Solar Eclipse Smoothie Bowl

It turns out that the earth revolves around smoothie bowls; during this morning’s ‘solar eclipse’, you’ll see the sun temporarily blocked by, not the moon, but this colorful dish (safe to view with the naked eye) .

We used to call it ‘smoothie ice cream’ back in the day, whenever our too-thick fruit and vegetable blends were just easier to eat with a spoon. Now you can find them quite a few places, including fresh-juice establishments such as Native and Zest (if you’re in Columbus). Or…how about making your own?! It’s easy and there are so many ways to add variety, you’ll never be bored with breakfast again!

Prep time: 5 minutes, more if you want to have fun and take pictures

Ingredients

1 bag, 10oz of tropical fruit (strawberries, mango, banana) from Whole Foods
8oz of cranberries
1-2 cups of spinach
water to desired texture

Toppings – cacao nibs, walnuts, and shredded coconut

….but again, this is what we did; if you want to use chia seeds, sliced bananas, fresh blueberries, or almonds,  do so. Try your own smoothie bowl adventure!

Instructions

Put all ingredients (minus toppings) into blender and blend until desired thickness. Pour smoothie into bowl and top with your favorite fruits, nuts, or seeds.

Recipe: Tropical Millet Breakfast

Feed your body wholesome, nutritious food to as an act of self-care. Start your day right with this delicious, tropically-inspired breakfast recipe:

Yield: 3-4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup millet
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup mango, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, toasted
2 teaspoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons flaxseeds
3 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil (pinch of salt optional). Add grains and return to boil before simmering, covered, for about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before adding on top non-dairy milk, pineapple, mango, coconut,seeds, and maple syrup.

Food Focus: Fruit

Fruit is a great snack and very accessible on the go. Fruit is filled with antioxidants and fiber. It is packed with nutrients and will help keep you full with its fiber.  As mentioned above, snacking can be tricky if you snack on the wrong kinds of food. Fruit is one of the best snacks you can choose. There are several different types of food all with different nutritional benefits.

• Citrus fruit is great to add to infuse in water to add some flavor
• Berries are rich in antioxidants and are great to incorporate into smoothies
• Tropical fruits like pineapple and mango promote natural detoxification
• Bananas are full of potassium and can be a great snack with some nuts or nut butter

Fruit is full of nutrients but is also sweet. It is a good thing to turn to when you are having a craving for something sweet. Because fruit contains fiber, it will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you from wanting more unlike a sugary candy bar. A great snack to turn to when you are hungry and want to indulge in your sweet tooth is a fruit smoothie. You can find a great fruit nut smoothie on the next page.