Is It An Acai Bowl Or A Cereal Bowl?

It’s time to come to terms with the almighty acai bowl.  Known for its vast benefits it hides a secret from us.  A secret that is laced with sugar in every bite of its promised nutrition. What should be labeled a dessert has led us with deceit. The layers of fruit sold us dreams and lies.

Okay not really.  But unless you add protein to this delicious fruity treat or watch what fruit you put in it, you will severely spike your blood glucose levels. Some acai bowls have 65 grams of sugar.

That is over 5 TB of sugar for reference.

But unless you frequently stock your fridge full of fresh fruit which will have wonderful fiber to counter some of the sugar you just took in, frozen fruit and a few juices are the only alternative to ensure you're getting all those helpful nutrients. Pomegranates can be pricey, and watermelon can have a very short shelf life. It sometimes seems like the best way to get the most for your buck concerning health that tastes decent is by getting the frozen alternative.

I prefer my strawberries not tasting like the pesticides have permeated its skin, so I get the large organic bag that is shoved next to ice cubes. Pineapples are thicker in comparison and can take a pesticide bath, but for the thin-skinned blueberries or strawberries its recommended to stick to organic. But I digress. My main fruit candidates for consumption happen to have relatively thin skin. So bags full of organic, frozen fruit that can last longer and save money are well advised. Which makes acai bowls tempting when you have so much frozen fruit in your fridge.

And fruit offers so many benefits that it's hard to resist its siren call. Blackberries have nutrients like potassium, Vitamin C, manganese; and they have antioxidants like anthocyanin which reduce inflammation, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, improve blood flow to the brain, and possibly even prevent cancer. Blueberries have nutrients that blackberries have plus Vitamin A; they can reduce cholesterol, control blood sugar, and lower blood pressure; they also have anthocyanin just like blackberries. Acai much like blackberries and blueberries has anthocyanin with the plus of being very low in sugar.

Pomegranates are stated to reduce plaque buildup in your arteries as well as have antioxidants. Cherries have anthocyanin; contain nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E; lower uric acid to reduce arthritis and inflammation; lower blood sugar; and provide a whopping amount of melatonin, serotonin, and tryptophan to help with sleep. Strawberries have anthocyanin, manganese, folic acid, potassium, and Vitamin C; decrease triglycerides, inflammation, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol; and they are also very low in sugar.

Green grapes have Vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, Vitamin C, and flavonoids; they also lower blood pressure. Watermelon has lycopene and cucurbitacin E which are preventatives against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer; lowers inflammation, hypertension, blood sugar, and risk of macular degeneration; and it has nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, and iron.

Pineapples have bromelain to reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing; and it also has nutrients such as manganese, Vitamin C, copper, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, and Vitamin B9. Mangoes have mangiferin which may reduce risk of colon cancer; contain nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, copper, Vitamin B9, Vitamin B6, potassium, and magnesium; reduce risk of high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improve gut health. And even though bananas sometimes get a bad rap, they provide Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium as well as giving an acai bowl extra umph.

So what is the run down if you get all of these ingredients to blend over?

Acai Blend

1/8 cup of cherries = 1.6 grams of sugar

1/8 cup of mangoes = 2.8 grams of sugar

1/8 cup of pineapple = 2 grams of sugar

1/4 cup of strawberries = 1.75 grams of sugar

1/4 cup of blueberries = 3.685 grams of sugar

1/8 cup of blackberries = 0.875 grams of sugar

1/4 packet of no-sugar added acai = 0 grams of sugar

1/2 medium banana = 8.5 grams of sugar

2 TB of peanut butter = 2 grams of sugar; 3 grams of fiber; 8 grams of protein; 190 calories

1 serving of collagen peptides = 0 grams of sugar; 18 grams of protein; 70 calories

Juices

1/2 cup coconut milk = 4 grams of sugar; 2.5 grams protein; 2.5 grams fiber

1/4 cup organic watermelon juice = 4 grams of sugar

1/4 cup organic pomegranate juice = 8.25 grams of sugar

Toppings

1 TB of unsweetened shredded coconut = 0.4 grams of sugar

1/4 cup of green grapes = 3.875 grams of sugar

2 TB of Garden Granola = 3.39

Even keeping the intake at minimum for all the mentioned nutrients, this is still a grand total of 47.125 grams of sugar. Not including carbs.

So...imagine this as fruit...

But there is hope. You see, research indicates including protein in your diet can help to counter those blood sugar spikes. In this case, there is 34 grams of protein and fiber to counter 47 grams of sugar. If switching collagen peptides for pea protein powder it can be 37 grams of protein and fiber. Still, you are 10 to 13 grams short of balancing your sugar spike. So be aware of the tempting acai. Pretty as she is, she makes your blood glucose levels rise like no tomorrow.

A banana has never looked more dangerous.

If you however eat a cooked chicken thigh with the skin alongside your acai bowl, that is an extra 25 grams of protein. So you will triumph over the cursed blood sugar spikes from that delicious, alluring fruit.

Or whatever 10 - 13 grams of extra protein you would like to choose for this concoction. There is also the alternative of getting a premade Sambazon Acai Bowl with only 16 grams of sugar and adding a serving of collagen peptides to counter the sugar. Your fruit content may vary though.