Joanna Lai

The Smoothie Bowl Master Joanna – Three tricks to an eye-catching breakfast

Welcome to Joanna’s colourful wonderland! Click on her Instagram, you will be blown away by the vivid colours of smoothie bowls. Grew up in Canada, Joanna is a typical girl torn between having a sweet tooth and a desire to stay healthy. Therefore, about a year ago, inspired by overseas bloggers, she started making her own smoothie bowls. She takes beautiful pictures and shares her recipes on Instagram, trying to tell her followers that healthy breakfast is not boring. She keeps in mind a few things when making these photogenic smoothie bowls:

Joanna’s Instagram is not only about smoothie bowls, but also her yoga and mindfulness practices.

Frozen fruits for a creamy texture

Joanna loves ice cream. To make her smoothie bowls creamier, she uses both frozen and fresh fruits. “You can create ice cream-like texture by blending a little water with frozen fruits, like frozen bananas, berries and pears. Pick fruits that are colourful, such as mango and red dragon fruit, so that the smoothie bowls will be more eye-catching.” She also uses fresh figs, blueberries, nuts and seeds as her smoothie bowl toppings, adding some aesthetics as well as texture and nutrients.

Garnish the smoothie bowls with fresh fruits and nuts to make a feast for both your stomach and your eyes!

Plant milk as the base

Califia Farms is the leading almond milk brand in the United States. It uses raw almonds to create a creamy delightful taste which is widely acclaimed by customers and baristas.

Apart from fruits, Joanna also likes to use plant-based milk or tofu as ingredients to help with the creaminess. “I don’t like cow milk, I feel unwell after drinking it. That’s why I choose plant-based milk as the base, such as Califia Farms Almond Milk. It is low in fat and very smooth, which is precisely the ideal features as a base. I also blend in tofu. Its aroma and silkiness are unbelievable.”

Dazzled by the colours of Superfood Powder

To create bright and special colours, Joanna uses superfood Powder. “For example, organic spirulina powder will give you bright green and acai powder will give you bright red. At the same time, they are incredibly rich in nutrients, such as polyphenol, which is packed with anti-oxidants, or protein which helps to grow muscles. Kale powder is another favourite of mine. It is high in vitamin A, C, K, folic acid, iron etc. Given that it’s difficult to find fresh, quality kale, powder becomes the ideal substitute.”

Superfood powder can be very useful in creating colourful smoothie bowls.

Texture… Check! Colours… Check! Nutrients… Check! The final step is to put the smoothie bowl under direct sunlight and take pictures. This is the most satisfying moment for Joanna because, for her, smoothie bowl is not just a nutritious breakfast, but also an artistic self-expression and experiment.