How To Make A Low Carb Smoothie Bowl

Make a Low Carb Smoothie Bowl! Beautiful smoothies thick with your favorite toppings for crunch or a burst of flavor. Rich in nutrients, they can make a great snack or breakfast if you cut the carbs and add extra protein. 

Is Your Smoothie Really a Sugar Bomb?

Most smoothies, even “Paleo” Smoothies, rely heavily on juice and fruit. That’s not a balanced meal. It’s a Sugar Bomb! Even with protein powder and a few nuts it’s still mostly carbohydrate.

Humans need protein, fat and lots of vegetable matter. Fruit is really just a condiment. Humans have poor glucose regulation when we eat foods we did not evolve to eat in any quantity. That’s why bread, pasta, sodas and desserts have made us sick and overweight.

Ignore Smoothie Bowl recipes made mostly from fruit. Even though it’s trendy, it’s not real food.

Are “Super-Foods” another Fad?

It’s also trendy to buy expensive “super-foods” and decorate Smoothie Bowls with their pretty colors. But Gogi Berries, Maca, Bee Pollen, Cocoa Nibs, Spirulina and Acai Berries can’t make up for a meal deficient in protein, fat and vegetables and high in the simple carbohydrates of fruit. Don’t use too many nuts and
seeds either – they’re high in Omega 6. Chia seeds can be a strong laxative to some people by the way and Hemp Hearts and other shelled nuts and seeds are often rancid. 

But no, I’m not really a Party Pooper! You can make outstanding Smoothies and Bowls with the foods listed below. And this post and this one will give you additional facts on making a real meal. Or listen to my Primal Diet – Modern Health podcast on this! 

How to Make A Low Carb Smoothie Bowl

Like other meals you need to balance protein, fat and carbohydrates to make a blend that won’t leave you hungry or “hangry” soon after. One with enough protein and fat calories to keep you from undereating.

Consuming too few calories can cause low thyroid function – it’s an evolutionary tool that lowers our metabolism when food is scarce. This is why most diets fail. Fasting and undereating just lowers the rate at which food is burned for fuel.

In the Paleo Diet (my Diet For Human Beings DVD/Video) you eat heartily, with plenty of fats, proteins and vegetables to fill you up and keep you satisfied. We can do the same with our Smoothie Bowls.

*Use more veggies, fats and proteins and not so much fruit!*

Smoothie Tips

• Keep foods on hand that are easy to blend and sprinkle. See the list below…
• Reduce the fluid to make a thicker smoothie base. Most veggies and fruit are high in water so you don’t need much fluid
• Pick your ingredients based on the colors and flavors you want  
• Wash, dry and trim produce ahead of time ready to blend
• Include a meal-sized serving of protein either IN your Smoothie Bowl or on the side
• Add plenty of fats from the list below. Up to 50% of your daily calories should come from fat
• Blend up your base foods and top with crunchy extras for texture and extra nutrition
• Let everyone pick their own toppings

Low Carb Smoothie Bowl FAQ’s

“I can eat the whole thing in no time at all! Is that OK?” No, you still need to chew your food!! That’s one reason for the toppings. They “make” you slow down and chew.

“Aren’t raw vegetables hard to digest?” Cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw but the blender “chews” these veggies for you. That keeps the raw enzymes but adds digestibility

“Does everything have to be raw?” No, you can include cooked foods as well. In fact, briefly blanching collards and kale removes the goitregens which can prevent you from absorbing iodine. 

“I didn’t like the taste of the blended batch I made”. What now? Try adding cinnamon, cucumber or a little banana to change the flavor. Taste test your blend before you scoop it into the bowl the next. See other suggestions below.

“What type of blender is best?”  I suggest a VitaMix, Nutri-Bullet or BlendTec. If you have a blender stick it might be up to the challenge… 

Smoothie Bowl Ingredients

THE FATS:

• Avocado and avocado oil
• almonds, macadamia nuts or oil, nut butters, seeds, cashews, Tahini (or save these for Toppings)
• coconut oil, canned coconut milk, coconut butter, coconut yogurt
• ghee
• raw pastured egg

THE LIQUIDS:

• filtered or spring water
• bone broth, chicken stock
• canned coconut milk (carrageenan and guar gum free), or low carb coconut yogurt
• herb tea, weak coffee, kombucha
• coconut water (small amount as is high in carbs)
• unflavored, unsweetened almond or rice milk

THE PROTEINS:

• Omega Nutrition Pumpkin Seed Protein powder, or whey if tolerated
• animal protein on the side, such as sausage, shrimp, chicken   
• Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides or homemade bone broth gelatin
• raw pastured egg
• nuts and seeds have some protein

THE GREEN VEGGIES & FRUIT:

• organic zucchini
• fennel bulb and stalks
• avocado
• cucumber (especially the long “burpless” English cucumber as they don’t need peeling) 
• all types of lettuce
• sprouts – especially sunflower seed sprouts
• green beans, green peppers, celery
• collards, kale and spinach 
• dandelion greens, Spring Mix
• herbs: parsley, mint, dill, cilantro, basil, or whatever you like
• green apple or pear (small quantity)

RED OR YELLOW VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

• beets (Small chunks to not overload your blender)
• yellow squash
• butternut or acorn squash (I use cooked or frozen – have never tried raw)
• plain canned pumpkin (small amount)
• tomato, carrots
• strawberry or blueberries fresh or frozen (small amount)
• red apple, red pear (small amounts)

MORE SEASONINGS: 

• banana (a small amount adds creaminess and sweetness)
• ginger
• vanilla
• fresh lemon or lime juice
• spices such as turmeric, curry, salt, cinnamon

THE TOPPINGS for crunch and color:

• coconut flakes or shreds, raw or toasted
• Paleo Granola (grain free, gluten free)
• dried fruit (if you didn’t use much fruit in your base blend)
• frozen banana, pomegranate seeds, blueberries
• nuts and seeds or nut butter
• avocado
• chopped celery, carrots, cucumber 
• raw cocoa nibs

If you made your low carb Smoothie Bowl correctly you’ll feel full and happy until your next meal. If you get hungry or anxious within an hour or two, you probably used too much fruit and not enough protein and fat. I have a full serving of protein on the side when I eat my veggies smoothie bowl. I don’t use fruit at all except an inch or two of banana for creaminess and sweetness.

Enjoy!