Smoothie bowls made with anti-inflammatory ingredients are fun to make on the weekends after a morning run or hike. They don’t need to have a million ingredients to be delicious either!

The tip to having a nutritious smoothie bowl is balancing macronutrients so you’re not over-doing it on the fruit & sugary toppings. Moderation is key here!

This one contains collagen to help bump up the protein content, flax seeds for satiating fats that help regulate blood sugars, veggies and frozen fruits for immune boosting micronutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Flax seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids and both insoluble and soluble fibers, which are helpful for digestive health. Omega 3 fats are essential fats due to the body not being able to make them on their own and have been linked to combatting inflammation!

This bowl works double duty to fight chronic inflammation with the antioxidants like lutein in spinach, bromelain & flavonoids from the pineapple.

Collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen is easily absorbed in the digestive tract. But are they effective?

Several studies have shown that collagen peptides may be beneficial for skin elasticity, management of joint/bone diseases & muscle recovery from exercise!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Yields: 2 bowls

• 2 cups frozen pineapple
• 1 frozen banana, sliced
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (or other milk alternative)
• 1 large handful organic spinach
• 1-2 scoops collagen peptide powder
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 tablespoon ground flax powder
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• Toppings: strawberries, blueberries, nut butter, chia seeds, hemp hearts +

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients, except toppings in a high power blender. Pour into 2 bowls and add desired toppings.

References:

1. Khatri, M., Naughton, R.J., Clifford, T. et al. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids 53, 1493–1506 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-021-03072-x
2. Pavan R, Jain S, Shraddha, Kumar A. Properties and therapeutic application of bromelain: a review. Biotechnol Res Int. 2012;2012:976203. doi: 10.1155/2012/976203. Epub 2012 Dec 10. PMID: 23304525; PMCID: PMC3529416.