From its freshly-diced strawberries to organic, crunchy granola, the acai bowl is an iconic Marlborough snack. Whether you Postmates it from Kreation (before school starts obviously) or bring your own to school, an acai bowl is a perfect, nutritious way to start your day. Here are my thoughts on some of the most popular bowls in LA.

Juice Crafters Acai Brazilian Super Blend: I have to preface by disclosing that the Juice Crafters acai bowl and I have a long and complicated history. For a long time, I was a passionate opponent of this bowl, citing its thin consistency and lack of creative toppings. However, very recently, the Juice Crafters bowl has become one of my favorite bowls, after my friend convinced me to give it another try. Surprisingly, I found the bowl far surpassed my expectations and was very different from the sad, basic acai bowl I had fixed in my memory. I feel that the Juice Crafters bowl is your classic acai bowl done right. Although it is pretty simple, topped with only banana, strawberry, granola and coconut flakes, every ingredient has been perfected. The bowl has a well-flavored acai base and a perfect topping-to-acai ratio. The coconut flakes are also a standout feature of this bowl, as rather than having the typical shredded coconut, there are large coconut flakes. 

Sunlife Brazilian Acai Bowl: This is my least favorite acai bowls on the market right now. Although I generally like Sunlife Organics drinks, I found the acai bowl extremely underwhelming. The base is flavorless, overly frozen and granular. Also, the toppings on this acai bowl are simply banana and strawberry, and the granola is bland. Sunlife attempts to improve the bowl with hemp seeds, but they come across tasting like stale, waxy almonds. In case you haven’t already guessed, I would not recommend this acai bowl. 

Kreation Amazon Amazebowl: The Kreation Amazon bowl stands out amongst the sea of other acai bowls. First, it stands out because of the actual acai base. Unlike many other acai bowls, the Amazon bowl is blended with strawberries and blueberries as well as acai, making it more flavorful and interesting. The toppings on the Amazon bowl also set it apart. The bowl comes with the standard strawberry and banana, but also green apples and granola. The green apple is Kreation’s unique take on the typical acai bowl, and the granola on the bowl is sweet and well-baked.

Acai Nation Create Your Own Bowl: Although the base of the bowl cannot compare to the Kreation or Juice Crafter’s bowls, the unique customization opportunities set it apart. Acai Nation allows you to choose your desired toppings from a relatively large variety. You can also choose your favorite  type of granola from an array of options, including almond french vanilla, maple pecan and wild blueberry with flax. Although these bowls lack the quality of others, they are made up for by the variety of options.