Greek Yogurt Smoothie Bowl

This Greek Yogurt Smoothie Bowl is packed with protein and fiber-rich mixed berries. Make it whenever you need a quick and healthy meal that's ready in minutes.

Be sure to read the section below regarding why this recipe is dietitian-approved for improving insulin resistance. Jen always includes a few tips regarding insulin resistance in her section.

Ingredients for Greek Yogurt Smoothie Bowl

• Mixed Frozen Berries: I love Wyman's Triple Berry mix with wild blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but use whatever mix you have on hand.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: I normally love the texture of Fage plain Greek yogurt, but for a smoothie bowl the texture isn't that important. Just make sure it has around 15 grams of protein per serving or more.
• Vanilla Protein Powder: Our favorite protein powder is Kachava because it's loaded with superfoods and nutrients and tastes better than others we've tried. It's not cheap, but it's high quality and delicious.
• Sliced Almonds: For crunch, healthy fat, and a little added protein.
• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes: For that tropical touch to make you feel like you're on a beach vacation.
• Unsweetened Chocolate Chips: We really like the flavor of Ghirardelli no-sugar-added dark chocolate chips for an indulgent tasting topping that brings all the flavors together.

Tips For a Smooth and Creamy Smoothie Bowl

• Preferably, use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix (affiliate link) or Blendtec (affiliate link) if you have one. A mini blender, like the Nutribullet (affiliate link) also works well, but be sure to add a little water (up to a ¼ cup) to keep the motor from burning out.
• Use frozen berries straight from the freezer. If you let them sit on the counter or in the blender too long before blending, you'll either get a watery mess or a frozen block of berries that's hard to blend.
• Try not to add any liquid, but if necessary (so you don't burn your blender's motor), add one tablespoon of water at a time until the texture is just right.
• Be patient and blend in short spurts, stopping the blender briefly to stir the contents with a silicone spatula to remove any air bubbles that may form around the blade.
• Use ice as needed (up to ¾ cup) to increase the volume and enhance the texture of the smoothie without adding calories.
• Eat the Greek yogurt smoothie bowl right away for the best experience!

How to Make the Greek Yogurt Smoothie Bowl

1. Place ¾ of a cup of frozen berries in the blender.
2. Add ½ a cup of plain Greek yogurt.
3. Add a serving of your favorite protein powder. For this version of a smoothie bowl, we recommend vanilla flavored. Keep in mind that different protein powders will vary in the amount of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) and calories.
4. Add ¼ cup of cold water (optional, see above).
5. Add ¾ cup of ice cubes (optional, see above).
6. Blend the mixture in short spurts, stopping the blender after a few seconds to stir the contents with a silicone spatula (or use a tamper while the blender is running, if your blender comes with one) to remove air bubbles.
7. Serve the smoothie mixture in a bowl.
8. Top with the coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and almond slices.
9. Enjoy immediately before it melts!

Variations for Greek Yogurt Smoothie Bowl

• Make it vegan with a non-dairy Greek style yogurt like Kite Hill's plain, unsweetened variety.
• Replace the frozen berries with half a frozen banana and add a tablespoon of unsweetened cacao powder (affiliate link) or use a chocolate-flavored protein powder, for a chocolaty version.
• Replace the chocolate chips with fresh blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries. This option can add a few grams of carbs (and fiber) to your meal.
• Toast the coconut flakes for a nuttier flavor.
• Replace the almond slices with half a tablespoon of chewy, nutrient-dense hemp hearts (affiliate link). By weight, hemp hearts and almonds are similar in calories.
  
  But, because we recommend sliced almonds, they are less dense (heavy) than the hemp hearts when measured by the tablespoon. So, if calories matter to you, we recommend using fewer hemp hearts.

Recipe

Dietitian Approved by Jen Birge MS, RDN, CDCES

Eating a smoothie bowl is my way of having dessert for dinner. Or breakfast, or lunch. Really, anytime I feel like having a special treat.

This Greek Yogurt Smoothie Bowl has a good protein to carb ratio with 38 grams of protein and 50 grams of carbs per serving. And, there's a whopping 12 grams of fiber per serving.

The protein to carb ratio in this recipe should help keep your glucose and insulin levels balanced, depending on your level of insulin resistance.

If you are limiting your carbs to less than 50 grams per meal, then I suggest using protein powder other than Kachava. While Kachava provides 25 grams of protein, it also has 20 grams of carbs per serving.

For fewer carbs, you might try the vanilla grass-fed whey protein powder from Transparent Labs. For 28 g of protein, it contains 1 g of carbohydrate and is sweetened with stevia.

Jen's Glucose Response To This Meal

While I would still consider this meal "moderate carb", it does have a few more carbs than most of our recipes. For this reason, I tested my glucose levels before and one hour after eating this meal.

My glucose level increased 29 points, which is okay! Remember that carbs increase glucose levels, while both protein and fiber help balance glucose spikes from carbs. This meal has a lot of protein and fiber!

Note: mealtime glucose responses vary from person to person, depending on many different factors (level of insulin resistance, exercise, body composition, and much more).

Glucose Tip (if you are monitoring your glucose levels): Ideally, for improving insulin resistance and/or weight loss, a good meal time glucose response will be an increase of 30 points or less.

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