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TL;DR: the bowl uses 1 banana, 20 ml of plant milk, 3 tablespoons of acai, 1 scoop of whey (30 g), 3 g of creatine and ice to taste. Blend, pour into a bowl and add toppings. Creatine is 3 g a day, one scoop from the tub: a tablespoon would be 10-15 g.
An energy bowl is a thick banana and acai smoothie that you eat with a spoon and top with fruit, nuts and seeds. This version also has whey protein and creatine, and it takes ten minutes with a blender.
Energy bowl ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Banana | 1 |
| Plant milk | 20 ml |
| Acai | 3 tablespoons |
| Whey protein | 1 scoop (30 g) |
| Creatine monohydrate | 1 scoop from the tub (3 g) |
| Ice | To taste |
What goes in the bowl?
One banana, 20 ml of plant milk, three tablespoons of acai, one 30 g scoop of whey protein, 3 g of creatine monohydrate and ice to taste. Blend everything together and serve in a bowl with toppings of fruit, nuts or peanut butter.
For the creatine, the neutral-flavour creatine monohydrate does the job. For protein, a vanilla whey sweetens the bowl without anything else added.
How to make an energy bowl step by step
- Wash and chop the banana and put it in the blender with the plant milk, acai, protein and creatine.
- Blend until smooth. If the blender will not turn with so little milk, add a splash more.
- If it looks too runny, add ice and blend again until it thickens.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl.
- Top with sliced banana, kiwi, pear, sesame seeds, peanut butter, cocoa, dates, almonds or cashews.
What is a smoothie bowl?
A smoothie bowl is a fruit smoothie so thick that you eat it with a spoon from a bowl instead of drinking it. The texture comes from using little liquid and cold fruit or ice, and it is finished with toppings such as fruit, seeds or nuts.
How much creatine to add
Many recipes ask for a tablespoon of creatine, which is too much: a tablespoon weighs between 10 and 15 g. For this bowl 3 g is enough, which is one scoop from the tub.
Can you put creatine in a smoothie?
Yes. Neutral-flavour creatine monohydrate is barely noticeable and mixes well with the other ingredients. Add the 3 g to the blender along with the fruit and the protein, with no extra steps.
How much creatine should you take a day?
Three grams a day, the dose given on the creatine monohydrate product page. At that amount creatine improves physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. A tablespoon is 10-15 g, so do not use it as a measure.
If you are under 18, pregnant or have kidney disease, check with your doctor before taking it. For more on what it does and how to take it, see our article on creatine, and if you are unsure between creatine and protein, here is how they compare.
When to have it
What is a good breakfast for energy?
One that combines carbohydrates and protein, like this bowl: the banana and acai supply the carbohydrates and the scoop of whey gives about 23 g of protein. If you train in the morning, have it afterwards; otherwise it works as an ordinary breakfast.
Is it better before or after training?
After suits it better, because of the protein and carbohydrates. If you have it before, leave one or two hours and cut back on fatty toppings such as peanut butter so it does not sit heavy. Creatine is taken every day whether you train or not, and the time of day does not matter.
To make it with what the recipe uses, here are the creatine and the vanilla whey.
Variations and toppings
What are healthy bowls?
A healthy bowl is a one-dish meal served in a bowl that combines a base (blended fruit, oats, rice), protein and toppings of fruit, nuts or seeds. What makes it healthy is what goes in it: whole fruit, protein and little added sugar.
The toppings are what you can change most: kiwi, pear, sesame, cocoa, dates, almonds or cashews all work just as well. If you want something warm, try the oat bowl with hazelnut cream.
Can you make it the night before?
It is better made on the spot: the banana darkens and the mixture loses thickness as the hours pass. What you can do ahead is chop the banana and freeze it with the fruit; with cold fruit the texture comes out thicker and you need less ice.
A warning if you use plant milk to avoid dairy: whey contains milk, so with it the bowl is not vegan.
