Many moons and lifetimes ago, I went to a gem of a local surfers' cafe and on a whim, ordered my first Acai bowl. It was a superior bowl of a creamy, frozen fruit blend with fresh fruit, granola, coconut flakes, and bee pollen. Acai bowls weren't popular then, so I did not encounter Acai bowls again until now.
2015 started off with a reset in the clean eating category by doing a month of the Whole30 Program. It is pretty much a strict version of Paleo to get me back on track after the holidays. One morning, looking for breakfast alternatives, I decided to check out a grand opening of Nektar juice bar. Apparently these juice cleanse bars have have been popping up all over the place. Instead of juice though, I saw they had Acai bowls, which triggered my memory of the decadent taste of yummy goodness.. so I had to try it again. I must say I was disappointed. The Acai still tasted good, but it was expensive, small portioned, and topped with only a few slices of banana.
And so the hunt began, to find the best Acai bowl that was somewhat convenient. Granted, the original surfers' cafe was still around and according to Yelp, still has many reviews of having the best Acai bowl around... but it's a good 45 minute drive and completely out of the way. After getting a couple more expensive Acai bowls ($8-$12) at different places and still being disappointed, I came across a random happenstance of a search on Yelp and found a wholesale distributor that also was willing to sell to the general public, Acai products at wholesale prices! Oh the joy of the inner hoarder in me! Icing was added to the cake when I found that the distributor is a mere block away from my work.
And.. flash forward to the present day. I am the happy owner of an entire case(.. cause you know.. it's wholesale..), 64 packets (er...we're down to 52 packets) of frozen Acai puree to finally make my own best tasting Acai bowl. Ryan is also a fan of the Acai bowls. So that it itself, says a lot. He usually rolls his eyes at me anytime I go off on a healthy food obsession. Apparently, Acai bowls are highly popular within the Brazillian Jujitsu community and also promoted by the Gracies.
Many different ways to make these.. I don't do it the Gracie way. These proportions seems to work for me:
* 1 packet of frozen Acai puree
* 1 frozen banana
* 1/2 cup of frozen berries
* 1/4 cup of coconut milk
* 1 scoop of Supergreens powder (optional)
--> Vitamix on high til smooth!
* Add toppings of banana, berries, and unsweetened shredded coconut (and granola for Ryan).
Homemade Acai bowls were calculated to be ~$3/bowl with double the amount than the restaurant/store bought ones.
Other Acai bowl recipes which the distributor passed on to me...
Additional Acai Tidbits of Information
My Acai bowls are now exactly the way I want them to be - Pure acai with fruit, no added sweetener and high in antioxidants. A bowl of yummy, healthy, dessert for breakfast. Yes, DESSERT FOR BREAKFAST! Score!
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