This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Organic and Barlean's via the Clean Plate Club blogger program. In exchange for this post, I was provided with the products used to develop my recipe. As always, the content and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Most of us wouldn't be satisfied with eating the same thing for dinner every night--no matter how much you like lasagna, it would get depressingly tedious within a week or so. But when it comes to breakfast, we settle for routine: a bowl of granola, some toast, or maybe the occasional bowl of oatmeal. I'm certainly guilty of breakfast monotony. More often than not, my breakfast consists of granola or bran cereal with soy milk. This doesn't make for a terrible breakfast, but it's not quite as nutritious as it could be either.
Enter the smoothie bowl, a fruit-packed breakfast for ambitious weekdays or lazy weekends. As I mentioned in a previous recipe, a smoothie bowl is an extra-thick smoothie, garnished with toppings and eaten with a spoon. Smoothie bowls can be an Instagram-worthy exercise in food styling or a simple way to eat more fruit. In this recipe, I've included Barlean's Forti-Flax Ground Flaxseed for an extra boost of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Ground flaxseed has a subtle nuttiness that tends to disappear into more assertive ingredients; for a more pronounced flavor, sprinkle the flaxseed on as a topping instead of blending it into the smoothie. Greek yogurt helps give the smoothie bowl its thick texture and adds some protein. I like the refreshing tanginess of Stonyfield 0% Fat Plain Greek Yogurt, but you could substitute Stonyfield's vanilla or strawberry flavored Greek yogurts if you prefer something sweeter. Feel free to improvise with the toppings based on what you have on hand. Fresh strawberries or blueberries would be delicious, or you could sprinkle on some granola.
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup Stonyfield 0% Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Barlean's Forti-Flax Ground Flaxseed
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened dried shredded coconut
Cut banana in half widthwise. Add one half to blender. Cut other half into 1/4 inch thick slices and reserve.
Add milk, yogurt, flaxseed, and strawberries to blender and blend until smooth. Pour into bowl and top with reserved banana slices, almonds, and coconut.
