By Janine Kennedy
F&H spoke with Calgary-based nutritionist and emotional-eating expert Amber Romaniuk to get the low-down on the nutritional benefits of super bowls and why so many Canadian consumers are eating them. She has dedicated her career to helping people achieve optimal health through mindful eating, self-care and overcoming self-sabotage with food.
Her podcast, The No Sugarcoating Podcast, has more than 250,000 downloads and she makes regular television appearances in the Calgary region. Romaniuk works with clients to create “body freedom” so they have the energy, mood balance and confidence to create the success they desire in the world.
Foodservice and Hospitality: Can you explain what a “super bowl” is for our readers? Why do you think they’re so popular right now?
Amber Romaniuk: To me a “super bowl” is a sweet or savoury bowl infused with loads of healthy ingredients; full of nutrients to boost and support your health. These super bowls are full of fruits, veggies, fats and proteins to ensure you could have this as a meal and be full and satisfied. These bowls have so many nutritional benefits — they can be used to calm inflammation, boost immunity, energy and, of course, satisfy your taste buds.
Super bowls are popular because they are so versatile. You can add so many different ingredients to them; make them beautiful colours, flavours and a lot of people are expressing their creative side by making them look like food art. These bowls are great for all ages and with so many flavour and ingredient combinations, they can appeal to anyone.
F&H: Which Canadian foodservice providers are leading the way in creating innovative and healthy bowl options?
AR: I’ve seen Seed and Salt here in Calgary do both smoothie and salad bowls lately — it’s so nice to be able to go out and have a nourishing bowl. Vitality Tap (Calgary) is also making a variety of smoothie bowls and feeding the people working downtown, which I think is so exciting because there aren’t a lot of healthy options when it comes to eating out.
F&H: Can you talk us through where you like to source the ingredients for your super bowls and which foodservice brands you like to use?
AR: For my proteins and green powders, I love Botanica. It’s a Canadian company and it sources all of its ingredients very carefully to ensure the best quality. I use E3Live Canada Blue Majik, which, again, is a fully Canadian product, made without fillers or chemicals. Deep Marine Collagen has integrity when it comes to its product — it only uses fish from Canadian waters and has a very strict processing policy.
I get my Pitaya Powder from The Light Cellar (Calgary), along with other superfoods. They have great variety, high quality and unique ingredients. I source my fruits and veggies as locally as possible and order from the organic grocer in addition to shopping at Farmer’s Markets.
F&H: What kind of services do you offer foodservice providers looking to develop healthy, filling and delicious super-bowl options?
AR: I am available to foodservice providers to educate (as different ingredients support different symptoms) and make recommendations as a Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant.
It’s important to have balanced, well-rounded bowls that satisfy taste buds. As a consultant, building the nutritional value of super bowls is the biggest role I play.
F&H: Do super bowls have a bright future in Canada?
AR: Super bowls will dcontinue to appeal to larger markets. The demand is there — health-conscious Canadians are telling us what they want from the foodservice industry and providers are stepping up to the plate.
What’s important is that the quality of the ingredients stay true. People are seeking to act with their health [in mind] and many want pure, whole-food choices — including these bowls.
