If you love berries, you don’t have to limit yourself to the blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries you can find at your local grocery store. Another berry native to South America has a similar nutritional profile to these common American fruits (although it has a different culinary application): the acai berry.
Deep blue-purple in color and packed with antioxidants, acai berries have found their way into the savory smoothie bowl trend you may have seen in recipes or at restaurants. Acai bowls are growing in popularity, rivaling traditional smoothies to become your go-to healthy breakfast. But how healthy are acai bowls, really? As a nutritionist, I’m happy to answer the question of whether acai bowls are a healthy choice for breakfast or anytime.
What are acai bowls?
Typically, acai bowls start with a puree of acai berries, often from a frozen bag. Unlike other berries, acai must be soaked and mashed to make them more palatable. (That’s why you won’t find them sold fresh like blueberries or strawberries.) Once pureed, they’re usually frozen, which makes a creamy and convenient base for bowls.
Then, acai bowls add all sorts of toppings, like other berries, bananas, granola, shredded coconut, or tropical fruits. Authentic Brazilian-style acai bowls are often sweetened with guarana syrup, but sweetening is not necessary. Some acai bowl recipes also call for mixing the berry puree with yogurt or juice for added flavor and a creamier texture.
Nutritional profile of acai bowls
The nutritional values of acai bowls can vary widely, especially between restaurant, homemade, and store-bought frozen versions. Here are some options:
At Pressed Juicery, a juice bar chain with locations in several states, the Original Acai Smoothie Bowl has the following nutrition:
Nutrition (per serving of Pressed Juicery Acai Bowl):
Calories: 390
Fat: 11 g (saturated fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 180 mg
Crabs: 83 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 39 g)
Protein: 10 g
On the other hand, a Sambazon Amazon Superberry Frozen Acai Bowl (available at retailers like Target and Wal-Mart) is significantly lower in calories, fat, and sodium:
Nutrition (per serving of Sambazon bowl with toppings):
Calories: 230
Fat: 6 g (saturated fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 30 mg
Crabs: 48 g (Fibre: 4 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 3 g
The Health Benefits of Acai Bowls
There’s no doubt that acai bowls have health benefits. When you buy or make your own bowl filled with fresh fruit, you’re sure to get a significant amount of fiber. individual portion (Acai puree contains about 3 grams). Consuming plenty of fiber is not only associated with healthier digestion, it is a factor in preventing cardiac disease, diabetesAnd Colon Cancer.
A Study 2023 in the newspaper Nutrients highlight other potential benefits of acai. These include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help protect the heart, liver, kidneys, digestive tract and neurological system. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) states that there is no definitive scientific evidence based on human studies to support the use of acai for health purposes.
As for weight loss, another supposed benefit of acai, the research isn’t very convincing either. According to the NCCIH, weight loss claims have not been supported by studies. For this reason, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has even filed lawsuits against food brands that have deceptively marketed acai as a weight loss aid.
Potential Downsides of Acai Bowls
As sunny and bright as they may seem, acai bowls also have a dark side. Restaurant and store-bought versions can be extremely high in both natural and added sugars. (The two bowls pictured above contain 16 grams of added sugar.) Some restaurant recipes, like this one from Pressed Juicery, also contain a surprising amount of saturated fat, likely due to the inclusion of coconut cream and granola. This type of fat, when consumed in large amounts, can lead to high cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease.
Also keep in mind that large portions can mean high calorie counts, and while acai bowls can provide plenty of fiber and energy-boosting carbs, they can also be low in protein.
Are Acai Bowls Healthy?
Long story short, are acai bowls healthy? As with many customizable foods, the answer is “it depends.” If you make a well-portioned bowl with healthy ingredients like acai puree, banana slices, whole-grain oats, and no added sweeteners, you can be sure it’s healthy for you! (People with blood sugar issues or on a low-carb diet just need to be careful about the carbs in an acai bowl.)
On the other hand, if you add ingredients like high-calorie granola or added sweeteners to your recipe (or make a bowl the size of the Amazon Basin), the nutritional value of these breakfasts diminishes.
Final recommendations
Luckily, choosing (or making yourself) a nutritious acai bowl isn’t all that complicated. When shopping at a restaurant or grocery store, be sure to check the nutrition facts so you know what you’re getting. If the carbs or sugars seem a little too high, try eating just half a bowl. Then, fill out the rest of your breakfast or snack with a protein-rich option to slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. At a restaurant, you can even tweak your order, like asking for no added syrup or omitting the sugary cereal or granola.
Making your own acai bowl at home? Round out your colorful breakfast by paying attention to nutritional details. Again, that might mean avoiding super-sweet ingredients or mixing your acai puree with Greek yogurt for extra protein. And, of course, stick to a moderate portion size! Big, deep bowls look great in photos (and provide plenty of surface area for toppings), but a 1 1/2-cup bowl of cereal is all you need to create a portion-controlled dish that still looks great on Insta.
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