Never one to be led by trends, I had to take a second look at what has become a rewrite of the breakfast smoothie. Smoothies began as a nutritional cocktail served up in health food stores back in the late 60’s early ’70s and evolved from there, hitting their stride by the mid-’90s, and have remained the breakfast darling by athletes and the health-conscious ever since. That is until someone flipped it on its ear and put breakfast back in the bowl to create a hybrid, mirroring frozen yogurt with its endless array of toppings. What are the nutrient benefits of smoothie bowls vs. regular smoothies? Not much. It all depends on time and convenience. What made smoothies so popular was time crunching versatility. You could frappe breakfast in a blender and be out the door in five minutes. And if you’re like me—who is not a breakfast person—you were assured of getting all your nutrients by starting your day with a power-packed, superfood smoothie on the run. None of this has changed with the super-bowl smoothies trending on Instagram today. What has changed is the brightly colored vibrancy and creativity of adding favorite toppings, whereas plain old-fashioned blended smoothies are just purees, which means they lack texture. And since I am a textured kinda gal, I do see the appeal, and it is why I’ve brought this chocolate berry bowl to the table using vegan chocolate mousse. Serve it as a complete meal for breakfast, or dressed up in a wine glass as a delicious parfait dessert

Ingredients:

• 3-Tbsp Vegan chocolate mousse

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Smoothie

• 1-cup frozen mixed berries
• 1/2-cup almond milk
• 1-Tbsp stevia
• 2-Tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt or plain non-dairy yogurt
• 1-Tbsp whey or hemp protein powder

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Toppings

• 1-Tbsp chia seeds
• 2-Tbsp granola
• fresh mixed berries
• sliced banana
• unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Preparation:

1. Using the back of a tablespoon, smear chocolate mousse inside a bowl to create a shell.
2. Blend smoothie ingredients and pour into a bowl, and finish with toppings