Teenage girls, health gurus and yogis alike have all taken a liking to a (somewhat) new fad: the açaí bowl.
Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a type of South American palm tree that produces little blackish-purple berries. Not only do these berries have health benefits, such as anthocyanins that help to lower cholesterol, but they are also the perfect color to make an Instagram really pop.
Cafes are pouncing on the berry, turning it into açaí bowls (think smoothie in a bowl with granola, banana, berries, coconut flakes, honey, etc.), and we are eating them up (literally). So how do these açaí bowls affect grandmothers?
Let's start by describing the typical grandmother. I'm going to make a generalization here, because I fully recognize that no two grandmothers are alike. Here is my claim: Most grandmothers like to feed their grandchildren. I'm not just talking, "Hey do you want pancakes for breakfast this morning?" I'm talking about a feast laid out for brunch, which purposefully has enough food that everyone will have to sit there for a few hours eating and thus bonding, and then au d'oeuvres that have the capacity to replace dinner.
These days, people are so health conscious that they no longer want the bagel, lox and cream cheese spread. They want the açaí bowls, and grandmothers are up in arms. The once hip and happening brunches are being run out by the acclaimed healthy and stylish açaí bowls.
What will grandmothers do to reclaim their family meal time? Will they go with the "if you can't beat them, join them" route and add homemade açaí bowls to add to the brunch menu?
A recipe from popsugar suggests combining 2 cups of frozen strawberries, 2 frozen sliced bananas, 4 tablespoons açaí powder,1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoons nut or seed butter, and 1 tablespoon honey, for the base. Then for toppings you can add granola, honey, coconut flakes, nuts, berries, bananas, chia seeds, chocolate -- basically anything you want.
Or will grandmas ban together to put a stop to açaí bowls? Grandmothers, if you are planning to do this I brainstormed some names for you to call your group:
GAAB (Grandmothers Against Açaí Bowls)
The Brunch Brigade
DWAB (Down with Açaí Bowls)
The Breakfast Club
ORB (Organization to Reclaim Brunch)
The Bubbie Brunch Bunch
Anti Açaí Assembly
Only time will tell who will win the battle of Açaí Bowls vs. Grandmothers.