ARE ACAI BOWLS GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Most people assume that acai bowls are healthy and nutritious. Little shops have popped up everywhere touting acai as an antioxidant-rich superfood. Acai bowls are colorful, cold, creamy, sorbet-like and usually brimming with “healthy” toppings. Are they healthy though? Are acai bowls good for weight loss?

The calorie information of acai bowls depends on the contents. These sometimes enormous bowls of goodies can quickly add hundreds of additional calories. If you’re trying to eat less calories for weight loss, you should proceed with caution. 
 
At first glance, an acai bowl seems so innocent. Toppings typically can include bananas, strawberries, blueberries, seeds (chia, flax, and hemp), coconut flakes, granola, honey, and nut butter (usually peanut or almond). All of these foods of course, are nutritious choices, but you really can have too much of a good thing. It is the sheer amount of these toppings that make calories skyrocket. 
 
The main drawback of acai bowls is the sugar content. Added sugars may seem worse because they are full of empty calories and do not carry any nutritional value. Sugar is sugar, whether it occurs naturally or is manufactured in a lab. There is nothing wrong with fruit, but adding layers of fruit, in conjunction with sweetened acai, and other toppings, and you will quickly end up with several DOZENS of sugar grams. Consuming too much sugar can lead to many health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
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Many people top acai bowls with granola. Granola sounds healthy, but there is a reason it tastes good. SUGAR. There are added sugars in the form of cane sugar, honey or maple syrup. 

Peanut Butter Acai Bowl and Bee Easy Bowl from GoJuice.

Nut butter is probably the biggest calorie dump in an acai bowl. An actual 2 tablespoon serving is usually around 190 calories. My local acai shop, Go Juice, is super generous with peanut butter (I’m not complaining). That delicious pileup of peanut butter can add an extra 100-400 calories. You can guesstimate, but you really have no idea. 
 
Eyeballing servings is also very difficult, even for the most conscientious calorie tracker. You can check out my post that discusses why you might not be losing weight in a calorie deficit right here. 
 
My tips for keeping the calories lower in your next acai bowl:
 

• Ask for a half portion.
• Skip the honey. They are already sweet with all of the yummy fruit and granola.
• Make your own at home. Most grocery stores carry frozen acai. Measure and add what you like to really be in control of calories. 
• If your shop is nearby – take it home and add your own nut butter. With a kitchen scale, you can add exactly how many grams of nut butter you want on your treat. 

Half portion with 2 tablespoons of nut butter.

Acai bowls are amazing and delicious creations, but if you are trying to lose weight, I suggest indulging only every once in a while. Maybe have one after a hard workout or long walk. Just know there is a good chance there are more calories than you think.