Greetings plant-based munchers and food lovers! For more than 10 years, my hubby and I have been drinking a green smoothie every single day. Sometimes we have them as breakfast while other days we have them as a power snack after our daily 30 to 45 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). On other days we like to put in some more effort and make a smoothie bowl like this.

Ever since we moved to Cambodia we have been blessed with a beautiful garden packed with tropical fruits.

FYI: the yellow, ripe papaya in the pic is the one I used for this recipe!

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TROPICAL SUPER SMOOTHIE BOWL

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Below you will find my ingredient list. However, if you are making your own you can add any fruit, leafy greens, and toppings of your choice.

INGREDIENTS AND THEIR BENEFITS

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All ingredients I used to make this smoothie bowl are packed with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants to boost your health and happiness.

Instead of boring you with a long list of health and nutrition facts about each ingredient, I decided to give you one fact about each nutrient you might not know about.

• Papaya - is a super fruit when it comes to digestion and digestive health. Many years ago, a friend of mine was battling cancer and going through chemotherapy. Since he was too weak to take care of himself, we cooked for him on the days he was not in the hospital. Papaya smoothie was a daily item on the menu as it helped him to combat nausea caused by the chemotherapy. Also, Did you know that you can eat the seeds? They have anti-parasite properties. We often toss them in our smoothies as the tropics are home to many parasites.

• Mango - recently an Indian friend told me that mangoes are known as “The Love Fruit” because they are thought to increase male virility. After a quick google search, I found that mangoes contain a lot of vitamin E which might help regulate sex hormones and boost sex drive.

• Kiwi - next to adding a delicious, nutrient boost to your smoothies or breakfast bowls, kiwi fruits are also often used in DIY face masks thanks to the abundance of alpha-hydroxy acids, vitamin C, E, and K. Plus, Kiwis are ideal for exfoliating and nourishing your skin to prevent premature aging.

• Pink Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) - just like kiwi fruits, pitaya can be used for much more than smoothies and tropical fruit salads. Combined with cucumber juice and honey (think maple or agave might do the trick too to keep it 100% vegan), it creates an aloe vera-like gel that does a great job in moisturizing and bringing the heat down of sunburned skin.

• Blueberries - are good for your brain. They are rich in a compound called anthocyanins. These little phytochemicals can cross the blood-brain barrier where they are believed to work as an antioxidant to decrease oxidative stress, they also can reduce inflammation, and improve neuron communication.

• Green Lettuce - leafy greens are among the best foods to eat. They are packed with health-promoting nutrients to fight inflammation, diabetes, cancer, among many other diseases. Though I used simple green lettuce for this smoothie (as this was the only thing I had, we ran out of kale, rocket, and spinach yesterday), the darker the lettuce or leafy green, the more nutrient-dense it is.

• Almond Milk - from when we were little we have always been told we need to drink milk to get enough calcium to build strong bones. Did you know that 1 cup of almond milk offers 35 percent of the recommended daily amount of calcium? Plus, it tastes so much better. However, make sure to buy from an organic source with no added chemicals or make your own.

• Chia Seeds - are loaded with complete protein, antioxidants, fibers, and omega-3s. But did you know that they also make the perfect egg replacement for baked goods? If you have been following my blog you might have seen them in some of my recipes. You can make one chia egg by mixing 1 tbsp chia seeds with 3 tbsp water. Let sit for a few minutes and use as you would use an egg in baked goods.

• Desiccated Coconut - is an ideal fat source. One ounce contains about 80% healthy, saturated fats.

HOW TO MAKE A SMOOTHIE BOWL 🥣

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To make the smoothie base, add papaya, mango, and lettuce to a blender. Add a splash of almond milk. Blend at high speed. Add more almond milk if needed. You are looking to create a thick, pudding-like substance so don't add too much liquid.

Even better, use frozen fruits to make your smoothie base. This will nicely chill down your smoothie bowl and it will resemble a soft-serve ice cream as a base.

Pour the smoothie base into a bowl and top with fresh fruits, seeds, dedicated coconut, or other toppings of your choice.

I used kiwifruit, mango, dragon fruit, blueberries, chia seeds, and desiccated coconut.

Enjoy!

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WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND HEALTHY DAY ღ ღ ღ

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PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH GOOGLE PIXEL 3 XL

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