Many people tend to think eating an acai bowl is a “healthier choice”. However, have you stopped to think - are acai bowls really healthy? Are they high in calories and sugar? Research has shown that the acai berry itself is very nutritious and healthy, but whether or not your acai bowl is healthy is another question. Well, it all depends on how the acai has been processed and the ingredients and toppings used to make your acai bowl!
In the previous article, we explained the various forms of acai - acai pulp and ready-to-serve acai sorbet or ice cream. Firstly, let’s talk about the acai itself. As acai pulps are in their purest form, they are very healthy without many calories. Smoof’s Organic Acai Pulp has only 80-100 calories per serving! Whereas commercial varieties like ready-to-serve acai sorbet and ice cream generally have higher calories as they are processed with sugar and other ingredients. If you prefer a healthier option of ready-to-eat acai, Smoof’s Acai Berry Sorbet only has 110 calories per serving!
Next, the toppings and ingredients that you use to make your acai bowls can affect how healthy your acai bowl is. Often, there’s a lot of good going on in the average acai bowl - fruits, nut butter, nuts, and seeds are all high-nutrient food. The average acai bowl is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and healthy fats. However, they are also high in sugar. An acai bowl can contain up to 500 calories or even more. Here’s an estimated caloric breakdown of an average acai bowl:
- Acai Pulp: 80 calories per 100g
- Strawberries: 12 calories for three medium strawberries
- Blueberries: 10 calories in 10 blueberries
- Bananas: 50 calories per half banana
- Honey: 64 calories per tablespoon
- Soymilk: 30 calories per dash
- Greek Yogurt: 12 calories per tablespoon
- Granola: 100 calories per quarter cup
- Peanut butter: 100 calories per tablespoon
Therefore, the toppings and ingredients used to make the acai bowl is key. Making your own acai bowl at home can help you moderate your portion sizes and control what goes into your acai bowl. If you want to keep those calories low, watch your portion size and avoid dense ingredients. If you want to indulge and treat yourself, feel free to add all kinds of ingredients. To make your own acai bowl, you can purchase Smoof’s Organic Acai Pulp here.
References:
J. (2021, September 15). Are Acai Bowls Sugar-Bombs from Hell? MEL Magazine. https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/how-many-calories-in-an-acai-bowl