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The Week

The ideal breakfast

They say breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. But many of us barely have time for a good, scrumptious breakfast before we head out the door in the morning. At best, we grab a piece of toast or an apple or a banana. And during hot summer months, we aren’t often in the mood for fried eggs or heavy meals either.
By The Week Bureau

Simple smoothie bowls for summer

They say breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. But many of us barely have time for a good, scrumptious breakfast before we head out the door in the morning. At best, we grab a piece of toast or an apple or a banana. And during hot summer months, we aren’t often in the mood for fried eggs or heavy meals either. This is where knowing some simple recipes for smoothie bowls will come in handy. Smoothie bowls are quick breakfast fixes that will fill you up, fire up your metabolism, and give you your daily dose of vitamin and minerals as well.  Also, since you can personalize these smoothie bowls to suit your taste, there’s nothing you can’t add to it. Feel free to experiment and devise your own tasty smoothie bowl. Here, we help you get started with some simple recipes that you can tweak and customize according to your preferences.


Chocolate hazelnut hemp bowl

This one is just the kind of start chocolate lovers would enjoy. It is also full of protein so having this early in the morning will ensure constant energy level throughout the day. Also, you can have chocolate first thing in the morning in the disguise of this yummy smoothie bowl. 


Ingredients

    Bananas

    Hazelnuts (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)

    Almond milk

    Cacao powder

    Pitted dates

    Hemp seeds

    Choco chips

    Honey

    Caramel

    Oats 

    White chocolate shards


Directions

Blend together bananas, almond milk, hazelnuts, cacao powder, dates, honey, and hemp seeds.


Pour the smoothie into a bowl and add in the oats. Not blending the oats in with the smoothie will make the consistency of your food heavier.


Top it with caramel and white chocolate shards.


Pineapple, and peach bowl

This is a recipe for a filling yet light breakfast. You will feel full but at the same time won’t feel stuffed either. If you are not a huge fan of rice cereals, you could always substitute that with oats or quinoa. But, be warned, that’s going to make your smoothie bowl a lot more filling and not so light. 


Ingredients

    Pineapple

    Banana

    Coconut water

    Honey

    Thinly sliced peach

    Grapes (optional)

    Sunflower seeds

    Rice cereal


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Directions

Put pineapple, banana, and coconut water into a blender and blend them together until the texture is smooth.


Add a spoonful of honey to the mix and blend it again.


Place the required amount of rice cereal in a bowl and pour the smoothie on top of it.


Top it with the peach slices, sunflower seeds, grapes, and a drizzle of honey.


Coconut banana oats bowl with black sesame quinoa and mango

This is a very refreshing bowl especially targeted for those who live in unbearably hot areas. This smoothie bowl will cool you down in an instant. And ingredients like quinoa, banana, and mango will help to fuel you up for the day. 


Ingredients

    Rolled oats

    Coconut milk

    Chia seeds

    Vanilla extract (optional)

    Salt

    Banana

    Cooked quinoa 

    Flax seeds

    Honey

    Sesame seeds (preferably black)

    Instant coffee

    Chopped cashews

    Chopped almonds

    Coconut oil 

    Chopped or sliced mangoes 

    Chocolate (preferably dark)

    Fresh mint leaves

    Coconut shavings

    Coconut butter (optional)


Directions

Add quinoa, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, flax seeds, honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, instant coffee and a pinch of salt to a bowl and mix them together.


Bake it for 30 minutes or cook it over low to medium heat until it turns light brown. This should take about 20 minutes. Stir it every 10-15 minutes.


Blend together oats, coconut milk, chia seeds, a pinch of salt and a banana until you get a smooth and creamy paste. 


Pour the oats smoothie into a clean bowl and then add quinoa and garnish with cashews, almonds, mango, chocolate, mint leaves, and coconut butter.


Avocado superfood bowl with cashew cream

We guarantee that this will probably be one of the most delicious and healthy smoothie bowls you have ever tasted. It’s not too sweet and extremely creamy. And it’s very filling too. So opt for this bowl when you know you will be having a late lunch. 


Ingredients

    Toasted cashew

    Coconut milk

    Avocado (mashed)

    Yogurt (preferably with a thick creamy consistency like Greek yogurt)

    Almond milk

    Banana

    Protein powder

    Kale

    Coconut shavings 

    Pomegranate seeds


Directions

Soak the roasted cashews in water overnight and blend it the next day with coconut milk and a pinch of salt until it forms a creamy sauce.


In a clean blender, add almond milk, avocado, yogurt, protein powder, banana, kale and coconut shavings together and make a smoothie.


Pour the smoothie into a bowl and pour in the cashew cream into the bowl in any pattern or design of your preference.


Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and additional cashews and coconut shavings.


Berry crunch smoothie bowl 

With the sweetness of berries, creamy texture like that of yogurt and the crunch of nuts, this could very well be the go-to breakfast for anyone with a sweet tooth. You can also actually add yogurt to it for that extra creamy texture if you want. 


Ingredients

    Chopped kale or baby spinach

    Chia seeds 

    Milk (almond milk is recommended)

    All varieties of berries you can find (strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, etc.)

    Banana

    Honey or maple syrup or agave syrup

    Coconut shavings (preferably raw or toasted)

    Granola

    Chopped almonds

    Chopped walnuts

    Chopped cashews 


Directions

Blend together the kale/spinach, chia seeds and milk until smooth. Make sure you do not have any lumpy leafy greens and everything is blended together properly.


Add in a banana, half the berries, and honey/maple syrup/agave syrup to the mixture and blend it all together. A little texture in this mixture does not matter since you do not have to sip the smoothie through a straw.


Pour the smoothie into a clean bowl and chop the remaining berries and banana.


Garnish the smoothies with the chopped fruits, nuts, and granola.

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