Smoothie bowls enter the German retail market

Smoothie bowls are currently showing up all over Instagram. Presented as edible works of art with colourful slices of fruit and strategically positioned nuts and seeds, smoothie bowls are a prime example of Mintel’s 2017 Food & Drink Trend ‘Eat With Your Eyes’. Spoonable with a thick fruity base and crunchy texture, they also tap into Mintel’s 2018 Trend ‘New Sensations’, which describes consumers’ desire to have memorable experiences that are good enough to share on Instagram.

True Fruits has now leveraged this trend and introduced Smoothie Bowls to the German retail market. The main differentiator to their standard smoothies is that these new products are designed to be eaten with a spoon. The smoothie bowls combine an extra-thick base mixture of fruits, plant-based proteins and healthy fats with a crunchy topping, which comes in a separate top compartment. Two variants are available: a purple smoothie with almond-date topping and a yellow smoothie with coconut & cocoa nib topping.

        Source: true fruits

These smoothie bowls are the latest highlight in an increasingly innovative space. Over the past few years, the German market has witnessed the rise of a new generation of smoothies, with brands utilising on-trend ingredients seen in the food sector – with a special focus on plant-based protein and satiating ingredients – in order to upgrade to “healthy snack” status. Smoothie bowls are undoubtedly well set to take that development another step forward.

As consumers increasingly look to fit in meals around their busy lifestyles, interest in nutritious and convenient snacks is growing, supporting the idea of smoothies as meal replacements. In Spain and Poland, over half of consumers agree that smoothies are a good meal replacement when in a rush. And while smoothies are generally thought of as a beverage, the world of social media has put smoothie bowls on consumers’ plates, providing a new opportunity for brands to play with thicker textures, filling ingredients, and the fun aspect of added toppings