Smoothie bowls – we’ve all seen drool-worthy smoothie bowl pictures on Instagram and Pinterest. What you might not know is that those insta-worthy loaded bowls can be super simple to make at home! Once you have a great superfood smoothie base, it’s all about the toppings, baby!

Here are our favorite smoothie bowl toppings to take your home smoothie game to the next level!

Berries

Berries are one of the healthiest foods you can eat! They’re delicious + have a TON of health benefits that can boost the benefits of your already healthy smoothie.

Antioxidants and blood sugar levels

Berries are a fantastic source of antioxidants, which help protect your cells and reduce your risk of disease. One study even showed that blueberries, blackberries and raspberries have the highest antioxidant levels of most common fruits next to pomegratates!

Berries may also help improve blood sugar and insulin levels when you eat them alongside your smoothies.

Fiber for weight loss

Berries are also a great source of fiber, especially soluble fiber, which can help slow down the movement of food through your digestive tract. This means reduced hunger and more feelings of fullness. In fact, studies show that eating enough fiber can help decrease your calorie intake!

Fiber also helps reduce the number of calories your body absorbs from mixed meals. One study found that doubling your fiber intake could make you absorb up to 130 fewer calories a day!

PLUS, the high fiber content of berries means that they’re low in net carbs, which are calculated by subtracting fiber from total carbs.

Here are the carb and fiber counts for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of berries:

• Raspberries: 11.9 grams of carbs, 6.5 of which are fiber
• Blackberries: 10.2 grams of carbs, 5.3 of which are fiber
• Strawberries: 7.7 grams of carbs, 2.0 of which are fiber
• Blueberries: 14.5 grams of carbs, 2.4 of which are fiber

This low carb count means that berries are a great addition to your keto smoothies, too!

Fruit

Fruits – sliced or whole – add a great pop of flavor but also a ton of other benefits! Like berries, fruit is high in fiber and natural sweetness. Plus, fruits

• Sliced bananas: High in potassium, which helps the body control heart rate and blood pressure.
• Figs: High in natural sugars, minerals, and soluble fiber.
• Kiwi: High in Vitamin C and dietary fiber, kiwi also can support heart health, digestive health, and immunity.
• Melon: Contains vitamin C, which boosts your immune system, as well as gives you healthy skin, strengthens tissues, and promotes healthy brain function. 
• mango: Packed With Nutrients, mangos are also high in antioxidants. They also help boost immunity, supports heart health, improve hair + skin health, and might even help lower your risk of cancers!
• Pineapple: May help reduce inflammation and promote healthy tissue growth
• Peaches: Rich in vitamin A, peaches help protect your body from lung and oral cancers. They also contain potassium, fluoride, and iron.
• Pomegranate seeds: Also high in antioxidants!

Seeds

Like their nuttier cousins, seeds make for an amazing smoothie bowl topping. They add texture, fiber, vitamins & minerals + add very few calories (UNlike nuts) with a great crunch. Here are our favorite seeds to sprinkle on top of a luscious smoothie bowl:

Chia seeds

Chia seeds Deliver a nutritious punch with very few calories. They’re also loaded with antioxidants. Almost ALL the carbs in chia seeds are fiber, meaning they keep you feeling fuller, longer. Chia seeds are a great source of high-quality plant-based protein. Because of the high fiber and protein, chia seeds may help you lose weight by keeping you feeling full!  Chia sees in Smoothies are fantastic.  

Pumpkin seeds

pumpkin seeds can help improve heart health, blood sugar levels, fertility, and sleep quality. They might even protect against certain types of cancer. PLUS the fact that they’re so rich in nutrients can provide other health benefits, like more energy, a boost in mood, and improved immune function.

sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are super high in protein and rich in healthy fats, as well as antioxidants that can lower your risk of developing serious conditions. They’re also an excellent source of Vitamin E!

Flax seeds

Often used to improve your digestive health or help relieve constipation. Flaxseed may also help lower “bad” cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Hemp Hearts

Hemp seeds are incredibly nutritious. Hemp seeds contain over 30% fat and are exceptionally rich in two different important fatty acids + high in protein.

Hemp seeds are also a great protein source, as more than 25% of their total calories are from high-quality plant-based protein! About 25% of calories in hemp seeds come from protein, and hemp seeds are considered a ‘complete’ protein source, which means they provide all the essential amino acids your body needs. Crazy fact, by weight, hemp seeds provide similar amounts of protein as beef and lamb — 30 grams of hemp seeds, or 2–3 tablespoons, provide about 11 grams of protein!

The digestibility of hemp protein is also very good — better than protein from many grains, nuts and legumes.

The best part though, is the nutty, earthy crunch they add to your smoothie bowl!

Coconut

Oh coconut – is any smoothie bowl really complete without you?

Unlike other fruits that are high in carbs, coconuts provide mostly fat (making it a great keto smoothie bowl topping too!)

Coconut also contains protein, tons of minerals, and even B vitamins. Coconuts are especially high in minerals essential for healthy bones and helps you metabolize carbohydrates.

Although coconut meat is high in fat, the MCTs it contains may help you lose excess body fat. The meat also provides carbs and protein along with many essential minerals, such as manganese, copper, iron, and selenium.

Since coconut is low in carbs and high in fiber and fat, it may help stabilize blood sugar, making it great for diabetics and keto diets. (read:  Smoothies for Diabetics).  

Nuts & nut butters

Nuts are superfood powerhouses – eating nuts regularly helps improve your health in SO many ways! Nuts help reduce diabetes and heart disease risk, as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These nutritious and high-fiber treat may even help you lose weight — despite their high calorie count.

Here are some of our favorite nuts to add to smoothie bowls to add some crunch, blant-based protein and fiber:

• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans
• Pine nuts
• Pistachios
• Walnuts

Cacao nibs

Cacao is a personal favorite of mine. Chocolate flavor Cacao provides more nutrition than cocoa (chocolate) and can be a healthier substitute in recipes that tastes JUST as good. Cacao is an excellent source of:

•  Iron
•  Protein
•  Magnesium
•  Potassium
•  Fiber

Keto smoothie bowl toppings

But…what if you’re keto? Are there any safe KETO smoothie bowl toppings if you’re keeping things low-carb? The answer is YES! A lot of your favorite smoothie bowl toppings can be keto – just make sure not to go too heavy-handed on the application. Even though the following options are keto-friendly, piling them on too hard can still mean added carbs and sugar.  Also, check out How to Make a Keto Smoothie Bowl for more information.  

But as long as you’re taking it a little easy, try the following options:

• coconut
• cacao nibs
• nuts and nut butter
• seeds
• berries
• cucumber
• avocado

Keto Smoothies

Did you know that Blendtopia has pre-portioned, organic keto smoothies? YES! No it's not too good to be true, we saw the need for low-carb, low-sugar smoothies and decided we couldn't wait! We launched 3 NEW superfood keto smoothies that are ready to blend + sip in about 30 minutes! 

Our new keto smoothie line has some serious perks, check it out:

• Low-carb
• Low-sugar
• Keto-certified
• Vegan
• Organic
• Non-GMO
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free

Our new smoothie blends come in three different flavors you can't resist: 

• Keto Berry: Tastes like a berry lemonade!
• Keto Green: Tastes like coconut-cucumber water spiked with ginger + lemon.
• Keto Chocolate Chai: Tastes like the chocolate chai latte of your dreams! 

Be sure to come follow Blendtopia on Facebook to stay connected, and follow us on Pinterest to get even more ideas for maintaining our mental, physical, and emotional wellness.