Smoothie Bowl with Cauliflower and Greens

 

I’ve been really into making banana-free smoothie bowls lately. For me, the omission of banana is only possible with the inclusion of frozen cauliflower for texture, as well as berries for natural sweetness. When combined with some healthy fats from nut butter, and some greens from zucchini and spinach we have ourselves a nutrient-dense breakfast that won’t spike blood sugar levels.

• Why I Made This Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl
• Nutritional Benefits
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Tips
• Recipes

Why Make Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl

Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar Levels

When we think smoothies, we often think banana, dairy and even juice. The fluid consistency of smoothies and smoothie bowls means they pass through to our digestive tract relatively quickly, and the natural sugars (from the fruit and/or dairy) are released into our bloodstream quickly, resulting in a post-smoothie blood sugar spike. Being conscious of the carbohydrate content of smoothies helps prevent any large fluctuations in our blood sugar levels.

Banana-Free Smoothie Option

We eat more bananas than any other fruit, more than apples and oranges combined. Unfortunately, the Cavendish variety, which is often the only one we have access to in the grocery store, is lower in overall antioxidant value than almost all other fruit in the grocery store, except for melons, papaya, and pineapple (1).

The majority of the bananas we have in our grocery stores come from Central America. Some consumers may be conscious of not only the associated food mileage but also of poor working conditions and environmental standards of the Banana Industry.

A Low Carb Smoothie for Diabetes

The Glycemic Index is a rating of how quickly a food will break down into sugar in our bodies. Bananas are technically a medium glycemic index fruit meaning they will have a moderate effect on our blood sugar levels. When we consider their glycemic load of 12, we understand that their higher carbohydrate content in relation to size will spike our blood sugars more than say the same weight of blueberries, which have a glycemic load of 5.

Nutritional Benefits

Making a Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl

The phytonutrient glucosinolates in cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables are well studied and are known to provide a variety of health benefits including their cancer-protective effect (2). Cauliflower retains the most amounts of nutrients when consumed raw, or when steamed for no more than 10 minutes, or lightly sauteed. Boiling or blanching can destroy up to 40 percent of its cancer-fighting compounds (3,4).

Adding Greens To a Smoothie Bowl

Spinach is one of the top sources of folate, and having it raw protects up to 25% of that folate. Zucchini is something you might not think to add to smoothies, but its smooth consistency pairs well. Zucchini, as well as spinach, is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that protect our cells again free radicals.

Ingredients

A simple recipe that is full of high fibre vegetables, healthy fats and low glycemic index berries.

• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
• 1/2 cup frozen zucchini
• 1 cup frozen spinach, loosely packed
• 1 cup frozen blueberries, preferably wild
• 1 cup milk alternative (try homemade hemp-milk)
• 2 tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter)
• 3 tbsp hemp hearts
• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground

Optional Toppings

• hemp hearts
• berries fresh or frozen
• granola (grain-free for low-carb)

Instructions

A Vitamix works best for this smoothie to achieve the creamiest consistency. If you don’t have a Vitamix, you may have to blend the smoothie bowl ingredients for a longer period to achieve a smoothie consistency.

This smoothie bowl works best with frozen cauliflower and zucchini, though non-frozen can be used as well (see tips). Option to steam the cauliflower first, but if using a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix this step is not necessary. Frozen spinach is easy to have on hand, but fresh works fine as well.

Add all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender, starting with the frozen ingredients closest to the blade. Blend until a creamy consistency is achieved and all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Divide the banana-free smoothie bowl mix into two bowls. Top with optional homemade granola, fresh fruit, and additional hemp hearts.

Variations

Adding Yogurt

For those who like the addition of yogurt in their smoothie bowls (coconut for vegans), try adding 1 cup of plain yogurt as well as the remaining ingredients as per the recipe. This will result in a slightly less firm smoothie bowl, but a more creamy mouthfeel.

Using Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a great way to bump up the protein content of any smoothie bowl. Try adding 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt in addition to the ingredients as per the recipe for an additional 8-10 grams of protein per serve. 

Substituting Peanut Butter

Peanut butter can be used in place of almond butter in the smoothie bowl. The addition of a healthy fat is essential for satiety (keeping full) and sensory. Healthy fats offer a delicious flavour and mouthfeel – you won’t even miss the carbs.

Adding with Avocado

Add one diced and deseeded avocado to the smoothie bowl to increase the healthy fats, which will keep you going for longer and result in more stable blood sugar levels. Even better if you can freeze your avocado beforehand – be sure to remove the avocado flesh from the skin and seed before freezing for easier use in your next smoothie bowl.

Adding Coconut Milk

Coconut milk can be used in place of the milk alternative. Using coconut milk from the can increases the fat content of the smoothie bowl which will keep you fuller for longer and offer a more creamy and delicious smoothie bowl. Try making your own coconut milk, like in this Prebiotic Chickpea Smoothie Bowl.

Using with Spinach

I love adding greens to my smoothie bowls. Spinach has a slightly less bitter taste than kale, though kale or any other green can be used. I often encourage kale over spinach because of the absence of calcium-binding oxalates (see post Bone Health and Calcium For Vegans). As this smoothie bowl does not contain a high amount of calcium, using spinach is fine.

Making It Vegan

If using a milk-alternative this smoothie is naturally vegan. If using granola, those following a strict vegan diet may look for one that does not contain honey.

Making a Strawberry Smoothie Bowl

Strawberries can be used in place of blueberries, and I find doubling the amount of strawberries works best (with an additional 1/2 cup milk alternative). Don’t worry too much about the carb content with the additional berries as strawberries have almost half the amount of carbs as blueberries, and a glycemic load of 1 (compared to 5 for blueberries).

Making It a Low Carb Smoothie Bowl

People following a low-carb diet for various reasons. This recipe is naturally low in carbohydrates due to the omission of the banana and contains healthy fat from the nut butter. The total carbs are 18.7 grams, minus 7 grams of fibre equates to 11.7 grams of net carbs.

Tips

Raw vs Steamed vs Frozen Cauliflower for Smoothies

I’ve made this banana-free smoothie bowl using both raw, steamed or frozen cauliflower. I find that frozen cauliflower results in a thicker consistency that is aimed for with smoothie bowls. If you don’t have frozen cauliflower on hand use fresh or steamed cauliflower, and add less liquid, or add more frozen berries to ensure a firm smoothie bowl consistency. The same goes for zucchini.

Making Green Smoothie Bowls

The greens are completely optional and I find that the taste is barely noticeable. The zucchini adds to the thickness of the smoothie (best when frozen but fresh works as well). Kale can be used in place of spinach. I suggest freezing any leftover vegetables from the week in a ziplock bag to use in your next smoothie bowl.

Making it in a Vitamix

Using a Vitamix or another high-speed blender is the best way to ensure the smoothest consistency. If you’re concerned about the power of your blender, you may need to add 1/4-1/2 cup more milk or milk-alternative to achieve the desired smooth consistency.

References

1. Eating On The Wild Side (2013). Jo Robinson
2. Effects of cruciferous vegetables and their constituents on drug metabolizing enzymes involved in the bioactivation of DNA-reactive dietary carcinogens (2001). Mutation Research
3. Effects of some technological processes on glucosinolate content in cruciferous vegetables (2007). Food Chemistry
4. Processing (blanching, boiling, steaming) effects on the content of glucosinolates and antioxidant-related parameters in cauliflower (2009). Food Science and Technology