16 Oct PSL, the smoothie bowl edition
The goals of many of the clients I see in my practice are:
- To gain a healthier relationship with food & their body.
- To reduce mindless eating and binge eating.
- To eat in a way that supports both the brain & the body, or meets & cognitive functioning.
- Attend to picky eating with children.
We know how and what we eat impacts our health. So I share education & therapy from the areas of mindful eating & nutrition psychology to positively impact the health of my clients.
From a mindful eating perspective: being present with and freeing ourselves of distractions while eating our food helps us get into rest & digest mode, as well as heightens our awareness of how & what we eat. From a nutrition psychology perspective: the food we eat impacts our moods & our cognitive functioning, no matter our age.
Fall inspired smoothie bowls
Today on CTV I shared a recipe featuring the flavours of Fall for adults, & a Halloween-inspired treat for the younger audience! The PSL (aka Pumpkin Spice Latte) smoothie bowl for grown ups, & the Halloween pumpkin smoothie bowl for a caffeine-free version. These smoothie bowls offer up a balanced breakfast that’s comforting, nourishing, unprocessed, & EASY to make!
What’s the deal with smoothie bowls?
Compared with smoothies you sip with a straw, the base of the smoothie bowl is slightly thicker, with an almost ice-cream like consistency. The colourful base is served in a bowl that can then be artfully decorated with any toppings your heart desired. Designs can range from simple — sliced banana, pumpkin seeds, yogurt — to over the top — a quick search online of smoothie bowls & you’ll find serious works of smoothie art such as remakes of classics like the Mona Lisa!
Of course, it’s not always possible to make a smoothie bowl for when you’re on the go. Either pop the thick smoothie in a wide mouthed thermos or add some extra milk or coffee to thin out & put in a temperature stable bottle like a Swell bottle!
My top smoothie bowl tips
- Use the smoothie bowl as a vessel to get supplements for brain & body health. From probiotics, to fish oil, the prebiotics and more. I do this with my 2 & 5 year old!
- Freeze your bowl full of smoothie for a few minutes before topping. This helps make a firmer base for toppings to rest on.
- You can prep ahead. Place your portioned smoothies/smoothie bowls in a reusable baggie or container, pull out of freezer an hour before blending.
- I buy pre-peeled & frozen ripe bananas from Spud.ca, & always have on hand in the freezer!
- If you don’t want to brew your own coffee, I buy local Blackbird Cold Brew Concentrate & always have on hand in the fridge for recipes like this!
Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 overripe frozen banana
- 1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree
- 3⁄4 cup preferred milk
- 1 tbsp preferred nut or seed butter
- 1-2 Medjdool dates, pitted
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 scoop preferred protein powder (optional)
- For PSL caffeinated version: 1/3 cup cold brew concentrate (you can use a shot of espresso of regularly brewed coffee, cooled as well)
Directions
- Get mindful with your meal prep! Make a work of art on your canvas — your smoothie bowl!
- Ideas for toppings include: dried or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, yogurt