I have a confession to make…I’ve REALLY been craving an acai bowl. Since going to Nekter Juice Bar, where I was tempted by their delectable-sounding acai bowls but didn’t end up ordering one, I feel like I’ve been missing out. Thankfully Zola sent me a variety of the Acai Juices to choose from, and I had some frozen fruit to help get me by! If you’re not familiar with an acai bowl, it’s typically a thick smoothie made with acai and other fruit. The fun part is the toppings, and you can get really creative with these. I personally love adding sliced fruit, shredded coconut and chia seeds. However, you can go crazy with things like dried fruit, granola, cacao nibs, and even cereal if you’d like (but you didn’t hear it from me). I know I keep putting this out there, but seriously have a go at Zola’s Juice Shop Contest. All you have to do is share a photo of your favorite smoothie recipe. That’s it, and the prizes are truly fantastic! Visit their Facebook page for details on how to enter.

At first, in all honesty I thought pomegranate acai juice would taste a little funky. Wow, was I wrong! It has a sweet, slightly tart flavor from the pomegranate juice with a familiarity of the acai flavor mixed in. Luckily I had some frozen fruit (actually you should see my freezer, it’s PACKED) and I was able to find these organic pomegranate kernels for a good price. You can always use fresh, de-seeded pomegranate but this is good if you’re pressed for time or making this smoothie bowl when the fruit is out-of-season. The pineapple chunks I used were also frozen, including some pineapple I had cut and frozen myself when it was still in-season. I know you probably don’t care all that much where I get my fruit, but it’s one of the ways I save money and to ensure that I always have smoothie ingredients at the ready!

This acai bowl happens to also be super low in fat, but high in fiber and different nutrients. Depending on the toppings, you can add in some healthy fats with shredded coconut, nuts or chia, flax, pumpkin and other seeds. You can totally make this smoothie and put it in a glass and drink it (with or without a straw). I just thought it looked fancier in my new large glass mug from Crate & Barrel, which holds about 24oz of liquids. It’s definitely an excuse to make more smoothie bowls in the future!