Low-Sugar Paleo Cacao Acai Bowl

Back in my vegan / vegetarian days, I was ALL ABOUT acai bowls (shoutout to Swami’s in Encinitas for starting my addiction young), and really thought there was no healthier meal. All those antioxidants  – what could go wrong?

Well, in a typical acai bowl, with a base made of acai and multiple bananas, topped with more banana, berries, granola and honey (or even worse agave) you are looking at a serious sugar overload. Yes whole fruits are natural, and contain fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, but when it comes down to the science, your body can simply only process so much carbohydrates at a time (even if its “natural” sugars).

When you consume such a large amount of fruit (which are primarily carbohydrates which break down to glucose in your body), your blood sugar is going to spike, and your pancreas is going to start pumping out insulin (a storage hormone) which moves all that glucose out of your blood stream and into your liver and your muscles to use for energy.

The problem is, your liver and muscles can only store so much glucose at a time, and the remaining glucose will be converted and stored as fat. Not only that, but that sugar spike will leave your blood sugar crashing in about 2-3 hours, leaving you with low energy, and unfortunately, craving more sugar and carbohydrates (see the vicious cycle?).

To top it all off, fructose, a type of sugar found in significant amounts in fruit (agave is almost all fructose), is processed primarily by the liver, and is more quickly and easily converted to fat than glucose. Now, let’s remember fructose really causes a problem in high concentrations, like high-fructose corn syrup in soda, agave, and even fruit juices. You’re much less likely to overdue it by eating whole fruit, but it’s still something to be cautious of. Also if you’re following a high-fat, low-carb like I do, fruit can easily push you out of the ketogenic (fat-burning) range.

So what’s an acai-bowl loving, low-carb girl to do? Well the great news is that pure acai actually has very few carbs and no sugar! The first time I found Trader’s Joe’s unsweetened acai packets I was shocked at just how keto-friendly they are (6g carb and 3g fiber, meaning only 3 net carbs and 0 sugar). So I set out to make an low-sugar acai bowl that would actually keep me full.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

• You’ll get to enjoy the deliciousness of an acai bowl, without the sugar spike and crash
• All the healthy fats and protein will keep you full all morning
• You get the antioxidant benefits of the acai berry. Acai berries are known for their super high levels of antioxidants. They have an ORAC score (a measure of antioxidant levels in food) of 102700 (for reference, wild blue berries have a score of 9621). Why should you care? Antioxidants are a major player in terms of preventing aging as they work to neutralize free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells). We’re getting new free radicals all the time from the environmental factors like pollution and pesticides or lifestyle behaviors like drinking alcohol, so adding antioxidants to your diet is crucial to combat this.

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Acai Packet
• 1 cup frozen zucchini (I blanch mine before freezing)
• 2 scoops unflavored collagen protein (or a chocolate protein powder)
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1.5 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (soaked in almond milk)
• 1-2 cups spinach (optional)
• Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1-2 droppers of stevia 
• Toppings: unsweetened shredded coconut, frozen blueberries, hemp seeds, paleo granola (I used Paleonola in Maple Pancake)

HOW TO DO IT

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth
2. Top with toppings of choice
3. Enjoy!