Avocado & Mango Smoothie Bowl: A Recipe

This avocado & mango smoothie bowl recipe is for those who like being healthy but want something quick. Ok, so it’s not quicker than say cereal and milk, but who actually eats that stuff anyway? You will need a blender but you don’t have to spend a lot on this. I use a handheld blender that cost less than £5 from Sainsbury’s.

This is thick and creamy and also extremely good for you. It has all sorts of ingredients that will keep you in peak performance inside and out, especially when it comes to heart health. It’s also not that sweet – the mango makes up most of the sweetness, so if you’ve got a sweet tooth, add a small teaspoon of Bee Mercy Raw Honey (I love the Oak).

Avocado is a great ingredient for your morning smoothie as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer with its slow burning energy – making it less likely you’ll reach for that mid-morning biscuit snack.

Got a busy day ahead? Make sure you start it with this avocado & mango smoothie bowl.*

Ingredients

• 1 x ripe banana – if you want to be extra clever, freeze it the night before
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 x small, ripe avocado (without the stone)
• 1 x ripe mango
• 1 x teaspoons of brown linseed (soak them first or use ground seeds)
• 1 x teaspoons of golden linseed (soak them first or use ground seeds)

Method

1. Put all ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Blend.
3. Pour into a suitable receptacle, like a smaller bowl. Eat with a spoon.

The nutritional benefits

Each of these ingredients has a large number of benefits so I’ve only listed some of what I believe are the most important.

Banana: Rich in potassium which helps maintain normal blood pressure and heart function.

Almond milk: High in antioxidants and low in cholesterol. It also helps lower bad cholesterol. It also has the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals compared to rice milk and soya milk.

Avocado: It’s a source of monounsaturated oleic acid that is show to have dual benefits – it reduces levels of bad cholesterol whilst increasing beneficial cholesterol. It’s also great for a healthy heart, no matter your age – containing phytosterols that reduce the absorption of cholesterol, dietary fibre that controls blood sugar levels, potassium that regulates blood pressure and more.

Mango: High in fibre which helps keep the digestive system working. It is also a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds which have been found to protect against several cancers, including colon, chest, prostate and leukaemia.[1] 

Brown and golden linseed (also known as flaxseed): The night before, take the seeds and add a teaspoon of water, or use ground linseed. Otherwise, it’s hard to digest and they’ll just pass straight through your body. Linseeds are one of the richest plant sources of omega 3 fats which are vital for your brain, a healthy heart, joints and immune system. Be warned though, it’s not advised to eat much of these as they can be hard to digest for some people and can cause stomach pain, bloating and diarrhoea. 

[1] http://humansciences.okstate.edu/nsci/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/56-nsci-research-finds-health-benefits-in-mangos

 

* A smoothie bowl is basically a smoothie, but in a bowl. Ta-daaa, it’s almost a new product. Usually, it’s a little thicker than your average joe smoothie and so is often eaten with a spoon.