Banana Nut Granola Smoothie Bowl! Start off your morning the right way with this! A green spinach, flax and mango smoothie bowl topped with bananas, fresh berries, banana nut granola and almonds!
I’ve realized over the years that my relationship with food has changed. When I was young, I was an emotional eater. I ate when I was sad, mad, bored and just out of habit. Now that I am older and a mother, with two little girls watching my every move and listening and learning, I look at food differently.
Food is nutrition. Food gives me energy and satisfies my appetite. Food is good and fun and when you have the right fresh ingredients, food can be magical. Cooking and preparing food is also now a huge part of my life and just the process and act of cooking calms me and helps me to put things into perspective.
What we put into our bodies is so important and I’ve learned over the years that how you start off your morning often dictates how that day will go food-wise. I remember if I ate junk in the morning for breakfast, that cycle would continue during the day and into the evening for dinner. But when I started eating yogurt and granola, or making smoothies or making eggs and whole wheat toast or waffles, I kept that healthier mindset throughout my day. I would make smarter choices with my food. Like eating a salad instead of a burger for lunch and chicken with veggies for dinner instead of a big plate of creamy, heavy pasta.
And this doesn’t mean I can’t ever eat the big plate of creamy, heavy pasta. I can. But the right portion size.
Banana Nut Granola Smoothie Bowl
What do you guys usually eat for breakfast?
If you follow me on social media, you know a smoothie (whether in a glass or in a bowl) is a usual occurrence for me in the mornings. I just love the way I feel afterwards and if I am hungry again in a few hours, that’s okay. I’ll reach for a banana, some almonds or a handful of Van’s granola for a snack.
Recently, I tried Van’s new gluten-free Banana Nut granola. If you know me, you know I love banana nut anything. I also love the chewy texture of this granola. It’s soft baked so the clusters are soft and chewy and I love it!
With 14 grams of nutrient-dense whole grains and no artificial colors or flavors, it’s the perfect pick-me-up whether you’re topping your breakfast parfait or smoothie bowl, or snacking straight from the bag. Van’s also has Double Chocolate, Blueberry Walnut and Cranberry Almond granola!
Click here for the store locator, to find a store near you where you can pick up some granola! And if you’re into smoothie bowls, you need to try this one! Enjoy!
Banana Nut Granola Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
For the smoothie:
- 2 packed cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup water + more if needed
- 1 orange peeled and broken into fourths
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 large frozen banana broken into pieces
- 1 to 1½ cups frozen mangos
For the toppings:
- Assortment of fresh berries
- Sliced bananas
- Van’s Banana Nut granola
- Nature's Path Qi’a Superfood: Chia Buckwheat & Hemp cereal
- Almond slices
Instructions
- Place fresh spinach into your blender and add the water. Blend together until combined.
- Add in the oranges, flaxseed meal, frozen banana and frozen mangos and blend together until smooth. Pour into bowls and decorate with the berries, banana slices, granola, cereal and almonds.
You can find out more about the Qi’a cereal here.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Van’s Foods. All opinions are entirely my own.
Smoothie bowls are always a good idea. You’ve inspired me! I’m going to bake some granola right away.
Look at that beautiful green colour! This looks like a big bowl of deliciousness.
I used to be a total emotional eater too, but keeping a food diary really helped me with that.
I’m with you on breakfast. I always start out with a ton of protein to keep me from getting hungry and turning to massive amounts of chocolate before the morning is out. Making good choices is a lot easier when you’re not crashing from a sugar high!
This smoothie bowl looks fantastic. Gonna have to try the granola!
Oh, and congrats on your half-marathon! You did it!!!
I SO need to hop onboard the smoothie bowl train! I’ve literally been seeing them everywhere lately! I seriously LOVE all the ultra-healthy stuffed you loaded into these beautiful bowls! I need to find that granola asap. 😉
I eat egg whites with pico de gallo pretty religiously for breakfast, but I often have a smoothie (or bowl) after I do cardio and I have to say all your smoothies rock, Alice! And this one is no exception! LOVE LOVE LOVING that banana nut granola – totally need to find that in a store near me! Delicious smoothie bowl girlfriend! Pinned! Cheers!
I agree our relationship with food needs to be reevaluated. I love starting the morning with something filling and hearty! Love this banana nut smoothie!
I usually go for a banana and some yogurt for breakfast. It’s light but doesn’t really hold me over for very long. This smoothie sounds like the thing I need to stay satisfied until lunch.
What a pretty smoothie bowl! Love the banana flavors!
I love all your smoothie bowls Alice, this looks fantastic too! So much goodness!
Yay for smoothie bowls, and I love the sound of Van’s banana nut granola!
Alice, I am totally with you. I have always been an emotional eater, and though there are still days that my emotions drive me to food, I always feel way better when I can keep a healthy mindset throughout the day. Breakfast is such a huge part of that! I love how granola fills you up to start the day!
I’m not so much an emotional eater, but I do eat when I’m bored. I’m a savory foods person all the way but I’ve actually been on a bit of a sweet kick recently, so something naturally sweet like this would be perfect to curb my cravings! And that color is just stunning!
I love smoothie bowls and this one looks delicious! Love the granola on top to add a little flavour and texture. I would gladly eat this up for breakfast or a snack any day 🙂
Love this, Alice! It’s amazing how different my day will go if I start off with something that fills me up in the right way–like eggs and veggies–opposed to a muffin that’s basically a cupcake 😉 I need to get on this smoothie bowl train! I love how vibrant your green smoothies always look!
Bring on the smoothie bowl, I’m loving all those toppers!
I’m obsessed with smoothie bowls! This one looks awesome.
This is SO SO pretty, Alice! Love starting the day with a smoothie bowl, The banana nut granola sounds amazing!
I almost always have granola for breakfast, but rarely in smoothie bowls (I’ve only tried them a couple times, but just haven’t been converted to a full devotee yet 😉 ) Also, I used to be an emotional eater too (& that will always be part of me during high stress times) but over the past year I’ve had a better relationship with food and finding the best foods and quantities to give me fuel, and make my body and mind happy 🙂
Yay for smoothie bowls! Those banana nut clusters look so good. During the week, I usually have a smoothie, oatmeal with fresh berries or yogurt with granola. I definitely need to try this smoothie bowl recipe soon!
Yummmmm! Definitely my kind of breakfast! I only make smoothies if I’m going to serve them in a bowl with a bit of crunch (being a tactile person, I don’t like just drinking my meals!) and that granola looks perfect. Banana nut girls unite!! x