BEAUTY BITES

Post/Photography/Graphic Design by Norah Curlee

Breakfast just got a whole lot prettier! We’re going to need you to stop what you’re doing and go find the biggest bowl in your cupboard. Got it? Great! Now it’s time to make a killer new breakfast trend called the acai bowl. It’s made up of dreamy, frozen acai puree and topped with things like fresh fruit, granola, and coconut. Everything you could want out of breakfast all in one. Of course, it’s no secret that acai is a super food loaded with benefits, but more on that later..

This dish is more of an “assembly” rather than a recipe. Our favorite kind! You’ll need to start with frozen acai puree, and we particularly love this one which can be found in the freezer section at your local supermarket. Another route is to use acai powder and blend with frozen fruit to DIY your own frozen puree. Either way is delicious! Once you have your acai base in your bowl, it’s time to top! Our favorites are a good oat and flax granola, some fresh berries, coconut and sliced banana. Such a winning combo! Around LA acai bowls have become insanely popular, especially during the hot summer months. Other topping options we’ve spotted are almond butter, chia seeds, hemp seeds, mango, blackberry, kiwi, gogi berry, honey, and the list goes on. You can really add anything you want!

We especially love this breakfast option because of the countless benefits that come with eating acai. In Brazil, they refer to acai as “the beauty berry” which we LOVE because of all the good it does your body from the inside out. We don’t know about you, but we can get on board with a diet rich in beauty berries! While acai has most of the vitamins found in other fruits, it also contains compounds found in no other fruit making it completely unique! It might surprise you that the little acai berry packs more grams of protein than an egg (say what?), and when combined with its host of omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, acai has been shown to improve the look and texture of your hair, skin and nails. Acai also ranks among the highest antioxidant rich foods. They are seriously loaded! With all those antioxidants, it’s sure to help fight free radicals keeping the skin looking younger and healthier. All hail the acai!

So tell us…have you ever tried acai? Any favorite ways to enjoy these “beauty berries”? Let us know in the comments! And as always, if you recreate this beauty bite be sure to share your snaps with us on twitter @tbdofficial or on our gram! @thebeautydept #prettyontheinside

Oh, and if you’re wondering how the heck to pronounce acai, look no further. We cracked the case, click HERE.