Are you a fan of Trader Joe’s Açai Bowls? This frozen, organic treat is a popular choice for many TJ’s shoppers, and for good reason. Made from a delicious Amazonian fruit, açai bowls have become a hit among smoothie lovers and health food lovers alike. Keep reading to find out all about Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl!
Contents
One of their many popular frozen products, Trader Joe’s Organic Açai Bowl is the grocery retailer’s take on the Brazilian specialty called acaí na tigela (açaí in the bowl). A delicious and refreshing treat sold by beach vendors along Brazil’s coast, açai bowls have become a popular staple at smoothie shops all across the United States and the world. It retails for $3.99.
Keep reading to find out about the ingredients and nutritional value of Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl!
What Exactly Is Açai?
If you’re not familiar with açai bowls already, then you’re probably wondering what “açai” even means. Açai is a fruit gathered from a specific type of palm tree called the açai palm. These trees are native to eastern Amazonia and grow primarily in Brazil.
According to Healthline, açai berries have a somewhat sweet and somewhat earthy flavor, often compared to the combination of blackberry and unsweetened dark chocolate. Yum!
Mixed with other delicious fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl is sweet, fruity, tart, and bursting with flavor!
Where To Buy Trader Joe’s Frozen Açai
Like all Trader Joe’s products, Trader Joe’s Frozen Açai Bowls are only available directly from Trader Joe’s and can only be purchased in person. Trader Joe’s does not sell any of their products online or offer grocery delivery through their company.
To find a Trader Joe’s location near you, simply visit their online Trader Joe’s Store Directory.
Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl Ingredients
As you can see from the photo below, Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl is packed with high-quality, organic ingredients, including:
- Organic strawberries
- Organic blueberries
- Organic açai purée (açai purée, water, citric acid)
- Organic bananas (organic bananas, ascorbic acid)
- Organic granola (organic whole grain rolled oats, organic tapioca syrup, water, organic tapioca starch, organic invert sugar syrup, organic cane sugar)
- Organic sunflower oil
- Organic chia seeds
- Organic flax seeds
- Organic brown rice syrup
- Organic coconut cream
Check out the photo below for the full list of ingredients!
In terms of nutritional value and calories, these frozen delights are packed with fiber, plus a notable amount of iron and potassium. One Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl accounts for 16% of the recommended daily value of carbohydrates and contains 4.5 grams of saturated fats (likely due to the inclusion of coconut cream in the recipe). Impressively, these bowls only contain 2 grams of added sugar and offer up 4 grams of protein. Each Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl contains 260 calories.
Are Trader Joe’s Açai Bowls Healthy?
Whether or not Trader Joe’s Açai Bowls should be considered healthy depends on your definition of “healthy.” For people who are trying to avoid saturated fats or carbohydrates, then this probably won’t be your go-to snack.
On the other hand, these bowls are packed with healthy fiber (crucial to a well-functioning digestive system), contain very little added sugar, and even offer up some vitamin and mineral content.
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the healthiest, we give these bowls a solid 6.5. Not bad!
How To Prepare Trader Joe’s Organic Açai Bowl?
Like most frozen meals from Trader Joe’s, frozen açai bowls are super easy to prepare. Aside from being frozen, they’re fully prepped and ready to eat, so all you have to do is defrost it.
The packaging offers two options for thawing.
- Move your açai bowl from the freezer into the fridge and let it defrost overnight (a great idea if you know you want to enjoy your delicious açai bowl for breakfast).
- Speed up the thawing process by throwing the microwave safe container into the microwave for 45 seconds. Once you take it out, give the contents a quick stir, then put it back into the microwave for an additional 15 seconds.
Regardless of how you decide to thaw your açai bowl, once it’s not frozen anymore, simply grab a spoon and enjoy!
Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl Recipes
The great thing about Trader Joe’s Açai Bowls is that they’re self-contained meals already prepared and ready for you to eat (after defrosting). These bowls are packed with whole berries like strawberries and blueberries, plus bananas and coconut flakes.
To prepare your açai bowl, simply follow these steps:
- Remove your açai bowl from the cardboard package and plastic covering.
- If you haven’t already thawed your meal, follow the instructions in the previous section to thaw in the microwave.
- Once the bowl is sufficiently thawed (but still cold), open the separate packet of granola topping provided in the original packaging and top your bowl with this blend of organic oats, chia seeds, amaranth, and more.
- Eat and enjoy!
Is Trader Joe’s Açai Good?
Unfortunately, despite how delicious these açai bowls sound, customers don’t seem to be quite as happy with this particular product as Trader Joe’s probably would have hoped. The reviews tend to be rather mixed.
According to Club Trader Joe’s, these açai bowls miss the mark on texture, and tend to be difficult to thaw properly. Because some of the ingredients are whole and rather large (like the strawberries) while others are purèed (like the açai), things tend to thaw at different rates, creating an inconsistent texture and temperature.
Other customers have noted that the serving size is a bit on the small side, so even at 260 calories, these bowls tend to feel more like a rich snack than an actual meal.
Here’s a helpful review from ItsShovelyJoe on the Trader Joe’s subreddit who shares some ideas for maximizing these bowls with a few extra ingredients.
It’s not all bad news as far as reviews go, though. Become Betty also shared her thoughts about the Trader Joe’s Açai Bowl, stating that while the texture is a bit “mushy,” the granola packet makes up for this by adding a different texture. She also said that the flavor is slightly tart but still sweet enough to be enjoyable and that the product feels overall a bit healthier than other options.
FAQs
Is Trader Joe’s Organic Açai bowl vegan?
Yes! Trader Joe’s Organic Açai Bowls are 100% vegan and gluten free.
Where can you buy Tattooed Chef Açai Bowls?
Another popular brand that sells frozen açai bowls is Tattooed Chef. You can find these açai bowls (which are also 100% organic, vegan, and gluten free) online. There’s also a handy store locator tool on the product listing page if you’d rather try to find one in person.
Are Trader Joe’s Açai Packets kosher?
While Trader Joe’s does not post information on their website regarding the kosher status of their products, some Trader Joe’s shoppers have shared online that they’ve received confirmation that Trader Joe’s Açai is kosher.
How do you use Trader Joe’s Frozen Açai Packets?
Like any other frozen fruit purée, Trader Joe’s Organic Açai Purée Packets can be used as an addition to smoothies, oatmeal, granola, or even baking recipes.
Conclusion
While Trader Joe’s Organic Açai Bowls might not have the rave reviews we were hoping for, it does sound like they are at least worth a try. Especially if you’re a fan of fruit and enjoy trying new flavors, these frozen açai bowls would be a worthy addition to your weekly shopping list.
