Blueberry-Pomegranate Power Bowl with Toasted Quinoa Croutons

I happened to be watching Bobby Flay on Food Network one day, and he made this amazing looking power bowl. I have been seeing so many smoothie bowls on TV, social media, and recipes from Beachbody, so my interest was piqued. And, in the interest of experimentation, I gave this recipe a try. I do have to say that if you are planning to try this for yourself, definitely plan ahead. You will need to let the power bowl sit overnight, or at least 8 hours minimum, and you do need to have a frozen banana ready.

Side note: If you have bananas that you know that you will not get to eat before the moment it gets way too ripe, definitely try freezing the bananas by removing the peel, cut them into chucks, freeze them on tray lined with parchment paper so they are not touching, and once frozen, store them in a freezer bag. This is great to have frozen bananas on-hand if you like to make smoothies and ice-cream, or thaw them to use in baking.

In this particular recipe, the Toasted Quinoa Croutons were amazing on their own. I could snack on these all day. The croutons, which are pretty much like making granola, can be used in oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, or a topping for fruit crisps. You can make these ahead of time, and store them for days in an airtight container.

Quinoa Croutons are a “Pantry Creation” for me, because I happen to have all of these ingredients as staples in my pantry most of the time. I know that this is probably not the case for most people, but if you are like me and craves a little crunchy snack, this healthy option is a must!

For the power bowl itself, if you do not like blueberries, you can always substitute for another type of berry, but blueberries are a high fiber, low calorie fruit that is full of antioxidants, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, and pomegranates are naturally sweet, and full of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium.

Pomegranate may be too sweet for some people, so definitely play around with other fruits, such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, or bananas.

I definitely wanted to feature this particular power bowl, because it is nutritious, easy to make, and so delicious. Smoothie bowls, in general, were pretty new to me, but I AM A FAN! And, if you are looking for a substitute snack, meal, or dessert, I think smoothie bowls would be a great substitute. This Blueberry-Pomegranate Power Bowl with Toasted Quinoa Croutons is truly AMAZING! Thank you Bobby Flay!