I love smoothies for the simple reason that they are so easy to make, whilst at the same time being very nutrient dense. I have tried hundreds of different smoothie recipes over the years and you can find some of my favorite ones here.
Today I wanted to share with you a smoothie recipe that not only tastes delicious but is also packed full of nutritional goodness. My general recipe for smoothies is very simple: 1 cup of vegetables, 1 cup of fruits, some nuts or seeds and a liquid base. I sometimes also add yogurt or spirulina for a protein boost.
For this smoothie I used:
1 cup coconut water
Coconut water is super hydrating and is often used by professional athletes instead of sports drinks. A cup of this liquid provides you with 17% of your daily value (DV) of potassium and 15% of your DV of magnesium, both of which are important for promoting heart health. Coconut water helps add a natural sweetness to smoothies, without drastically increasing calories.
1 cup spinach
Spinach is my most favourite green vegetable. I eat it steamed as a side, use it in salads and also add it to many of my green smoothies. Just one cup of spinach contains a whopping 987% of your DV of vitamin K, which has been shown to help prevent cancer and osteoporosis. Spinach also contains large amounts of vitamin A, manganese, iron and calcium. No wonder nutritionists recommend that you should eat it!
1 teaspoon chia seeds
Even though these seeds are super tiny, they pack a nutritional punch. A 1 oz serving contains 40% of your DV of dietary fiber, which helps reduce bad blood cholesterol and keeps your gut in tip top shape.
½ frozen banana
I use frozen fruits in my smoothies because they make them thick and cold. Bananas are the most common ingredient in smoothies, thanks to their natural sweetness. When choosing bananas, select those that have bright yellow skins with black dots on them. These are the ones that are just perfect, not too raw and not too ripe.
¼ cup frozen strawberries
You may not know it, but when compared weight for weight, strawberries have slightly more vitamin C than oranges do. This vitamin helps heal wounds, assists your body with iron absorption and is an excellent antioxidant. Like bananas, strawberries provide natural sugars and a distinct flavour, making them an excellent ingredient for smoothies.
¼ cup frozen blackberries
Blackberries, like many other berries, contain a lot of antioxidants. They are also rich in manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin K and vitamin C. They can be quite expensive in some parts of the world so a trick that I use to keep them from going bad is to freeze them in a container and then use when necessary.
To make this smoothie, simply add all the ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
Michelle
This sounds great! I love to see well-balanced smoothie recipes that include vegetables as well as protein and healthy fats. I can't tolerate too much sugar, even the healthy fructose from fruits, and do best with low-sugar smoothies.
Kylie Worthington
I'm the same way!