Acai Bowls Calories: What is inside your Acai?

Acai is a superfood that originated from Brazil. In the recent years, it has become trendy not only for its taste, but also because of the health benefits it brings. So, what does Acai taste like? If you have not hopped onto the Acai trend, you must be curious how it tastes like compared to other berries. Surely, Acai has a unique taste, which has been appreciated for thousands of years by the natives in Brazil, since Acai Palm Trees grow deep in the Amazon forest. Only in recent years did Acai become a recognized and appreciated delicacy among the Westerners. In this article, you will find out what Acai tastes like, along with its health benefits and some acai bowl recipes with acai powder.

Taste of Acai

In general, when it comes to Acai, it has a more gentle and rich flavour, much less sweet than the other berries. In fact, it has an earthy aftertaste unlike other berries which are much sweeter. With its high acidity, the Acai berry is a great complement to sweeter fruits such as bananas, blueberries and many more. Many enjoy mixing granola and various types of nuts to pair with Acai, giving it a very dynamic texture. In general, Acai tastes rich, refreshing, earthy and gentle. You need to try it to truly appreciate it, you won’t regret it!

Just like chocolate, the Acai berry is bitter, but only made sweet with external sweeteners or sugar. Because of its taste being unfamiliar to most, many people do not consume the Acai berry raw. Also because of how quickly it turns bad, you will find it extremely difficult to find acai berries in the grocery store because of the transporting process.In fact, you will realise that Acai is very much more available in juice or supplement form.

Health Benefits of Acai

Acai berries are loaded with nutrients favourable for your body, with high healthy fat, and low carbs & sugar. Acai berries also contain minerals that bring tremendous health benefits, such as chromium, zinc, iron, copper etc. Some of the most powerful health benefits come from plant compounds like anthocyanins, which act as antioxidants in our bodies.

Acai Berries are loaded with antioxidants, which neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals throughout your body. Typically, the antioxidant content of foods is typically measured by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score. For the same mass of blueberries, Acai has almost 4 times as much antioxidants than blueberries. In addition to that, antioxidants are absorbed very well in the gut when it comes to the consumption of acai compared to other berries.

Based on studies, results have suggested that Acai can improve cholesterol levels and may have a possible Anti-Cancer Effect. Based on animal studies, researchers concluded that acai has shown potential as an anti-cancer agent, with a role in treating some forms of cancer on mice. However, more research needs to be done on this, to test effects on humans.

Acai is said to be able to boost the brain’s functionality, protecting it from damage as we age. The antioxidants in acai counter the damaging effects of inflammation and oxidation in the brain cells, which can be detrimental to long term memory and rate of learning.

Having known all these, we must be curious on how we can actually make this Acai Bowls, to reap its health benefits and experience its rich flavour, loved by many.

Acai Bowls Ingredients

Before we begin, we emphasise the importance of adding ice when using acai powder, especially so that we can get that thicker and creamier texture, similar to what can be achieved with Acai Puree.

 

Here are the key ingredients to consider:

·       Acai Powder

·       Frozen Banana

·       Milk

·       Frozen Mixed Berries

·       Vanilla Yoghurt

·       Collagen Powder

·       Ice

 

1.       Add ice, milk, vanilla yoghurt, frozen mixed berries, acai powder and collagen powder to a high-speed blender.

2.       Blend the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture (note that some additional stirring may be needed)

3.       Pour the blended mixture into a bowl

4.       Add toppings to the mixture.
Here are some ideas: Sliced Bananas, Strawberries, Blueberries, Coconut, Chia Seeds

Here are some ideas: Sliced Bananas, Strawberries, Blueberries, Coconut, Chia Seeds

5.       There you have it, your first Acai Bowl Recipe with Acai Powder

 

Vegan Option

If you are a vegan, you may consider the above recipe, making slight changes to it. Instead of milk, you can consider plant based milk, it works amazingly too. You can replace yoghurt with plant based yoghurt too. As for collagen powder, do omit it from the recipe.

 

So, where to buy Acai Powder?

Globally, there are many renowned brands for Acai Powder like Navitas, Biofinest, Terrasoul, and many more. Really, the best way to make a decision would be to try them all, and make a decision based on their taste. The true way to enjoy Acai for its wonderful taste and health benefits is to explore the different brands of powder, and try all kinds of recipes, adding a fun element to it. Acai bowls are not the only way to enjoy acai. There are many other ways you could incorporate Acai into your meals like smoothies. For the readers who have yet to try Acai, we suggest you give it a try to see if it hits your taste buds in a positive way.  We certainly believe it will.