Shamrock Smoothie Fruit Bowl

A delicious and detoxifying fiber-rich smoothie bowl topped with granola, fresh fruit, and a trio of nutrient-dense seeds.

Breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day. This is because our bodies need healthy fuel to power through the day. And though the title implies this is from the shamrock’s good luck, it’s really just simple plant-based science.

So get ready for a couple of delicious and healthy choices. If you’re busy and on the go and need a little healthy and lucky start to your day, simply opt for this Shamrock Smoothie in a to-go bottle or jar. It’s filled with heart-healthy fruit, dark leafy spinach, seeds, and oats. There’s lots of fiber and vitamins to get your morning started with just the right fuel octane, plus the satiety to keep you going.

On the other hand, if you’re able to relax and enjoy a sit-down breakfast, have I got a lucky charm for you!

While the Shamrock Smoothie surely stands well on its own, it makes the most incredible foundation for my Shamrock Smoothie Bowl. Not only is it delicious and nutritious, the addition of whole fruit and seeds add quite a bit of texture and contrasting colors to spark up your morning routine.

Let’s talk about a few key ingredients.

First, baby spinach offers five healthful benefits, including 1) strong and stable bones from Vitamins K and D, potassium, magnesium, and calcium; 2) strengthens your eyesight and immune system; 3) repels bacteria and viruses; 4) promotes heart health; and 5) keeps you energized from the magnesium and folate. (NDTV Food) Impressive!

Next up is one of my favorite power houses – hemp hearts. They offer four incredible healthy benefits, including 1) reduced inflammation due to the presence of alpha linolenic acid (ALA) that reduces heart disease, cholesterol, and blood pressure; and GLA, a type of omega-6 fat that decreases inflammation and supports healthy hair, skin, and nails; 2) improved heart health due to the presence of amino acid arginine which lowers blood pressure and reduces heart disease; 3) reduced muscle cramps due to magnesium; and 4) reduces symptoms of menopause and PMS due to the GLA and magnesium. (Chatelaine) They also taste great and blend easily in this smoothie.

Flax seeds are reportedly one of the oldest crops in the world. Each tablespoon contains high quality plant protein, a plethora of vitamins, minerals, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, and antioxidants. These little firecrackers are one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods available. Plus, flax seeds contain up to 800 times more lignans than any other plant – lignans help thwart cancer. Additionally, flax seeds lower cholesterol and blood pressure. (Healthline)

Behold the tiny but mighty chia seed!! Did you know that in Mayan, chia means strength? The Mayan culture prized this nutritional powerhouse. Two tablespoons contain 11 grams of fiber, 9 grams of fat, and 4 grams of protein! The grams remaining are packed full of nutrients like phosphorous, calcium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. (Healthline)

Interestingly, 11 of the 12 grams of carbs in chia seeds are fiber, which contributes greatly to gut health. And once you subtract that fiber, chia seeds only contain 101 calories per serving making chia seeds one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids, great for healthy bones, and help to reduce blood sugar levels. (Healthline)

Chia definitely sounds like strength to me.

After sprinkling these healthy seeds on top of my smoothie bowls, I like to add a little Morning Glory Granola.

Morning Glory Granola contains whole grains, seeds, and nuts, and is another great source of fiber, protein, and healthy omega fats. It can be made without any oil and adds some more incredible texture to this Shamrock Smoothie Fruit Bowl. And oh how I enjoy texture in my foods.

And last but not least, this smoothie bowl is topped with fresh fruit. When I have time, I apply miniature cookie cutters to slices of fruit. In this bowl, my bananas instantly become little flowers. It makes it adorable and I enjoy eating pretty things. It can be a great deal of fun to make this smoothie bowl; but I dare say it’s even more fun to eat!

What do you think?

I hope you try this Shamrock Smoothie Bowl. Please leave a comment, rate it, and tag a picture #pebblesandtoast on Instagram! I’d love to see your results. Enjoy!!

Smoothie Ingredients

• ½ cup plant milk
• 2 cups/handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 cup (1 medium) banana, sliced and frozen*
• 1 cup frozen yellow fruit (peach, mango, pineapple)**
• 1 kiwi
• 2 Tbsp hemp seed
• 2 Tbsp rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp flax seed
• 1 Tbsp chia seed

Bowl Ingredients

• 1 medium banana, sliced
• 1 cup Morning Glory Granola
• 1 cup fresh fruit (I used sliced kiwi, raspberries, blueberries)
• 1 Tbsp hemp seed
• 1 tsp flax seed
• 1 tsp chia seed

Instructions

1. In a high-speed blender, blend all of the smoothie ingredients together until completely smooth, about 1 minute. It should be fairly thick.
2. Pour smoothie into two bowls.
3. Top each bowl with half of the sliced banana, fresh fruit, granola, and seeds, as desired.

Notes

* I buy and freeze a bunch of bananas at once.   That way, they’re always available when I want to make nice cream or a smoothie.  On a cutting board, peel and slice and place in a freezer bag or container. Freeze until ready to use, up to 3 months.

** You can use any frozen or fresh fruit you like in this smoothie bowl.  However, if you want the smoothie to remain a vibrant green color, you need to pick yellow and orange fruit (banana, mango, peach, pineapple).  IF you use red or blue fruit in your smoothie, you may lose the vibrancy in this bowl as it will turn a murky brown – when you combine the colors of the rainbow, it may be healthy, but it is brown.  

Blame the science.  And it loses the pretty bowl effect we’re going for.  We do eat with our eyes after all – at least I do.  So I recommend putting your colorful rainbow fruit on top of the smoothie bowl and eating them whole.

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