Sambazon is synonymous with superfood acai, at least in the States – this company was the very first to sustainably source organic açaí in the Amazon Rainforest and bring this delicious fruit to the U.S. market. This April is Acai Awareness Month – the perfect opportunity to highlight the company’s eco-friendly practices in Brazil and to give the berry a try in some tasty açaí recipes.

Sambazon was founded by brothers Ryan and Jeremy Black, surfers from southern California who first visited Brazil in 1999. Once there, the brothers fell in love with Brazil’s positive energy, scenery, flavors, people, and organic approach to health and vitality. It was then that they tried their first açaí bowl and decided to share this Amazonian superfood with the world in the form of frozen superfood packs that can be blended into smoothies or bowls.

Today, the company sustainably manages 2 million acres in the Amazon rainforest and sources açaí berries in the Amapa and Para regions. A pioneer of organic and fair trade practices in the Amazon, Sambazon supports over 10,000 farmers with fair wages and reinvests a percentage of its earnings into the renovation of schools, medical centers, and community buildings in Brazil. Ryan Black received the OPIC Impact President Award as recognition for his work in sustainability in the country.

As for the berries themselves, they have been dubbed a superfood, with claims that their antioxidant content is higher even than strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries. While many of the health claims associated with açaí have yet to be backed by research, there’s no harm in indulging in this tart berry as part of a balanced diet.

Here are just a few delicious ways to enjoy açaí, care of Sambazon.

Supergreens Berry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Supergreens Superfruit Pack
• 1 medium banana (6 – 8 inches,
 ripe with no green)
• 1⁄2 c frozen mixed berries (store brand)
• 1 c Knudsen organic apple juice

Instructions

Allow the superfruit pack to soften at room temperature for 2 – 3 minutes

Peel a banana and break it up into a Magic Bullet cup.

Break up the frozen pack with your hands into smaller chunks, then cut off the top of the pack and drop contents into the Magic Bullet cup.

Add 1⁄2 c of frozen mixed berries. Make sure there aren’t any 
large chunks.

Add 1 c Knudsen Organic Apple Juice.

Blend for 30 seconds, watching to make sure everything is mixed thoroughly.

Take the cup off the base, shake it, and then blend again for another 20 seconds.

If serving right away: pour your smoothie into sample cups 
and serve.

If not serving right away: place smoothie in the fridge or 
cooler. Blend again for a few seconds before serving. (Note: smoothie will be a dark purple color)

Protein Berry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Performance Protein Smoothie Pack
• 1 medium banana (6 – 8 inches, 
ripe with no green)
• 1⁄2 c frozen mixed berries (store brand)
• 1 c Silk Original almond milk 
(sweetened)

Instructions

Allow the superfruit pack to soften at room temperature for 2 – 3 minutes

Peel a banana and break it up into the Magic Bullet cup.

Break up the frozen pack with your hands into smaller 
chunks, then cut off the top of the pack and drop contents 
into the Magic Bullet cup.

Add 1⁄2 c of frozen mixed berries. Make sure there aren’t any 
large chunks.

Add 1 c Silk Almond Milk (original, sweetened).

Blend for 30 seconds, watching to make sure everything is 
mixed thoroughly.

Take the cup off the base, shake it, and blend again for another 
20 seconds.

If serving right away: pour your smoothie into sample cups 
and serve.

If not serving right away: place smoothie in the fridge or 
cooler. Blend again for a few seconds before serving.

Performance Protein Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Performance Protein Superfruit Packs
• 1⁄2 banana
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder
• 1 tbsp nut butter
• 1⁄4 c almond milk
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• Toppings: fresh seasonal fruit, sliced bananas, goji berries, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, mulberries

Instructions

Allow the superfruit pack to soften at room temperature for 2 – 3 minutes

Peel a banana and break it up into the Magic Bullet cup.

Break up the frozen pack with your hands into smaller 
chunks, then cut off the top of the pack and drop contents 
into the Magic Bullet cup.

Add the vegan protein powder, nut butter, almond milk, and cacao powder, and blend on low until smooth.

Pour into a bowl and top with the toppings.

If not serving right away: place bowl in the fridge or cooler. 
Blend again for a few seconds before serving.

Supergreens Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Supergreens Superfruit Packs
• 1/8 c chocolate hemp milk
• 1⁄2 banana
• 2 tbsp Manitoba Harvest hemp protein 
powder
• 1 tsp maca
• Toppings: fresh seasonal fruit, granola, hemp seeds, fresh banana, golden berries, white mulberries, goji berries & bee pollen

Instructions

Allow the superfruit pack to soften at room temperature for 2 – 3 minutes

Peel a banana and break it up into the Magic Bullet cup.

Break up the frozen pack with your hands into smaller 
chunks, then cut off the top of the pack and drop contents 
into the Magic Bullet cup.

Add the chocolate hemp milk, Manitoba Harvest hemp protein powder, and maca, and blend on low until very thick.

If you are not happy with the consistency, continue to add 
liquid while blending.

Pour into a bowl and top with the toppings.

If not serving right away: place bowl in the fridge or cooler. 
Blend again for a few seconds before serving.

Related on EcoSalon

Are Healthy Foods Good for Us or Just Big Business? Foodie Underground

Is Lucuma Powder the Greatest Incan Superfood Ever?

Are Superfoods Actually Bad for Us?

Açaí bowl image via Shutterstock, other images care of Sambazon

The post 4 Delectable Recipes from Organic Açaí Pioneer Sambazon appeared first on EcoSalon.

‘Tis the season of sweet treats! Avoid all the toxic sugar and food coloring with this nutritious truffle recipe from Debbie Adler, author of Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-Free & Vegan Recipes.

If a blueberry walked into a bar and hooked up with a cosmopolitan piece of chocolate sass, their love child would be this açaí berry truffle recipe. you would get a taste of açaí. A popular berry from Brazil, açaí conveniently comes in powdered form, so you can easily add it to this truffle recipe. Unlike their store-bough counterparts, these raw truffles are filled with calcium and vitamins A, B6 and E, and are high in antioxidants.

No-Bake Açaí Berry Truffle Recipe

Yield: About 18 Truffles

Ingredients & Materials for Truffles

8 x 8-inch sheet of parchment paper
12 Medjool dates, pitted and halved
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons açaí powder
3 tablespoons frozen (thawed) cranberries
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons cacao powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Topping

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dates, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, açaí powder, cranberries, orange juice, cacao powder and salt in a
food processor or blender and process until almost smooth.
3. Take about 1 tablespoon of the date mixture, and with wet hands, shape it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared pan.
4. Repeat until you have used up all the date mixture.
5. Pour the shredded coconut into a small bowl. Roll each ball in the coconut and place it back on the prepared pan. Put the truffles in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Place the truffles in a sealable plastic bag and keep them frozen until ready to eat.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 truffle):
110 calories, 5 g total fat, 0.0 mg cholesterol,
15 g carbohydrates, 30 mg sodium, 3 g fiber,
3 g protein, 9 g sugars

Debbie Adler is the owner and biggest nosher at Sweet Debbie’s Organic Cupcakes in Los Angeles. Her debut cookbook, Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-Free & Vegan Recipes, features 50 delicious recipes for muffins, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, bread and even energy bars that are safe for everyone to eat–every recipe in her book is gluten, dairy, soy, nut and sugar free!

Related on EcoSalon:

Easy Homemade Breakfast Bar Recipe Featuring Goji Berries

When Candy Is Good For your: The Psychology Of Sweets

Kakadu Plum: The New Superfood?

Image and recipe copyright Debbie Adler

The post Easy No-Bake Açaí Berry Truffle Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

There’s only so much time in a day, so take your time because time is of the essence.

When it comes to all the hours in a day, we’re obsessed. So to sustainably keep us in time with all that life offers us, why not have a great looking watch?

These stylish pieces from Ecowrist come from the vast regions of the Amazon in South America and are primarily comprised of bamboo, tagua nuts, acai, coconut, various woods and Cañaflecha (reeds).

The company was founded by husband and wife team David Gandy and MarQuerite Hamden in 2008. MarQuerite’s South American roots inspired the duo to reconnect with the various cultures of the vast continent.

“Our company strives for sustainability through recycling, the use of natural materials, and minimal wastes to ensure as little effect on the environment as possible. We follow fair trade practices to make sure everyone is happy from farmer to consumer,” says the site.

At our EcoSalon Shops! event on June 4th, the duo will be there ready to sell you time if you’ve got it. Now, back to that Cyndi Lauper song that’s suddenly in my head, “Time after time, if you fall I will catch you I’ll be waiting”¦”

The post EcoSalon Shops! Presents: Ecowrist appeared first on EcoSalon.

I just love when I’m checking out the ingredients of a skincare product and find that it’s practically edible. Yum, I think. It means my skin is gonna eat this stuff up!

Enter Pangea Organics, a line of utterly luscious bodycare products that will make your skin rejoice. Check out Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean and Cranberry Scrub (3.8 oz for $33) or Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai and Goji Berry Mask (2 oz for $40). Like I said, oh yum!

Pangea has gift sets for convenient holiday shopping and, for the distinct pleasure of that beloved treehugger in your life, the gift boxes have spruce seeds embedded in the fibers. I hope this starts a new trend: plant yourself a Christmas tree instead of cutting one down.

And feed your skin the finest!

The post Pangea Organics, Delicious Delights for Your Skin appeared first on EcoSalon.