All things Acai’d, what’s healthy?
Your questions answered
If you’ve hung out with me for more than 15 minutes, you probably know that I love acai bowls, freeze, and anything that is marketed as “natural,” and “healthy,” but is also sweet and tasty.
But I wanted to really understand, what is healthy when it comes to these desserts? Are smoothies less healthy because they’re grinded up? Can you have too much natural sugar?
I got to the bottom of my curiosity by getting on the phone with Professor Robert Girandola, who is an expert in nutrition.
On the smoothie issue, Professor Girandola eased my anxiety by assuring me that I can still enjoy my smoothies, as long as the ingredients don’t include added sugars that don’t come from fruit. That being said, he said natural sugars are great for you, as long as you eat the whole fruit. Honey on the other hand, not so great. Anything that’s just a sweetener, or is isolated from the plant just for sweetness, is empty calories and sugar for your blood. Refined sugars are an obvious no no.
Pro tip: Make sure you read the ingredients in the smoothie you order, and make sure there aren’t added sweeteners. And if they’re putting dates, ask if they’re putting the whole date, or sugar from dates. The whole date will give you some nutrients, while the sugar will just be empty calories.
Dates are an essential part of what makes freezes at Pressed Juicery so delicious. So I had to clarify that lots of dates are okay, as long as the dates are being used in whole.
“You’re not going to have too much of dates, I have to qualify this, are they just taking the actual fruits, or the dates, or are they deriving the sugar from the dates, and that’s what I don’t know if they’re deriving the sugar from the dates, I told you before there’s not a lot of difference between that from sugar,” said Girandola.
But while we’re going fruit crazy, it’s important we qualify how dried fruits are not as healthy as actual fruits.
“If you have dried fruits, it’s better than sugar but at the same time you lose some of the water, and you concentrate the amount of sugar that you have in it,” said Girandola.
Using what I learned from Professor Girandola, I decided to do my research on some of the acai bowls I’ve had in LA. And I found a clear winner as to which place had one of the most healthiest bowls: Amazebowls!
The bowls have no added sweeteners in them, they don’t add juices to their blends. You’re literally eating crushed up fruit. And if you get your granola sugar free, and ask for no agave, you’re really living large.
Pro tip: Get as many nuts as possible in your bowl, it’s unlimited toppings, so make sure to get in your proteins and fats! Nuts add to the traditional value of your bowl by balancing out the nutrients.
Not to mention out of all the acai bowl places I’ve tried in LA (Nekter, Ubatuba, Earthbar, Backyard Bowls, Bowl of Heaven, Qwench, and Sunlife) Amazebowls tastes the best.
