Nutritious and delicious acai bowls in Vancouver
Packed with antioxidants and bursting with flavour, frozen acai bowls have been popping up at juice bars across the city. These Brazilian-inspired berry bowls topped with fresh fruit and granola can be enjoyed as a sweet (and filling) morning meal and also make a great post-workout snack, since acai berries contain amino acids that help with muscle regeneration. Get your acai fix at these Vancouver health-food spots.
Glory Juice
78 2nd Ave E, Vancouver, BC V5T 1B1Brimming with an array of colourful toppings, the frozen acai bowls at Glory Juice Co. are an Instagram dream, and they taste as good as they look. The menu features three different eye-catching bowls to choose from. The Tropical bowl features a frozen base of acai, mango, blueberries and seasonal juice topped with gluten-free granola, banana slices, bee pollen, and coconut nectar. The healthful Green bowl includes green juice and apple cider vinegar sprinkled with spirulina and goji berries. Finally, the Nuts bowl is a sweet and nutty blend of almond milk, nut butter, maple syrup and cacao nibs.
Indigo Age Cafe
436 Richards Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Z3It’s easy to make virtuous decisions at this lower level café and juice bar on Richards Street. With an organic menu that’s entirely raw, vegan and gluten-free, this downtown health food spot will appeal to conscientious diners with all sorts of dietary requirements and restrictions. Visit at breakfast time to dig in to an acai-based Sunrise Bowl. Prepared with mixed berries and banana sorbet, the frozen acai bowl comes topped with raw sprouted granola and is served with a side of fresh fruit. Pair it with a glass of fermented kombucha tea, available on tap in a variety of flavours.
Radicle Juice
3088 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3G5There’s an acai bowl for every day of the week (well, almost) at this Main Street juice bar. Known for its fresh-pressed juices and super food smoothies, Radical also caters to acai fans with six different bowls packed with nutritious add-ons. Turn up the tropical flavours with the Island bowl (featuring dragon fruit, coconut water, pineapple and coconut flakes) or go nuts over the Nutter Butter, which sees acai berries blended with almond milk, banana and peanut or almond butter. The Protein bowl with hemp and pumpkin seeds is a fibre-rich option for a post-workout snack.
Jimmy's Fruit and Juice Bar
123 Carrie Cates Cres, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2E4There’s nothing better than enjoying a frozen dessert by the waterfront on a hot summer day – especially when that icy treat is actually really good for you! If you’re looking to cool off with something sweet, head inside Lonsdale Quay Market where you’ll find this popular fruit and salad bar serving up fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies and takeout items prepared with wholesome super foods. Simple and satisfying, the grab-and-go frozen acai bowls are served in portable containers and are topped with fresh slices of banana and strawberry and a generous helping of granola.
The Juicery
3570 4th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6R 1N8The Kitsilano outpost of this beloved juice bar serves up acai bowls made with unsweetened frozen acai berries, homemade non-dairy nut mylk and frozen bananas. Creamy and sweet, the delicious bowls are topped with gluten-free granola from Two Daughters bakeshop to provide a crunchy texture. Bowls change with the seasons to incorporate a variety of fresh and nutritious ingredients – think plump blueberries rich in anti-oxidants, detoxifying beet juice, and cacao nibs that help promote cardiovascular health. As an added bonus, the space is equipped with WiFi so you can get some work done while getting your acai fix.
The Anchor Eatery
1520 Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V7V 1H8You’ll find three creative acai bowls in rotation at The Anchor in West Van. The Nalu is a frozen acai and coconut water sorbet topped with granola, strawberries and bananas, bee pollen, and a honey drizzle. For a thicker, creamier take, opt for the Hanuman made with almond butter and maca powder decked with granola, crunchy cacao nibs and banana. And if you’re looking to get your greens, the Mayan Gold (made with kale and apple juice) is a refreshing choice that also features a dusting of chia seeds, which are a great source of fibre and Omega-3s.
The Juice Truck
28 5th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1H5You can pick up The Juice Truck’s bottled cold-pressed juices all over the city, but there’s something special about visiting their brick-and-mortar store on 5th Ave. Bright, airy and filled with lush green plants, the café and community space is a great spot to hit for nutritious nibbles and a drop-in yoga class. If you’re looking for a tropical treat, the acai smoothie bowl is a must-try. The colourful meal is prepared with acai berries, coconut, blueberries, avocado, medjool date, lime and raw vanilla. The thick mixture is then topped with pineapple jam, bee pollen, strawberry, pear and hemp hearts.
Qoola
1194 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1B2Ignore the candy bar toppings and go straight for the not-so-sugary acai bowls at the Robson Street location of this popular Vancouver fro-yo chain. These vitamin-rich raw acai bowls are made with imported frozen acai berries harvested in the Amazonian rainforest. Qoola’s acai offering might be a bit more straightforward than the other elaborate concoctions on this list – the bowls feature a simple frozen acai berry base topped with banana slices and granola – but they certainly aren’t lacking in taste. Plus, this fast snack will give you that energy boost you need during a long afternoon of shopping.
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