The world has gone smoothie bowl mad

I think fellow Instagrammers know exactly what I mean. The invasion of strategically placed fruit bowls which are topped with every colour of the rainbow. They look like exotic works of art, almost too good to ruin by stirring together all of the carefully arranged fruits and seeds!

So why the craze? Well firstly they are a really quick and fool proof way of putting together a nutritious and tasty meal. Whether it's for breakfast, a snack, dessert or to support your work out, you can play around with the ingredients and make it as guilty or guilt-free and as light or substantial as you wish. I have seen people uploading photos of their bowls which contain kale, avocado, almonds, puffed rice, kiwi, frozen fruits and all sorts of other ingredients I haven't heard of and wouldn't know where to buy (what is sprouted buckwheat and where do you buy cranberry powder?!). For less complicated bowls a granola or yoghurt base makes it more of a breakfast dish but a fruit or milk based smoothie is also a great base. Then it's just a case of topping it with anything you fancy and playing around with different variations. I made one on Friday which was a almond milk, banana, honey and blueberry smoothie topped with figs, peach and chia seeds...delicious! In addition to being tasty, these bowls are easy to prepare in advance and transport around. Below is a photo of Friday's bowl, I need to hone my presentation skills a bit more though, ha!