I’m totally obsessed with pitaya bowls these days, I mean come on, look at that gorgeous, bright, hot pink color! It really makes me feel like a little girl eating something Barbie would of. So although I try to stick with eating a lot of seasonal produce, I do make exceptions for my smoothies from time to time because they’re just so darn good with some tropical fruit! And with the dreary NYC weather lately, I have been craaaaaving something that would make me feel like I was on a tropical island for a bit. Add to that, finding the Molokai Coconut flavor of Bai 5 (a super fruit infused, antioxidant drink) which pretty much tastes like a non alcoholic pina colada but is actually good for you and not loaded with sugar, and it became crystal clear that I needed to make a smoothie that felt like “vacation in a bowl”. I had entirely too much fun recipe testing for this one and I’m super excited with how delicious the finished product was. I added cashew butter for some creamy, decadent, good for you fat and protein and maca superfood powder for sustained and balanced energy. Plus the Bai5 is a great low glycemic way to get those even more antioxidants in! So this tropical smoothie bowl is a lot more than it’s pretty exterior, it’s packed with nourishing ingredients you’re body’s going to love. Give it whirl at home and let me know if you come up with any fun additions or substitutions.
PS. What island are you going to pretend to be on while eating this magical bowl? I think I’m going with St. Barts. 😉
TROPICAL PITAYA SMOOTHIE AKA VACATION IN A BOWL
1 pitaya plus packet (frozen organic, raw dragon fruit!)
1 mango chopped (save a little to garnish!)
1 cup of Bai5 molokai coconut
1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes (plus some for garnishing)
3 tsp of chia seeds (plus extra to garnish)
2 tbsp of cashew butter
1 tbsp of maca superfood power
1 unripe banana ( I used an unripe one because it’s not so sweet ie. loaded with sugar, but still adds the creaminess)
Toss it all in your blender and then pour into your favorite bowl. Sprinkle remaining coconut flakes, chia seeds and mango on top to make it even more festive! Enjoy slowly while visualizing your favorite island get a way.
