Although acai berries are nothing new, it seems as though the Acai Bowl was everyone’s obsession this summer – myself included. Acai (pronounced “Ah-Sigh-EE”) is a Brazilian super fruit berry that grows on palm trees in South and Central America and is known to have the highest content of antioxidants than any other food on earth. If you’ve been to Brazil, or even California because lets be real, LA is always on top of anything healthy, you can literally find them everywhere. Thankfully, Toronto now has options for when you crave this power packed treat, such as my fave go-to on Queen St West, Bolt Fresh Bar.

I found out this weekend that making acai bowls at home is surprisingly easy, all you’ll need to do is track down acai in the form of frozen puree, juice, dried or powdered form. Don’t waste your time trying to be a purist hunting down fresh or frozen acai berries, like I did, as they only exist in the amazons. I decided to use Sambazon Unsweetened Smoothie Packs, which you can find at your local health food store or Whole Foods, because I heard it’s the easiest to use. It’s a little piece of heaven that tastes a mix between bitter chocolate and blueberries. The perfect way to refuel after a workout, as breakfast or a late night snack!

What You’ll Need…

• 4 packs of Acai berry puree
• 2 cups of soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, coconut water, or filtered water
• 2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries (or any other berry you like)
• 2 tbsp of hemp protein powder (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor. If you prefer it chilled, place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. I pimped my bowl with shaved coconut, chia seeds, bananas and diced almonds. Granola is also a tasty topping to add as well!