Ever find yourself standing in the pantry after a long day of school, looking for something good to eat and thinking “what’s good but healthy?” Personally, I always want something to boost me with energy and leave me feeling great and healthy for the rest of the day (until dinner, of course). But, what’s good for you and what’s not? Some people strongly believe in a gluten free, organic diet, while others just stick to whatever food they want in moderation. My new favorite after school snack is an Acai bowl. These bowls have recently become more and more popular. These yummy, fruity bowls can be found at stores like fit2run, swami juice and you can even make them yourself!

You might be thinking, what exactly IS an Acai bowl? Well, these bowls can be mixed with really anything, but a basic Acai bowl contains: Acai (a south american blackish-purple berry) mix, which can be topped with anything but normally bananas, mango, granola, strawberries, coconut etc. Some Acai bowls have things blended into their mix, like peanut butter, coffee beans and more. Peanut Butter is my personal favorite mix because it’s still light but leaves you feeling full for longer.

This bowl is a perfect snack because it’s filling, but leaves you feeling refreshed. These are easy to make at home too. If you don’t feel like running to a store and buying one, any local grocery store has acai frozen bags which are easy to blend and are ready to go! Many AHN girls make their own Acai bowls. Senior Sophia Guerra shared her love for Acai bowls with me, “I love Acai bowls and I recently made one for the first time. It was kinda hard to get it the perfect temperature and texture but now I make them all the time! They’re the best after school or post workout snack. Personally, my favorite are the ones from fit2run in International Plaza (especially their signature fit2run bowl)” Making these bowls can be hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy! According to an article off of the Huffington Post, “Finding acai puree is only half the battle, it’s getting the right texture that’s the real tricky part. You want a consistency that is thick enough to be scoopable, but not so dense that it doesn’t blend all the way.” These bowls are great for cleansing.

I know prom is right around the corner and girls are trying to eat healthier to look their best, but these bowls are the way to go! Forget the painful juice cleanse and enjoy a refreshing, filling Acai bowl.