Start your day with this quick and easy deconstructed smoothie bowl.
Both the flavor and the texture of mango and banana go together very well. Pair these two fruits with any greens, and you will be nourishing your body with some of the most nutrient dense calories around (and one that's a sweet treat too)!
This bowl is easy to assemble and fun to dress up so get pumped to try a new fun and simple breakfast recipe.
Use Your Senses to Select Ripe Mangoes
Mangoes need a specific environment to grow and thrive. Many of the mangoes we eat in America are from Mexico, Florida, and California. Mangoes do not grow in any of these places year round, and so what shows up in your grocery store will depend on where you live and what time of year it is.
Just like all other fruits – there is a specific time of year which mangoes are in season. This season where mangoes are the most sweet and juicy, is in the hot summer months. April-October is generally mango season.
The more brightly colored the mango is, the more sweet it will be. You want to look for warm colors such as yellows, oranges, and reds when looking for mangoes. The brighter, the better!
To determine if a mango is ripe, you have to use your senses. Ask yourself some simple questions.
Does it smell very sweet? Is it soft to the touch, without being mushy? Is it discolored or browning? How does it taste?
Eating a mango when it is hard to the touch will result in a more difficult and fibrous texture. The flavor will be less sweet, and sometimes sour.
Eating mangoes when they are cheap typically means they are in season. Try different mangoes from different parts of the world, and write down the varieties you enjoy.
If you don’t have access to fresh mango, you can always substitute frozen mangoes for fresh ones.
Tips for Cutting Mangoes
The worst part of eating delicious mangoes all the time is that they take some work, skill, and patience to cut into. There are many videos on YouTube, like this one, that can help guide you as you learn to maneuver this fruit.
There is a very large, but thin, pit in the center of all mangoes. These pits make cutting difficult unless you know the anatomy of mangoes and which way to cut to avoid this pit.
Basically what works with all types of mangoes is finding which direction the mango is longer. Then, cutting about 1 to 1.5 inches from the outside, into the mango, lengthwise, will get you two big cups of mango- one from each side.
Then you will have a flat slice of mango, where the pit remains with mango flesh remaining around it. You can slice this fruit off, or get down and dirty and eat the flesh right off the pit. You will get sticky but it is the best way to enjoy a mango!
Once you have the two sides of cut mango, you can cut 3-4 horizontal and 4-6 vertical lines into the mango flesh to create small cubes. Flip the mango skins inside out and you will have small squares of mango pop right out.
How to Plate This Breakfast Bowl
Eating fresh fruit and vegetables in different formats will help keep meals diverse, yet delicious. This bowl is basically a deconstructed smoothie bowl, but instead of eating the foods blended together, you will eat them in their whole form.
We recommend plating this bowl by layers. That way, you can mix together the greens and the fruit to get well-balanced bites.
Switch off the layers between greens and fresh fruit. Not only will this more evenly distribute the fruits, but it will also create a delicious dressing that coats the greens as you stir the dish together.
Top this bowl with goji berries, cacao nibs, and ground flaxseeds to make it look just as beautiful as it tastes!
Photos by: @livemoreraw
Recipe by: Beverly Verwey
Mango Banana Spinach Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup Banana
- 1 cup Mango
- 1 cup Spinach
- 1/4 cup Blueberries
- 2 tbsp Goji Berries
- 1 tbsp Cocoa Nibs
- 1 tbsp Ground Flaxseeds
Instructions
Directions
- In a bowl place the spinach, mango, and banana.
- Top with blueberries, goji berries, cocoa nibs and flaxseeds.
- Enjoy your hydrating fruit bowl!
Notes
- To add additional flavor top with cinnamon, nutmeg, or cayenne.