Kale Breakfast Bowl

This hearty healthy breakfast is fresh & filling

This nutrient-packed breakfast is quick to whizz up & will keep you full & full of energy throughout the day. It has the freshness of a smoothie bowl & the comfort of a bowl of porridge.

This recipe uses avocado & frozen banana as the base which imparts a creamy almost ice-cream like texture.

I have already mentioned the health benefits of kale (see kale crisps recipe for info) & so now I’ll mention a bit about the avocado, also known as the ‘alligator pear’!

Avocados are nutrient dense containing healthy fats & over 20 different vitamins & minerals, including folate, manganese, potassium (more than that found in bananas!), vitamin A, Bs, C, E, K, magnesium, copper, iron & zinc. Most of the fat in avocado is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which helps reduce inflammation, reducing the risk of certain cancers & arthritis.

Avocados are also high in fibre, so important in digestive health.

Avocados may lower blood cholesterol levels and hence important in preventing heart disease. In a similar vein(! oops sorry), the high potassium content helps lower blood pressure.

Avocados eaten with vegetables can help the absorption of antioxidants as well as being rich 2 antioxidants themselves, (lutein & zexanthin), which have been associated with reduced risk of cataracts & macular degeneration.

Lastly, avocados are a flexible ingredient, e.g. they can be mashed up in dips, used instead of fat in cookies (see avocado chocolate cookies recipe), as a healthy chocolate mousse & cheesecake topping, in smoothie bowls & now in this kale breakfast bowl. What’s not to like?!

Once the base is blended together, you can vary the topping as desired.

Preparation: 5 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

The base:

1 sliced frozen banana
1/2 avocado
2 cups of kale (you can substitute for spinach if you prefer)
1 tbsp protein powder
1/2 cup rice, coconut or almond milk
1/3 apple
1/3 pear
1 cup of rolled oats
Optional: 1 tsp spirulina powder

Topping ideas:

Bee pollen
Cacao nibs
Chia seeds
Dried fruit (e.g. goldenberries, figs, dates, cranberries) or fresh fruit
Drizzled almond butter
Drizzled tahini
Ground flaxseed
Goji berries
Granola
Runny honey
Walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans
Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds
Sliced banana

Instructions:

Place all the base ingredients in a blender or food processor & whizz.
Serve with toppings of choice. I have chosen walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chopped figs & a drizzle of honey in the one pictured.