Acai bowls look pretty and delicious, but are they good for you?

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Published: December 9, 2019 4:12:04 pm

The average acai bowl is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and healthy fats. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

Acai bowls have been flooding our Instagram feeds for years now, and with good reason. They’re photogenic, delicious and healthy. The bowl gets its name from Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) which comes from the acai berry grown on the acai palm tree in South Amerian rainforests.

Now that you know a little about acai, what is an acai bowl?

These are acai berries at a plantation in Nordeste, Brazil. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

The acai bowl, which originated in Brazil, is made of frozen acai palm fruit that is pureed and served as a smoothie in a bowl or glass. In Brazil, acai bowls are typically topped with granola, banana and various syrups. The sweeter versions are usually topped with nuts and exotic fruits, while the salty versions are topped with shrimp or dried fish.

Since acai berries are grown so far away, fresh ones are rarely available in India. Instead, freeze-dried powders or purees are often used to create the base of the bowl. These are mixed with a combination of ingredients such as almond milk, soy milk, nut butter, frozen fruit and fruit juice to achieve the desired thick consistency and taste.

This base is put in a bowl and topped with a few ingredients, such as granola, honey, nut butter or fresh fruit.

Are Acai bowls healthy?

Remember to always look at acai bowls as more of an occasional treat. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

All the ingredients and toppings are pretty healthy, but bringing them together in the same dish raises a substantial issue — sugar. So as good as they look, are they good for your body too?

Remember to always look at acai bowls as more of an occasional treat, not something you’d have as a meal or a hearty breakfast. We say this because, as mentioned earlier, the ingredients in the base are acai puree and other fruits like berries and bananas, and granola toppings. It’s relatively high in vitamin C and fibre, but it contains a whopping amount of sugar.

Many people eat acai bowls for breakfast or a snack, thinking it is healthy. This way, the sugar content becomes even more of a concern. We know that consuming too much sugar has been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other negative health outcomes and diseases. While acai bowls have a lot of good things going, their typical sky-high sugar count cannot be overlooked.

Can you enjoy an acai bowl every once in a while? Without a shadow of doubt, yes! But you shouldn’t be eating them for breakfast or lunch several times a week. A smarter approach might involve replacing desserts like ice-cream or frozen yoghurt with an occasional acai bowl.

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