat acai berries. In fact, they’re chock-full of nutrients that make them a good option whether you add them to smoothies/shakes, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or heavy cream. Like other berries, there are so many options for consuming the delicious fruit.
Interestingly, the berries are also added to various cosmetic products. This might be surprising so what’s it all about? The reason is the berry’s oil is high-antioxidant. It’s believed that it might be a better option than various tropical oils that are sometimes added to different beauty products like face/body/anti-aging creams, and shampoos/conditioners.
One of the main benefits of acai oil is when it’s stored for a long time the antioxidant level can remain high. The key is to store it properly so there isn’t a major drop in antioxidant levels.
Finally, if you have pollen allergies or have berry allergies you should consider avoiding acai berries. However, in most cases, they don’t cause any food allergies in people.
Protein Acai Bowl: Recipe Ideas
BERRIES
That’s right! One of the ingredients you can add to the protein bowl is more berries. You have many options although strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are all good options. They add nutrients like Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. You can also go with fresh or frozen options but remember: Fresh is best!
PROTEIN POWDER
There are different options but whey protein is one of the best. It’s a complete protein so it has all the essential amino acids (EAAs) you need for the day. While dietary supplements should never replace real food they can help to boost the protein content of your protein bowls.
BANANA
This is a high-potassium superfood that provides many other benefits. For example, it’s good for digestion so if you’re having tummy aches it’s a wise choice. Bananas also have a soft texture that works well with dishes like protein bowls.
GRANOLA
Make sure to go with the real deal that includes oats, nuts, and a natural sweetener like honey. Sometimes the food is dismissed as unhealthy but it really depends on whether it’s a natural/organic version.
RAISINS
Grapes are a superfood and so are raisins even though they’re the dried variety. Besides that, raisins are a good source of nutrients like fiber.
SEEDS
You can go with different options like chia, flax, or hemp. Seeds add more protein to the dish as well as fiber, healthy fat, and vitamins/minerals. They also add some crunch so if you want the protein bowl to have extra crunch this is a good option.
ALMOND/COCONUT MILK
Either is a good option as a low-carb, high-fat plant-based milk. They’re also high-protein so you can get more protein in your protein bowl. These are also good options if you have a milk allergy or are lactose intolerant. In those cases, you’ll certainly want to avoid consuming dairy products like milk.
Acai Berries: Nutrition Facts
Here’s what you get from 100g of frozen acai fruit:
CALORIES
There’s just 70 calories, which is quite low and 3.5% on a 2,000-calorie diet. Make sure to do the math for the other food you eat during the day to make sure you stay under your daily total. The protein bowl also contains other ingredients so the acai berries are just one ingredient
CARBS
The fruit has 4g of carbs, which is quite low. How low can you go? When you subtract the 2g of fiber there’s just 2g of net carbs, which is rock-bottom. It makes acai berries an excellent choice if you’re on a low-carb diet like Keto or Atkins.
FAT
There’s 5g of fat, which includes about 1.5g of saturated fat. That’s not a problem since it means most of the fat is unsaturated. Meanwhile, the saturated fat is from a healthy source so the amount isn’t a major problem in terms of nutritional value.
VITAMINS/MINERALS
You get some vitamins/minerals including these daily values:
- Vitamin C: 15% DV
- Calcium: 2% DV
These aren’t sky-high figures but they can help you reach your daily values for the different nutrients. This is critical to make sure you’re getting all the ones you need for the day.
SUGAR
There’s 2g of sugars, which is quite low. Keep in mind that fruits often have sugars even though they’re not highly-processed table sugar. You should still keep track of this figure since fruit sugars can still cause blood sugar spikes.
Another of the main health benefits of acai berries is their antioxidant levels. In fact, the amount is even higher than blueberries, which is one of the highest antioxidant foods you can consume. When combined with the health benefits of food like oats, protein powders, and seeds you can lots of nutritional value from the protein acai bowl.
