9 Smoothie Bowls and How to Make them in Shanghai

By Betty Richardson and Celina Huyhn

Beloved by Instagram’s clean eating elite, healthy fruit smoothie bowls have landed in a major way. What initially started with Brazilian acai bowls made from frozen and blended acai berries, has evolved into dozens of different fruit bases, all made with frozen and blended fruits and even vegetables.

Get creative by topping them off with nutritious superfoods like berries, nuts, seeds, bee pollen – they’re customizable in endless ways, and make for a refreshing, chilled breakfast or post-workout meal. We’ve done the hard work for you and scoured all over town for the best places to buy whole food toppings (scroll down for that).

First Base
Bowl bases are made from frozen and blended fruit, which gives them a thick, pudding or soft serve-like texture. Ratios depend on your taste, but a good place to start is by using one banana plus one cup of your main fruit base, plus half a cup of water, almond, dairy or soy milk.
Greek yoghurt and avocado can also be used to thicken up the base, and you can even sneak in a few leaves of kale or a cup of spinach without detracting from the fruity flavor.

Preparation Is Key
You’ll need to prep your base in advance. Peel and chop your fruit base (banana, pitaya [pink dragon fruit], papaya, avocado etc.), and store them in the freezer. You’ll have a supply of bowl base ready any time you need it.

Top It Off
Prepare your toppings before you start blending the base, since it will begin to melt and liquefy after 15 minutes. We like a balance of seeds, nuts, berries and fruit on ours, but add whatever you fancy.

Extra Filling Bowls
Add high fat and slow-release energy ingredients to your bowl base to make it more filling. Avocado goes well with just about everything, and instant oats can be mixed in after blending. Peeled, roasted and bagged chestnuts or medjool dates also work well as an alternative to fruity flavors.

Work It
For an active lifestyle and post-workout meals, supplements like protein and whey powder can be added to your base. Be sure to add extra liquid if you do so, and follow the recommended dosage guidelines.

Chia Bowls
Chia seed pudding is filling, nutritious and super easy to make. Simply combine one to two tablespoons of seeds with a cup of liquid (we like almond or coconut milk) and soak for a couple of hours. To add an extra flavor such as matcha or cacao, combine with the soaking liquid before adding to the seeds.

You can find chia seed at: Kate & Kimi, Sprout Lifestyle, and Hunter Gatherer.

Where to Shop

Kate and Kimi (KK)
This online grocer has one of the largest selection of whole foods in Shanghai, as well as an excellent selection of nuts, herbs, fresh and frozen fruits.
www.kateandkimi.com

Sprout Lifestyle (SL)
Come here for nutritious supplements like bee pollen, raw cacao and honey. They also sell blenders and other healthy living gadgets.
Sprout Lifestyle, 388 Shanxi Nan Lu, by Fuxing Zhong Lu. (Check our website for more locations)

TableLife (TL)
Our go-to for great quality fresh produce, particularly tropical fruits like pitaya (four for RMB58), papaya (two for RMB38), bananas (from RMB23) and avocados (eight for RMB60).

www.tablelife.com

Ole’ Supermarket (O)
Ole’ has significantly expanded its stock of whole foods over the last year. The expat-friendly supermarket chain carries niche products like puffed quinoa, matcha powder, dried coconut, and more, along with a good selection of seeds and nuts.
Ole' Supermarket, B108, No. 1378 Huamu Lu, by Fangdian Lu. (Check our website for more locations)

Hunter Gatherer (HG)
Great for premium, hard to find whole foods and healthy luxuries.
Hunter Gatherer, 308 Anfu Lu, by Wulumuqi Lu.

City Shop (CS)
Reliable supermarket carrying a decent selection of whole foods, including raw (as opposed to roasted or salted) nuts.

City Shop Jing'an, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Xikang Lu.

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