Think About It - Açai Bowls

These bowls are trendy, and rightfully so —​ they are beautifully colored and often arrive with vibrant and artistic arrangements of fruit, nuts, seeds, and other aesthetically pleasing toppings. Colorful foods are typically associated with health, corresponding with the USDA's recommendation to "eat the rainbow." But what does an açai bowl truly offer us in terms of nutrition? Furthermore, are there potential downsides?

The açai berry is notorious for its superfood qualities. I personally hate using the word "superfood" when discussing the nutritional benefit of anything, simply because it's more of a marketing tool than an actual barometer of the food quality itself. However, the açai berry does contain significantly high levels of antioxidants, or compounds that neutralize potentially dangerous oxidative agents in the body. In fact, the açai berry had the highest antioxidant activity of any food reported to date against the peroxyl radical, which has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and other illnesses. This characteristic has also been linked to cancer reduction in one 2012 study with mice, where the use of spray-dried açai pulp significantly slowed the growth of tumor cells. 

Açai berries are also associated with weight loss. In a 2011 study, overweight adults who ingested 100 grams of of açai pulp twice a day for one month showed a reduction in glucose, insulin, and cholesterol levels, as well as small reductions in other indicators of metabolic syndrome. However, this was a preliminary study, and further research is necessary before any claim about the weight loss properties of açai berries can be substantiated. For this reason, the Federal Trade Commission has halted a fraudulent effort by Central Coast Nutraceuticals to sell an Açai Pure supplement marketed as a way to achieve "rapid and substantial weight loss." 

Even if the weight loss claim is false (which is likely), açai berries still have the assumed benefits of being a natural food. However, most restaurants don't use true açai berries in their bowls — they use a juice blend, or a powdered version mixed with water or milk. Furthermore, there is much debate about the utility of smoothies and bowls when it comes to mitigating hunger and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to sugar. Although the sugar is sourced from fruit, a typical açai bowl can contain 60 - 70 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to one bottle of Coca-Cola. It's no surprise then that these bowls are extremely high in carbohydrates, averaging somewhere between 80 - 100 grams of carbohydrates (up to 33% of the FDA recommended daily value). 

While these bowls have around 11 grams of dietary fiber (or 43% of the FDA-recommended daily value), some experts argue that blending the fruit partially nullifies the insoluble fiber's ability to slow the body's absorption of sugar. This can contribute to feelings of hunger and overeating, which could be dangerous given the high calorie count of acai bowls. This one from Jamba Juice comes in at 490 calories​, or 23% of the FDA daily-recommended value (but read my article on why this might be an overshoot for some people). This bowl from Juice Generation packs in 495 calories, and this one from Juice It Up has 510 calories. 

Ways to Think About It:

• Add some protein to your açai bowl
  • ​This will definitely up the calorie count of your bowl, but it will help prevent the subsequent hunger spike associated with glucose-heavy foods. Many smoothie restaurants offer protein powder add-ins, and these can be customized to fit any specific dietary needs (i.e. pea protein for dairy-free or vegan customers). This could also be done in the form of nut butter or greek yogurt - 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and almond butter both have 7 grams of protein, and six ounces of Fage's Total 0% Greek Yogurt contains 18 grams of protein. 
• Be mindful of your toppings
  • ​Similarly, the toppings that are often beautifully arranged on top of the bowl are not devoid of calories. An açai bowl is essentially pure sugar (especially if the restaurant or cafe uses a juice blend instead of actual fruit), so there is no reason to add more sugary toppings. This includes honey, maple syrup, granola, or plain sugar granules. Stick to options that add a bit more protein or fat to help stabilize your blood sugar, like coconut, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, or a bit of nut butter (but only if you didn't already add it to the bowl!). 
• Treat it like a dessert ​
  • ​Some people (especially those who run health and fitness social media accounts) view açai bowls as a potential meal. Everybody responds differently to foods like this, so try it out and see if it works for you. However, if you're like me and find yourself ravenous 30 minutes after drinking a smoothie or eating an açai bowl, treat these like a dessert. Be mindful though — the calorie count of these bowls is often much higher than you would expect, and sugar has a funny way of hijacking your cravings and making you want more. 

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed nutritionist nor a registered dietician. The opinions expressed in this article are my own, and each individual is ultimately responsible for his/her dietary and nutrition practices. Please consult a physician before starting a new dietary program.