Happy first day of Summer! To kick off the season, I’m starting a four-part Smoothie Bowl series on Busy Girl Healthy World. I love whipping up a quick, healthy, COLD smoothie bowl after a workout to give my body the nutrients it craves while simultaneously hydrating and cooling me down. Smoothie bowls make great breakfasts or lunches. I have been eating this Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl for lunch for the past three days in a row (it’s that good!) after my workout. If you would like to enjoy it as a snack instead of a meal, you can reduce the measurements of the toppings by half to keep it a little lighter.
Summer also means cherry season. We all know that fresh cherries are absolutely delicious, but cherries are also known to reduce inflammation in the body, which helps to ward off cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This smoothie contains a serving of cherries, along with plant-based protein, banana, chia seeds, hemp seeds, raw cacao, and unsweetened flaked coconut. Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowls are vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free—so everyone can enjoy one, regardless of dietary restrictions.
If you make this Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment on this post. Make sure you are following Busy Girl Healthy World on Instagram for more healthy recipe ideas!
Active Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients: For the smoothie:1/2 frozen banana 1 scoop chocolate plant-based protein powder (I use Tone It Up protein) 1 tablespoon cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
3/4 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened original)
Toppings: 1/2 cup fresh cherries, halved and pitted 1 teaspoon chia seeds 1 teaspoon hemp seeds 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1 tablespoon unsweetened flaked coconut
Directions:
Combine the frozen banana, protein powder, cacao powder, and almond milk in a high-powdered blender until smooth and creamy. Pour smoothie into a bowl*. Top with cherries, chia seeds, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, and coconut.
Enjoy immediately.
*For an extra thick smoothie, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes to thicken up a bit before topping.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 402 Fat: 12g Carbs: 37g Protein: 19g Sodium: 163mg Sugar: 16g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
