You might have heard about Spirulina before. On this page I’m telling you all about Spirulina. What it is and what the benefits are. I’m also sharing a recipe for a Spirulina Smoothie Bowl at the bottom of the page.
What is Spirulina?
Spirulina is a green algae that is suitable for consumption. The algae come from (sub)tropical regions and are dried for human consumption. You might have heard of Chlorella, it’s an algae as well. Algae are
It might sound like a new food trend, but the Aztecs in Mexico already ate it in the 16th century. African tribes also got their Spirulina from nearby lakes and used it for broth.
Today Spirulina is often sold as powder in health stores. My favorite Spirulina brand is Algo-Ritme. Algo-Ritme is a company from Belgium. Unlike other brands they offer Spirulina in sprinkles. I think that sprinkles are much easier to use in dishes than powder. Just like with powders, you can make a Spirulina Smoothie Bowl with the sprinkles, but you can also use it as nutritious decoration on other dishes like yogurt with granola or your dessert.
What are the benefits of Spirulina?
There are several health benefits related to Spirulina. It’s high in iron, protein and B vitamins. Those three nutrients are especially important for vegetarians and vegans as they miss that intake from animal-based products. Products made with Spirulina, like a Spirulina burger or Spirulina pasta, are a great choice for vegetarians and vegans. There’s more iron in Spirulina than in spinach or beef.
There’s also a big sustainability benefit of Spirulina. It doesn’t need any food to grow. They make their own food so they don’t need a carbon source to grow. You hardly need any sweet water, land or fossil fuel to produce Spirulina, so it makes it a very sustainable ingredient.
Fun-fact: in the 80s and 90s NASA already recommended Spirulina as a food staple for long-term space missions!
Now that you know all the benefits, I’m telling you how to make this delicious vegan and gluten free Spirulina Smoothie Bowl.
Recipe Spirulina Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients (for 1 bowl):
2 bananas (frozen)
4 tablespoons plant-based yogurt
1 tabelspoon Spirulina sprinkles
Toppings:
1 tablespoon coconut flakes
1 teaspoon raw cacao nibs
1 banana
To freeze the bananas, cut them in big pieces and put them in a zip lock bag or food container. Freeze for at least a few hours, but you can keep them in the freezer for a couple of weeks.
To make the Spirulina Smoothie, put the first 3 ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Pour in a bowl.
Top with your favorite ingredients. I topped mine with coconut flakes, raw cacao nibs and banana.
You might also like my recipe for vegan cranberry smoothie bowl.
