Dori Week 19- What's the Best Açaí Bowl?

         Hi everyone! This week I will be telling you all about one of my favorite foods to eat: açaí bowls! Açaí bowls are açaí based smoothie bowls with a bunch of toppings, typically consisting of different fruits, granolas, nuts, nut butters, superfoods, etc. Something I love about these bowls is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to toppings and such, so they never really get boring to eat! Also, they can be a healthy alternative to ice cream or sorbet as açaí bowls are rich in antioxidants and are considered nutrient-dense. However, you have to be careful because they can be large in calories and sugar content depending on where you purchase one. It is also worth considering the fact they can be pricey, ranging from seven to fifteen dollars on average (when factoring in the place and amount of toppings). As a result, making açaí bowls at home has been increasingly common and is pretty easy to do! I pasted a couple links to recipes at the bottom of the post if anyone wants to try them! 

        Being the açaí bowl connoisseur I am, I have been to quite a few açaí bowl places and will rank them for you all! I will be judging based on taste, presentation, cost, and variety. First, Jamba Juice, the popular smoothie place everyone (or at least a good amount of people) knows and loves. Note that I will be a little lenient because Jamba Juice is more well known for smoothies and juices, not açaí bowls. In my experience, I thought the bowl was moderately good and a 6.58/10 in taste. The presentation is neat too, from what I remember, so I will give that a 7.5/10. In terms of cost, the bowl is $8.29 with six toppings. I think in comparison to other places, that’s a reasonable cost, so I will give that an 8/10. There is only one açaí bowl Jamba offers, though, so I will give variety a 2/10 in that department. 

        Next, I will discuss 3 Natives. I can confidently say that the taste is a 10/10, even without toppings (which is kind of a big deal since açaí can be bitter and boring on its own)! The presentation is also amazing and a 9/10. If I were to complain, I would say there are too many toppings, but that should honestly be a bonus if anything. There are also two sizes to choose from: small or regular. A small is $9.00-9.75 depending on toppings, and a regular is $11.75. The price is definitely more than Jamba, but I think it’s worth it if we’re comparing quality and taste; I give them a 7/10. There’s also a lot more variety, with eight bowls to choose from plus extra toppings you can add! 3 Natives get a 9/10 in that category. 

        Lastly, I will talk about Raw Juce. The taste is less sweet to me than 3 Natives or Jamba, so it might be a healthier option. I still enjoy it though and rate it a 9/10! Regarding presentation, I would give that a 10/10. Raw Juce definitely knows how to arrange their toppings. For how much a bowl costs, it ranges from $14-15.50, which is the most expensive by far! I honestly only purchase Raw Juce açaí bowls when I have a coupon or good deal, so I rate the cost a 6/10 because I think that the bowls could be at least a couple dollars cheaper. In the variety segment, though, Raw Juce delivers with 10 options on their website plus extra toppings you can add! They get an easy 10/10 for that. 

Therefore, my ranking is:

1. 3 Natives

2. Raw Juce

3. Jamba Juice

Let me know what you think about açaí bowls, if you’ve ever tried one, or if you will try one after reading my post! If açaí bowls aren’t your thing, what’s your favorite snack to eat instead?

 

Source: 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/acai-bowl-calories-and-nutrition#bottom-line 

Recipes:

1. https://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/make-acai-bowl#:~:text=A%C3%A7a%C3%AD%20bowls%20usually%20cost%20about,make%20one%20for%20a%20friend. 

2. https://theforkedspoon.com/acai-bowl/