Acai Banana Coconut Smoothie

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Subconsciously, I must be summoning Brazil in my “Juices, Smoothies, and Superfoods” posts so far. In my last post, I featured a juice made in honor of one of my favorite Brazilian drinks–abacaxi com hortelan. And today, I’m sharing a smoothie made in honor of one of my favorite Brazilian snacks–acai com banana.

Acai (pronounced AH-SAI-EE) is a berry native to Brazil and on my first trip to Rio de Janeiro, I absolutely fell in love with it. I used to be able to get acai only when I traveled to Brazil, but now, it’s all over the US and I couldn’t be happier (truth be told though, it’s MUCH more expensive here than I ever remember it being in the corner shops in Rio!).

So, what’s all of the fuss about? Well, to be clear, I am not here to tell you that acai is some miracle diet food that will make you lose weight. I don’t know anything about that and am not touching that debate. What I do know is that acai has one of, if not, the highest concentrations of antioxidants, and is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, calcium, iron, vitamin A, amino acids, and Omega essential fatty acids. That is why it’s making its debut on Como Water’s superfoods month! Paired with the coconut water (also a superfood with a high potassium and mineral content, no fat, and very low amounts of carbohydrates, calcium, and sodium), this smoothie is the perfect post-workout replenisher or mid-afternoon pick me up!

Oh, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway I’m currently hosting! The last day to enter is tomorrow! Happy Thursday everyone! πŸ˜€

Acai Banana Coconut Smoothie

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 packets frozen unsweetened acai (each packet is 100 grams)

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup coconut water

2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

Amazing Green Berry Smoothie Powder (optional)

Method:

*Blend. Nom.

Note:Β  The lead photo does not have protein powder and the end photo has protein powder, which explains the difference in color between the two smoothies! πŸ™‚

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantraβ€”love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. I have really got to start making smoothies, especially when they look this good. Well first I will have to replace my blender, but you will read about that in one of my upcoming posts.

  2. Acai? Never heard of it, Tiffany – and it sounds super duper! Loving this booster smoothie.

  3. I love acai juice! It’s too bad its so expensive! Your smoothies looks delicious, I love the banana coconut combo!

  4. I love acai! My farmers market sell frozen packets of it, which I keep on hand to toss into smoothies.

    Protein powder is a must in my smoothies. I think it goes a long way in thickening, and if you eat as plant-based diet and extra shot of protein never hurts.

  5. Nom is right! You’ve given me an excuse to buy and try Acai. I appreciate the nutritional information too–more reasons to try this superfood.

  6. Now this looks like my kind of smoothie! Yumm! And super-healthy. Great recipe πŸ™‚

  7. Another beautiful and healthy smoothie. YUM! Hope you dropped by and collected your award from my blog on 2-8. πŸ™‚

  8. I just got a “lecture” from an 80 year old about the amazing healing properties of Acai! She said her hips and joints feel so much better since she has been consuming it daily. She would love this smoothie! I’ll pass it along πŸ™‚

  9. I love it! I “found” acai in Rio too, a few years back. I remember I drank coconut water for the first time there too and was so excited about it. I LOVE this smoothie. I’m going to sip it and pretend I’m on top of Sugarloaf πŸ™‚

  10. Delicious!

  11. never had Acai sound really yummy smoothie πŸ™‚

  12. That smoothie is the bomb! I wish I had one of those for my morning workout.

  13. Another wonderful smoothie Tiffany, you’re the queen of healthly drinks. Great informative info too. You rock.

  14. I do love smoothies and I could not pass this up when I saw the title. That alone tells me that this is one delicious drink! Wish I had been there to enjoy this-yummy times 2.

  15. I love acai! We go through a costco bag of chocolate covered acai berries embarrassingly fast… but I’m pretty sure this smoothie is a healthier way to consume those delicious berries. Looks lovely!

    • Watch out for those Costco chocolate covered “acai” candies. They are not berries that are covered with chocolate, but candies made from many ingredients with very little acai. The real acai fruit is not edible directly because it is 90% seed, so it is first made into a puree or pulp from the skin/meat of the fruit, but no seeds. So, there really can’t exist chocolate covered acai berries, but the folks who make that product would love you to believe. You’ll see the next time you look at the ingredient list. For real acai, your best bet is frozen acai purees.

      • Hi Brandon,
        Thanks so much for the warning! I’ve never had chocolate-covered acai berries, but from looking at the comments, it seems like they are quite popular. Good to have information about what they really are!

  16. My neighbor and realtor are crazy about Acai products and invited me to the party before. This smoothie looks delicious with coconut and banana in it. You know how to make it really tasty without losing health consciousness!

  17. I have heard so much on the acai berries but somehow its not easy to be found here though you get the tablet or powdered version. Therefore, I will totally agree on the goodness of this drink and the amazing effects it does for the body.

  18. healthy and delicious! Love it.

  19. I always have a smoothie when not having time for a proper meal. This is a great variation for the usual muesli ones. Unfortunately, frozen Acai berries are terribly expensive here. Buying it will definitely help the wallet lose some weight πŸ˜€

  20. I have to say, smoothies weren’t high on my list of things to make, but after I made one last week, I’m hooked! I love coconut, this would be perfect to sip while sitting by the pool when it gets hot. And thanks for the proper way to say, “acai” I’ve been saying it wrong for a while πŸ™‚

  21. I haven’t had enough acai in my life thanks for the reminder. I feel healthier just reading about it!

  22. Nom indeed! I’ve got an ackee tree in my yard…i see acai and think ackee. Hmm…I wonder if I can smoothie it as successfully as you!?

    Looks delicious πŸ™‚

  23. Love smoothies, they are handy when I don’t have time for lunch. And acai, banana and coconut combo sounds incredibly delicious!

  24. This looks lovely, smoothies are always good. I’ve had acai juice but I’ve never seen them in their raw state before, I must see if I can get hold of some!

  25. Wonderful smoothie!!! I’ve only seen chocolate covered acai berries that weren’t that good…I’m going to keep hunting. Congrats on the Top 9, my friend!

  26. Acai….that’s a completely new berry to me. The smoothie looks delightful.

  27. I am curious about the berry powder. This is my first time to see your blog and I’m extremely new to smoothies. Would love a link to some of this type of powder. πŸ™‚

  28. Wow! Killer smoothie I’m loving all of the tropical and delicious flavors in here. Congratulations on a very awesome Top 9 recipe! Buzzed ya! Hope you’re having a great weekend =]

  29. I am on such a smoothie kick lately, Tiffany….so you are providing me with some great ideas! And this one looks fabulous! : )

  30. Thank you for the pronunciation key. I think that is one of the hardest words to say…at least everyone has a different opinion as to how to say it. Looks like a great smoothie.

  31. I have not had acai yet, but I think a smoothie like this is a good way to start eating it!

  32. Oh goodness…must try this! Absolutely delicious treat πŸ™‚

  33. Thank you for the comments everyone! HAPPY Monday!

  34. Fantastic looking smoothie! Can’t wait to make it myself. Thanks for sharing!