I almost called this a Blueberry-Pitaya Smoothie Bowl. I mean, that would be the safe, obvious, descriptive choice, right? But what fun would that be? Especially during GOT season!
Put a little Mother of Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl power in your morning smoothie bowl with this super delicious and nutrient-rich vegan, gluten-free recipe. The only spoiler ahead, is that this smoothie bowl is delicious.
To somewhat quote Tyrion Lannister, I eat smoothie bowls and I know things...
Dragonfruit Smoothie. I have been making this bowl a few days a week this summer - enjoying it as an energizing breakfast or pre or post workout smoothie. I love the beautiful deep pink color that comes from combining blueberries with pitaya..
Here is a breakdown of the good-for-you ingredients:
- Pitaya, aka dragonfruit: "Dragon fruits have a surprising number of phytonutrients. Rich in antioxidants, they contain vitamin C (equivalent to 10 percent of the daily value), polyunsaturated (good) fatty acids, and several B vitamins for carbohydrate metabolism, as well as carotene and protein. Calcium is present for strong bones and teeth, iron and phosphorus for healthy blood and tissue formation. The benefits are realized in a number of ways, from a strengthened immune system and faster healing of bruises and wounds to fewer respiratory problems. .. The seeds of dragon fruits are high in polyunsaturated fats (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids)" - Mercola
- Blueberries: as you probably already know, are one of the most antioxidant-rich foods out there! The anthocyanins in blueberries help reduce inflammation. Which is great for exercise recovery. I love this article by the DNI about which foods help you recover faster! Blueberries and bananas are on there -- and lots of pineapple too for bromelain. Anti-Injury Eating.
- Banana: Rich in potassium and fiber, this sweet and creamy fruit is one of my faves for adding thickness and natural sweetness to smoothies.
- Hemp Seeds: I love hemp seeds for adding whole food nutrition to my smoothies! They are rich in omega 3 and 6 - plus they offer up a nice boost of plant-based protein and healthy fats. Three tablespoons of hemp seeds offer 13g fat (most are polyunsaturated) and 10g protein and 3g fiber. I love Hemp Hearts and a few other brands.
- Brazil Nuts: I love this nut because it is super rich in selenium. Just one Brazil nut has over 100% RDA of this important mineral. Selenium is very important for thyroid health - something I have to watch out with since I have Hashimotos.
- Fresh Fruit Toppings - I love adding various fresh fruit toppings like in-season apricots or cherries or peaches and more. These provide antioxidants and fiber and color to make my smoothie bowl experience a beautiful one!
No Pitaya? No problem. If you do not have pitaya on hand right now... Well, yes, pitaya is the dragonfruit part but an easy sub would be either:
1. Acai freezer pack
2. ¾ cup frozen strawberries
Ok Khaleesi, lets dive into this dragonfruit bowl!..
Daenerys Targaryen has not approved of this message. But I think she would. Mother-of-dragons, breaker-of-chains, lover-of-pitaya-smoothie-bowls. Yup, that sounds good.
Q of the day: Do you watch Game of Thrones? Are you loving this season? No spoiler zone. Ps. If you love GOT, and want to super-nerd it up, check out my fave GOT podcast, Game of Owns. I listen to it when I workout. Nerd. Yup. No shame.
Happy smoothie bowl season guys!
This is recipe #8 in the Summer 15!..
Summer15 HHL Recipes:
1. Corn Fritters with avocado salsa.
2. Pink Flamingo Cheesecake Bars
3. Summer Salad in a Jar
4. Copycat Green Tea Frappuccino
5. Sticky-Sweet BBQ Apricot Tempeh Salad with avocado
6. Avocado Hamil-toast (avocado toast with skillet plantains)
7. Cherry Pie Cookies
8. Mother of Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl
9. Almond Butter S'mores
10. DIY Pink Drink
11. Cheezy Sauce for Pasta with Kale
12. Summer Salad: Chili-Lime Mango-Avocado Quinoa Power Salad
13. Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream
Mother of Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pitaya dragonfruit freezer pack
- 1 cup wild blueberries, organic
- 1 large frozen banana
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon raw hemp seeds (optional)
- 2 Brazil nuts (optional)
- 1 scoop reishi mushroom powder (optional)
- 1 scoop plant protein powder (optional) - unflavored or try Berry Bliss by Philosophie
- toppings: fresh fruit and nuts (apricot, banana, pistachio, puffed rice and blueberry used)
Instructions
- Add the almond milk, Brazil nuts, protein powder and hemp seeds to blender - I use my Vitamix.
