Build a Smoothie Bowl That Supports Brain Health

August 05, 2024

Sometimes, you might crave a refreshing and light meal that still prioritizes your brain health.  A smoothie bowl is quick, easy to make, and super customizable.  You can combine different textures like crunchy and creamy to create a delicious, sweet, and brain-healthy meal. 

All the options below adhere to the MIND diet, which combines principles from the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets.  This diet focuses on eight food groups and provides your brain and body with important nutrients to keep them sharp and strong.  Studies have shown that following the MIND diet can reduce your risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's by more than 50%, and it can keep your brain 7.5 years younger than those who don't follow this diet.1 

 To experience the full benefits of the MIND diet, it's essential to adhere as closely to it as possible.  This means reducing your intake of red meats, saturated fats, and added sugars, while focusing on dark leafy greens, other vegetables, nuts, beans, berries, lean poultry, fish, and whole grains.  You can begin your journey by swapping out foods or snacks for MIND diet options, adding one new change week by week.  These small steps amount to big changes over time, as long as you stay consistent and dedicated. 

Build a Smoothie Bowl That Supports Brain Health 

For the base, blend together: 

1 frozen banana with 1 cup of frozen fruit and a handful of ice cubes: 

  • Any Berries 
  • Grapes 
  • Mangos 
  • Peaches 
  • Pineapple 
  • Apple 
With ½ cup of raw vegetables: 
  • Spinach 
  • Cucumber 
  • Beets 
  • Avocado 
  • Carrots 
  • Pumpkin 

And finish with liquid to your desired consistency (less liquid means a thicker base): 

  • Nut Milks (Almond, Cashew, Macadamia) 
  • Coconut Water or Milk 
  • Green Tea 
  • Kefir 
Top it Off: 
  • Chia Seeds 
  • Hemp Seeds 
  • Flax Seeds 
  • Cocoa Nibs 
  • Cinnamon 
  • Sliced Apples 
  • Sliced Banana 
  • Any Berries 
  • Nut Butter  
  • Coconut Flakes 
  • Puffed Quinoa 
  • Homemade Granola 
  • Crushed Nuts  
  • Dried Fruit 
  • Turmeric 
  • Matcha Powder 
  • Cocoa Powder 

Sample Smoothie Bowls to Get You Started 

Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana Smoothie Bowl 

The strawberries provide anthocyanins and quercetin, cocoa nibs add magnesium, plus, chia seeds deliver a boost of vitamin E. 

For the base blend together: 

  • 1 frozen banana 
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries 
  • ½ cup raw spinach 
  • ½ cup coconut milk (or your preferred liquid for consistency) 

Top It Off: 

  •  1 tablespoon cocoa nibs 
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds 
  • 1 tablespoon sliced banana 
  • A few fresh strawberries, sliced 
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 
  • A handful of homemade granola 

Berry Almond Butter Smoothie Bowl 

Beets contain lutein and zeaxanthin, raspberries provide anthocyanins, blueberries are rich in pterostilbene, and almond butter provides magnesium and vitamin E. 

For the base blend together: 

  • 1 frozen banana 
  • 1/2 cup frozen raspberries 
  • ½ cup frozen blackberries 
  • ½ cup raw beets 
  • ½ cup almond milk (or adjust for desired consistency) 

Toppings: 

  • Flax seeds 
  • Raspberries 
  • Blueberries 
  • Almond butter 
  • Coconut flakes 
  • Crushed almonds 
  • Puffed quinoa 

Tropical Smoothie Bowl 

Spinach provides kaempferol, mango delivers myricetin, hemp seeds are rich in vitamin E, and crushed nuts, such as almonds and macadamias, are excellent sources of magnesium. 

For the base blend together: 

  • 1 frozen banana 
  • 1 cup of frozen fruit with a mix of: 
  • Mango 
  • Pineapple 
  • Peaches 
  • ¼ cup of spinach 
  • ¼ cup of avocado  
  • 1/3 cup kefir 

Toppings: 

  • Sliced Mango 
  • Hemp Seeds 
  • Homemade Granola 
  • Crushed Nuts (Macadamia, Almonds) 
  • Dried Fruit (Mango, Pineapple) 
  • Turmeric 

Cinnamon Apple Crisp Smoothie Bowl 

Apples are a wonderful source of quercetin, carrots offer a healthy dose of kaempferol, pumpkin seeds are packed with magnesium, and chia and flax seeds are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). 

For the base blend together: 

  • 1 frozen banana 
  • 1 cup of frozen apple slices 
  • ¼ cup of pumpkin 
  • ¼ cup of carrot  
  • ½ cup of almond milk 

Top it Off: 

  • Sliced Apples 
  • Cinnamon 
  • Homemade Granola 
  • Pumpkin Seeds 
  • Chia Seeds 
  • Flax Seeds 

While your diet is getting closer to including more diverse and brain-healthy nutrients, our product, RELEVATE, can help fill any areas where you might fall short.  RELEVATE is designed based on the principles of the Mediterranean and MIND diets, incorporating 17 important nutrients from these diets to keep your brain sharp and strong for a lifetime.  Learn more about RELEVATE here. 

References

  1. Morris, M. C., Tangney, C. C., Wang, Y., Sacks, F. M., Barnes, L. L., Bennett, D. A., & Aggarwal, N. T. (2015). MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 11(9), 1015–1022. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JALZ.2015.04.011
Back to Blog