Danone’s Light & Free Berry Smoothie Bowl
Now that summer’s here in London there’s nothing more refreshing than a fruity smoothie after a workout. We love the tanginess of mixed berries and the icy, silky texture. Plus, it’s an easy way to quickly nourish your body with essential nutrients, so long as you are using the right ingredients. But let’s be real - it’s hardly a meal, not for us anyway. We like to chew our food, not slurp it! However, all is not lost! There’s just a better - and more photogenic - way of enjoying smoothies. We’ve recently caught the “smoothie bowl” bug and have been replacing glasses and straws for pretty bowls and spoons. With bowls, there’s the added bonus of toppings. You can totally slay and go wild with the toppings! You still have to blend the ingredients but the trick is to make the smoothie thicker so it’s more like eating, instead of drinking. And, we’ve found a new trick to give your smoothie a thickening booster, read on to find out more.
Earlier this week we attended the launch of Danone’s new 0% fat and 0% sugar Greek style yogurt, Light and Free. Yes, I know you’re thinking it too – “mmm, Danone” LOLZ. The event was held at the newly refurbished Frame Studios in Shoreditch. We got to exclusively preview their new ad, which is all about eating healthier to feel lighter and more free day to day. 
We also got the opportunity to trial Frame’s super fun Rebounding class. If you ever want to attend a sweat-filled, cardio session, we would definitely recommend this class! Frame put on a special Danone Rebounding session which truly made our bodies feel free. And by free, I mean, let go of all your fears and don’t be scared to jump! The class consisted of bouncing around in all different directions on trampolines to Garage music. If you know me, you’ll know I’m a sucker for old school garage, it doesn’t take much to get me pumped! 
After the class we sampled some of the new yogurts. The yogurts are fruity, fresh and super creamy. I was also pleasantly surprised it didn’t taste at all ‘sugar-free’ - in the best way possible. I’m not usually a fan of food with sweeteners as I dislike the aftertaste, so I’m happy to say this is a sugar-free winner! Light and Free is also an ideal ingredient for a smoothie bowl. The consistency of the yogurt is perfect for making your smoothie super thick and ‘edible’. I used it earlier today for a Very Berry Smoothie bowl. Below is our recipe, but feel free to customise your toppings! The options are endless, so you’ll never get bored eating your smoothie bowl. 
Ingredients: 1 x 115g Light and Free Blueberry Burst yogurt A splash of Almond milk 1 x cup of frozen dark berries (blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants) 1 x cup of spinach Toppings: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, goji berries, almond flakes, coconut shavings and milled lindseed. Directions: 1. Chuck your Light and Free Blueberry Burst yogurt, almond milk, spinach and frozen berries into your Nutribullet and give it whizz until smooth. Alternatively, you can also use other milks which are more suited to your diet / taste buds. 2. Once thick and smooth, pour the smoothie into your pretty bowl and get creative with toppings. Add textured foods so you have something to crunch, chew and bite – gurrrlll, make that smoothie edible! I added red berries and strawberries for a bit of colour, goji berries for a superfood boost, almond flakes for some healthy fats, coconut for sweetness and texture and milled linseed for a fibre top-up! 
Here are a few extra tips to making a perfect smoothie bowl:
- Use frozen fruit because it is key to making your smoothie thick. So thick you can eat it with a spoon! You also get the added bonus of it being ice-cold. We would also highly recommend freezing fresh fruits in advanced rather than buying a frozen pack. After your first smoothie bowl, you’ll definitely be making them again and again.
- Add a cup of spinach for added nutritional antioxidants and basically every vitamin under the sun. The dark berries will cover the green!
- As mentioned above, sugar-free yogurts are perfect for giving your smoothies a thick oomph.
- Red berry toppings and strawberries will take away some of the tanginess from the darker berries
- Add granola for a perfect breakfast smoothie bowl
- Add a frozen banana for even more thicknessss! I haven't added in this recipe banana because I have a weird intolerance to it.
What are your favourite smoothie bowl toppings? If you have any other tips & tricks, comment below. We’d love to hear from you!