Clothing fads, music genres, and popular recipes are a few of the things that seem to frequently come and go. Today, acai bowls are all the rage. Check out this Hawaiian-inspired Byrds of Paradise Acai Bowl Recipe; we think it might just stand the taste of time!
Our acai bowl recipe comes straight from the kitchen of Hannah Byrd, whose Hawaiian family vacation inspired this recipe. After spending a week enjoying the gorgeous sunsets and cool night breezes, the Byrds brought a taste of the islands back to the east coast of Virginia.
The Byrds of Paradise Acai Bowl Backstory:
Every summer, Hannah and her husband Ross Byrd spend their time running a stay-away teen surf camp in the outer banks of North Carolina. Healthy food isn’t an option– it’s a necessity. Having the right fuel to keep campers happy and hydrated in the water is extremely important. So when the Byrd family found themselves enjoying the best acai that Hawaii has to offer, they knew they needed to bring the idea back home.
For the Byrds, a healthy lifestyle is important year-round. Hannah homeschools her four kids full-time, and she and Ross fight hard to find snacks without processed sugars to feed their family. After the Byrds fell in love with the taste of acai, they reached out to a family friend and professional surfer Brett Barley. They tweaked Brett’s personal acai bowl recipe to perfectly suit their family of 6 and have enjoyed this easy and healthy acai bowl recipe ever since. Sometimes, Hannah says, they’ll even have acai bowls for dinner. So, what’s all the hype about?
The Magic of The Acai Berry
This nutrient-dense Brazilian superfruit have amazing health properties. Somewhat similar to blueberries, acai berries are high in antioxidants. Rumor has it that this mysterious fruit also improves cholesterol levels, boosts brain function and helps prevent certain types of cancer.
In particular, acai bowls have become a trending item in health food restaurants all over the country. They’re healthy, delicious and simple. What’s not to like? These acai bowls consist of a base derived from acai berries and are topped with fruits like banana, strawberries, blueberries and coconut flakes.
(Fun fact: The acai bowl’s rise in popularity has been credited to Carlos Gracie, a Brazilian Jujitsu martial artist. So if you eat enough of them, you might even become a world-class fighter…)
Hannah’s “Byrds of Paradise” Acai Bowl Recipe
There are dozens of acai bowl recipes all over the internet, and most of them follow a simple process. The ingredients for Hannah’s vegan acai bowl aren’t anything new, but the added spinach gives her version an exciting green twist. Read on to learn about Hannah’s iteration of this superfood smoothie bowl.
Easy and Healthy Acai Bowl
A simple recipe for a tasty and customizable acai treat!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Freezing time (if freezing fruit yourself)1 hr
Total Time15 mins
Servings: 2 medium servings
Calories: 248kcal
Equipment
- High-powered Blender
- Baking Sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 bananas
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 1 cup blueberries, strawberries or both
- 2 tbsp almond butter (or other desired nut-butter)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- coconut flakes
- 1 frozen acai packet (Trader Joe's is best, but any will do)
Instructions
- Freeze your fruit: Slice banana and place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or plate. Next to the banana, add blueberries, strawberries and other additional fruits. Place baking sheet into the freezer and let sit until completely frozen.
- Blend the ingredients together. After the fruit has thoroughly frozen, add milk and nut-butter into a high-speed blender. Add frozen fruit, spinach, seeds, and acai packet into the mix. Blend on low, using a wooden spoon to evenly push down fruit (carefully). Allow blender to mix the ingredients for as long as needed until consistency is even. Continue blending on low, adding more milk or nut-butter until the texture is smooth throughout.
- Put it all together: Pour smoothie mixture from blender into 2 cups or bowls. Top it off with additional fruit, spinach, seeds and other toppings until product is as desired. Eat it soon before it melts!
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl/cup | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 20g | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Having The Right Blender
Having The Right BlenderHaving the right blender is critical for this quick and easy recipe. Without a decent blender, it takes much longer to find a satisfactory consistency for your acai mix. If the only available blender is a low-powered one, then it’s best to blend the spinach into the almond milk first. Afterward, add in the rest of the ingredients later. The Byrd family uses a refurbished Vitamix blender. Despite the additional cost, this high-quality blender paid itself off when Hannah realized smoothies made up a big part of her family’s weekly diet. In Hannah’s words, “It’s been purely amazing.”
Fun Tip
“All of the toppings included in our acai bowls taste great on oatmeal, too. Just mix in some chia seeds, honey, and cinnamon to the oats for another delicious snack. Or, you can even add everything right on top!”
The Byrds keep a tight ship when it comes to eating healthy and cutting back on unnecessary sugars. With four growing and energetic kids, this easy and healthy acai bowl recipe has served them well all year-round. Especially in the summers, where they spend their time running a surf camp on the east coast. Give Hannah’s recipe a try and let us know some of your favorite acai bowl or smoothie toppings!
I totally get the hype about acai bowls now. I love the tropical fruit flavors, and it’s nice that I could make it at home instead of having to pay fifteen dollars at a fancy health food place.