Breakfast Solution: Yogurt or Smoothie Bowls

Yogurt Bowls (Image Source: iStock)

A yogurt or smoothie bowl for breakfast can be simple, delicious, and with endless ways to switch them up, you won’t get bored!

To get started: For a yogurt bowl, simply begin with a base of your favorite yogurt! Or for a smoothie bowl, start with your favorite smoothie recipe.

When it comes to selecting a yogurt to use as the base of your yogurt bowl or smoothie - a go to brand of yogurt (actually skyr) that I love is siggi’s. What is great about siggi’s is that it is very creamy because it is strained and does not have much added sugar! Plus I love that siggi’s has five different live and active cultures , to deliver a diverse mix of probiotics to support gut health. Also in their product line-up siggi’s has a line of plant-based options that are coconut-based and have about 10 grams of protein from pea protein, which is 3 x more protein than other plant-based yogurt options.

While I have enjoyed this brand of yogurt for several years and recently, I was recently sent a delivery of siggi’s yogurt samples and many of those samples turned into yogurt and smoothie bowls (some were enjoyed just as is!). Check out some favorite smoothie bowl recipes below!

Next pick your toppings!

Some favorite toppings include: granola, blueberries, sliced banana, fresh mango cubes, dried fruit, sliced strawberries, chia seeds, a drizzle of honey, almonds, cashews, pistachios, shredded coconut, and peanut butter.

Then arrange the toppings of your choice on your yogurt or smoothie bowl and enjoy!

Tropical Yogurt Bowl (Image Source: iStock)

Tropical Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients:
1 container of siggi’s mango plant-based
1 cup frozen mango or pineapple
1/4 cup 100% orange juice
toppings: blueberries, shredded coconut, fresh mango, banana, and granola

Directions:

1. In a blender combine siggi’s mango plant-based yogurt, frozen fruit and juice. The mixture will be thick! Add additional water or juice to thin more, if desired.

2. Transfer the smoothie to a bowl and top with blueberries, coconut, mango, banana, and granola. Or get creative and pair this smoothie with the toppings of your choice.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 400 calories, 12 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 15 milligrams sodium, 65 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 38 grams sugar, 13 grams protein

Chocolate Peanut Smoothie Bowl

Chocolate Banana Smoothie Bowl
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 container siggi’s vanilla skyr
1 frozen banana (peel removed)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 /2 cup 1% milk
Toppings: peanuts, shredded coconut, chocolate chips or cocoa nibs, sliced fresh banana

Directions:

1. In a blender combine the vanilla siggi’s, frozen banana, cocoa powder, and milk. Blend until icy and smooth. Mixture will be thick - if needed, thin with additional milk. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Top the smoothie with peanuts, coconut, chocolate chips, and fresh banana slices. Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Nutrition facts (per serving): 430 calories, 11 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 15 milligrams cholesterol, 120 milligrams sodium, 65 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 35 grams sugar, 26 grams protein

THANK YOU siggi’s for sharing the product samples! For more about siggi’s check out their website: https://siggis.com/

Smoothie Recipe: Tart Cherry Kefir

Tart Cherry Kefir (Image Source: Drink Your Way to Gut Health by Molly Morgan)

This Tart Cherry Kefir smoothie is delicious and it delivers a mix of probiotics and nutrient-rich tart and sweet cherries.

Research has found that the nutrients and compounds that cherries deliver are linked to decreasing markers for oxidative stress and inflammation. (Nutrients 2018)

Plus kefir is used in this smoothie, which is a probiotic and yogurt-like beverage. You can find kefir typically in the dairy aisle at the grocery store, an example of a brand of kefir is Lifeway. A bonus with kefir is that it is protein-rich (11 grams of protein per cup) and delivers 12 different types of probiotics or “good bacteria”. In the body probiotics play many important roles related to gut health and studies find that probiotics play a role in boosting the immune system. (Annals Nutrition Metabolism 2019)

Try adding in this smoothie recipe to your routine!

Tart Cherry Kefir

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen sweet cherries
1/2 cup 100% tart cherry juice
1/2 cup kefir
4 - 5 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until icy and smooth.

Divide among two glasses and serve.

This recipe is from Drink Your Way to Gut Health, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2015.

Wild Blueberries & Mango Half and Half Smoothie

Wild Blueberries & Mango Half and Half Smoothie

This delicious smoothie is full of flavor and antioxidants! Adding Wild Blueberries gives this smoothie a more intense blueberry flavor, compared to 'regular' cultivated blueberries. Plus Wild Blueberries have twice the antioxidant capacity compared to cultivated blueberries. Research is linking the potential health benefits of Wild Blueberries to gut health, diabetes, cancer, and brain health. 

Look for frozen Wild Blueberries, in the freezer section of the grocery store! 

Wild Blueberries grow naturally in Maine and Eastern Canada, it is estimated that Wild Blueberry plants have been there for 10,000 years. The plants are interlocking. spread across fields called barrens and are genetically diverse. It is the plants diversity that gives the Wild Blueberries the perfect balance of tart and sweetness. About 99% of the Wild Blueberry crop is individually quick frozen (IQF) at the time of harvest.

Look for Wild Blueberries in the freezer section of your grocery store and make sure the package says "Wild" on it (example pictured right), to ensure you are getting the amazing tasting and antioxidant power of Wild Blueberries. For more information on Wild Blueberries visit: http://www.wildblueberries.com/

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Wild Blueberries & Mango Half and Half Smoothie

Serves 4 (7 oz)

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen Wild Blueberries, plus 12 blueberries for garnish

1/2 cup grape juice

6 oz vanilla yogurt (Greek or Icelandic suggested)

1 cup frozen mango cubes

1 cup water

Directions:

In a blender, add the frozen mango cubes and water. Blend until icy and smooth. Add a layer of the pureed mango mixture to each of the glasses. Rinse the blender. 

Next in the blender, combine the frozen Wild Blueberries with the grape juice and yogurt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Top each of the four glasses with a layer of the Wild Blueberry smoothie mixture.

Top each glass with (at least) 3 Wild Blueberries and serve immediately. 

Beat the Winter Blues - Blueberry Smoothie Bowl

If you are looking to beat the winter blues a delicious smoothie bowl can certainly do the trick! Plus it can give you a boost of nutrients to help give your immune system a boost.

This Blueberry Smoothie Bowl delivers fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and some protein! It would be a great breakfast to start your day or even could be a refreshing lunch.  The recipe is listed below! 

Blueberry Smoothie Bowl

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen blueberries (reserve some for the top!)

1/2 cup frozen mango

6 oz plain yogurt

1/2 cup almond milk or juice

1 teaspoon chia seeds

2 teaspoons granola

5 - 6 pecans

Directions:

In a blender combine the frozen berries, mango, yogurt, and milk or juice. Blend until icy and smooth. Then transfer the smoothie mixture to a bowl. 

Line the top of the smoothie bowl with the chia seeds, granola, pecans, and the reserved frozen blueberries. 

Blueberry Probiotic Freeze

This icy and delicious smoothie will delivery antioxidants from the wild blueberries and probiotics from the kefir and yogurt! A perfect immune boost to get you through to spring. 

Wondering about Wild Blueberries? Check out WildBlueberries.com for more information and where to find them in your area.

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen fresh wild blueberries

1/2 cup kefir

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup water

Directions: 

1. Combine all the ingredients in the blender. Blend until the mixture is creamy, icy, and smooth.

2. Divide among glasses and serve!