Blueberry CBD Acai Bowl

Introduction
Looking for the perfect CBD acai bowl recipe that you can enjoy for breakfast, brunch, or after a kickboxing class on a hot summer day? Look no further and read below for this nutritious and delicious recipe. This CBD Acai bowl includes all of your favourite super foods packed with nutrients and antioxidants, finished off with a colourful assortment of garnishes, making for the picture-perfect bowl.

What is Acai 

The acai berry is a small, inch-long, deep purple fruit that resembles a giant blueberry or average-sized grape. You can compare the taste of an acai berry to chocolate, wild berries and soil. Native to Tropical, Central and South America, the acai palm tree remains an important food source for indigenous people of the Amazon and surrounding areas. The acai seed takes up about 80% of the berry. With such a large seed, you'd be surprised to know that the skin and flesh of this superfood are jam-packed with nutrients and vitamins. 

Health Benefits

The health benefits of this fruit are only a few reasons contributing to its nickname "nature's purple gold." Acai is a superfood rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats that have been proven to strengthen heart health, brain function, skin health, gut health while helping fight cancer and aiding weight loss. Studies have shown that acai berries pose more health benefits due to their nature of being higher in antioxidants when compared to other berries like strawberries, cranberries, and blueberries. They're also high in fibre, calcium and vitamin A. The most notable compound in an acai berry is anthocyanins, which give acai that deep purple colour, similar to black beans and blueberries. This compound can lower blood pressure reduce cancer cells prevent diabetes, lower blood pressure and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity.

Growing Trend of Acai bowls

Açai bowls are a blend of fruits served in a bowl with various colourful toppings, and some include nuts, seeds and sliced fruit. A balanced Acai Bowl typically contains an assortment of fruits filled with tons of vitamins, antioxidants, fibre, healthy fat, proteins and minerals. Acai berries are known for having an uncommon nutritional profile that you would typically see in a fruit. Acai berries tend to be low in sugar and higher in healthy fats. These healthy fats contribute to keeping you full for much longer than a typical breakfast.  

This breakfast superfood was popularized by active lifestyle seekers craving a healthy yet delicious meal after workouts. Fast-forward to worldwide demand for acai bowls because of their filling and health-boosting features. Acai remains especially popular in Southern California and Hawaii, where they have become a trendy staple after a sweltering morning workout.

Assembly and Plating

The key to finding a perfect consistency is starting the blender on low and slowly increasing the speed until that smooth consistency is reached. The fruit needs to be eased into blending rather than tossed together. We chose chia seeds, granola, sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey for our toppings in this recipe. One of the fantastic things about acai bowls is how all-around versatile you can be with your choice of toppings. There is no wrong or right way to top your bowl, and if you feel like you want a tropical kick to your breakfast, don't be afraid to add coconut flakes or chopped fresh mango. Strawberries, blackberries, wild blueberries are just some of the additional fruit options you can customize. If you're looking to consume extra protein, add some peanut butter, almond butter, or cookie butter. Any fruits, seeds, or nut-butter will likely work beautifully. 

Acai bowl Tips

Acai bowls are best enjoyed immediately after being made, however, they can easily be stored in a sealed container in your fridge or freezer and eat the next day. You may want to give it a good stir, or re-blend it before eating again to achieve the creamy consistency you get from a fresh bowl.

Do they go bad?

They have a shelf life of around 1-2 days in the fridge or 3-4 days if you store it in the freezer. It is best to keep your acai bowl without toppings because it may become mushy and stale. If you have already added the toppings, we recommend removing them before refrigerating or freezing to avoid this issue. Once you are ready to finish your bowl, re blend your bowl, add fresh garnish, and serve.

This recipe calls for milk or orange juice as the liquid for those looking to make their acai bowl vegan. Dairy is not required to reach that smooth, creamy consistency, so no need to worry if you're skipping out on the milk. As for the yogurt, there are tons of plant-based yogurt, like coconut or soy alternatives, that will work just fine for this recipe.

The Recipe 

Prep Time: 8 mins
Cook Time: 2 mins
Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• One banana
• ½ cup strawberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup of Greek yogurt 
• ¾ cup of milk or orange juice
• Desired dosage of Blissco Pūr Dew Oil
• One frozen packet of acai berry puree (broken up into pieces)
• One tsp chia seeds
• ½ cup granola
• One tbsp honey

Step-by-Step:

1. Place the milk/orange juice, half of a banana, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, Greek yogurt, the desired dosage of Pūr Dew Oil and broken up acai in the blender.
2. Blend contents until thoroughly combined. Blend on low and slowly increase speed until smooth, only adding additional liquid if needed or if the contents are not fully blended. 
3. Pour the smoothie into two deep bowls.
4. Arrange your chia seeds, granola, sliced banana, drizzle honey over the top. Add any other desired toppings over your smoothie bowls and serve.
5. Enjoy immediately.