Everyone, it's finally here. The Frutta Bowls at TCNJ is officially open for business! I know students are anxious to get their hands on a sweet acai bowl or a crazy bright pitaya bowl. But, which bowls are actually good for the body and which are the worst for your figure? Read below to find out which bowls are hot and which ones are not.
Acai
Acai is a type of berry that is known to be one of the most powerful superfoods. Not only does it boost your brain function, but it fuels your body with antioxidants that protect your healthy cells from infectious cells that can attack your body, bringing on inflammation and diseases, such as diabetes. As if the acai wasn’t enough, this bowl is topped with antioxidant-packed blueberries and peanut butter, which is full of heart-healthy fat.
The problem with this bowl is not in the acai and banana base, but in the high sugar and fat content of the toppings. Bananas are known to be one of the most sugar-packed and calorie-high fruits to begin with, compared to other fruits like berries. Pair this with granola (which often is loaded with refined sugar), peanut butter, and coconut, and you’re racking up the fat content and calories pretty quickly. Although the healthy fat found in nut butters and coconut can help to manage your waistline, it doesn’t help that much when combined with the Nutella in this bowl.
Pitaya
The pitaya bowl menu options may not be the healthiest choice because of the high sugar fruits and the high fat content of the toppings, compared to other bowls. If the antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and eye-catching color is what you’re interested in, you can ask them to hold some of the toppings that may add on unnecessary calories and take away from the nutritional value of your bowl, like the granola or honey. When you do this, you’re left with a powerhouse of fruits, as well as lots of protein and healthy fats coming from peanut butter, coconut, and chia seeds.
This bowl is pretty high in calories, and if you’re ordering a pretty pink bowl like this, chances are you’re not someone who is trying to make gains. If you are though, you should be aware that the base has high sugar fruits (banana and pineapple) and the almond milk this franchise uses contains refined sugar. The vanilla whey protein may help repair your muscles, but it may wreak havoc on your digestive tract while adding on many extra calories that you’re better off saving for later in the day. It’s topped with even more of those high-sugar fruits, sweetened granola, and fatty peanut butter.
Kale
Like many other green veggies, kale is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Kale is particularly good for you as it helps your digestive tract by filling your body with fiber and hydrating you with water. Don’t let the green color scare you away (unless your trip to Frutta Bowls is strictly for a photo-op). You won’t miss out on the sweetness of a fruity base when the kale is mixed with banana and pineapple and topped with granola and more banana. It’s also topped with lots of healthy fats like almond butter, almond slices, and coconut. Oh, and you can’t forget about the chia seeds. They may be super tiny, but these antioxidant-filled seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and provide you with lots of fiber, iron, and calcium.
Unless you’re coming to Frutta Bowls after stopping at the TCNJ Fitness Center, this bowl is probably not for you because the base of this kale bowl is mixed with vanilla whey protein. This can rack up the calories pretty quickly, but if that’s your goal, then opt for the plant-based protein that has more vitamins, minerals, and is easier on your digestive tract than the whey protein derived from milk. This bowl is also pretty high in sugar content as its filled with lots of high-sugar fruits like banana, pineapple, and mango. It doesn’t help much that it’s also topped with honey.
Oatmeal
The hulk may not be the best choice if you’re looking to make healthy gains after your trip to the gym, but this bowl definitely is. It’s filled with nutrients from acai and strawberries, as well as vanilla plant protein and peanut butter that’ll help to repair your muscles after a workout. The healthy carbs found in banana and oats will refuel your body’s energy levels, making you feel great and satiated throughout the day.
Are you that friend who doesn’t care much for eating healthy and got suckered into going to Frutta Bowls by that one friend who’s addicted to shopping at Whole Foods? Then this is the perfect bowl for you! The base is similar to a chocolate-banana smoothie, but things get a little weird when you throw warm oatmeal on top. Maybe adding Nutella, peanut butter, whipped cream, and topping it all off with graham crackers will make it a little better? It’ll probably help the taste and the odd consistency combination of this bowl, but definitely won’t be doing much as far as nutritional value goes.