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An Ode to Acai

A Superfood Summer

By Jessica LampasiPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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An Ode to Acai
Photo by Vicky Ng on Unsplash

As my adoptive parents love to tell anyone they meet, when they took me in, my diet consisted entirely of "mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and french fries."

Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but that gives one a pretty accurate assessment of my ten year old palate.

So if you had told my ten year old self that one day she would develop an intense obsession with not just a fruit, but a BERRY of all things, she would have told you that you were insane. Probably in a very creative, unfiltered way that only a sassy ten year old is capable of.

Nonetheless, here I am sixteen years later. I am older, wiser, and thank God I have a much more refined palate. Enter my obsession with the *superior* berry: Acai.

Ok, let me backtrack. Maybe calling acai berries the "superior" berry is overdoing it a bit. I will admit, when it comes to just the berry on it's own, I think strawberries take the cake. They are definitely the most versatile and the most delicious. But I think the acai berry gets you the most bang for your buck. More on that later.

When I say I am obsessed with acai, let me be more specific. I'm talking about acai bowls. Basically desserts that get away with being healthy. Blend some acai berries with other berries, bananas, dates, peanut butter, chia seeds, your milk of choice. Top it with whatever toppings you desire (my ideal choices are bananas, strawberries, blueberries, bee pollen, and granola.) The finished product is... *chefs kiss*

And to me, THAT is the official food of summer.

I am a southern California girl. I have lived there my entire life, until we moved (temporarily) two years ago. Let me tell you... nothing is better on a hot California day than an acai bowl. And I can guarantee, no matter where you are, you are most likely within 10 minutes of having one of these delicious creations in your hands. Smoothie shops have taken California by storm, and most of these shops have some kind of signature bowl.

Now, while I am partial to an acai bowl specifically, there are endless combinations. For example, you can use pitaya (or dragonfruit) as your base. This is also a very popular choice. If I had to guess, this is probably due more to the fact that it yields a pink smoothie rather than it's taste. But I am allergic to pitaya, so I might be a little biased.

Even with so many choices out there for building your perfect smoothie bowl, acai will always be the winner for me. I've tried the very closely related blueberry as a substitute, but there is absolutely no comparison in both flavor and health benefits. Acai has been proven to contain ten times more antioxidants than blueberries.

Some other health benefits include the fact that acai has also been proven to reduce blood sugar, insulin, and blood cholesterol levels. It is known as a superfood for a reason!

As summer is approaching, I am finding myself craving a delectable acai bowl more and more frequently. Alas, we have moved to a different country, and though I have searched all over for the last six months to find some good frozen acai, I have not been able to find it anywhere.

So, if this article (I suppose it ended up turning into more of an essay on the benefits and uses of acai, didn't it?) convinced you that the acai bowl is undoubtedly THE food of the summer, go out and buy an extra large bowl and enjoy it for me. Better yet, make one yourself and figure out what flavors you love to add. Make it your own. Meanwhile, I am counting down the days until I can get my hands on a Nekter PB Acai Bowl.

Go forth, friends, and have a #superfoodsummer.

healthy
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About the Creator

Jessica Lampasi

Hi everyone! My two passions are reading and writing. Writing has always been an activity I enjoy, but it was a hobby placed on the back burner in my busy life. Now, I’m ready to devote some quality time to pursuing my passion.

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  • Irene Mielke2 years ago

    I love acai!!! It's so good!!!

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