5 Must-Try Smoothies

I've had some really nice feedback on my recent post How to Turbo-Charge your Smoothie (thank you!) so I figured it might be helpful to showcase five of my current faves to get you started with your newly-purchased Awesome Extras. 

Here goes...

Acai Avo 

For a big dose of antioxidants...  

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 3 tbsp frozen acai
• 1 small avocado
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 tbsp tahini, or any nut butter you like  
• 1 raw organic free-range egg
• 1 tbsp coconut oil  
• 1 tbsp mesquite powder
• 1 medjool date
• 1 tsp bee pollen
• handful kale
• coconut milk to thin as needed  

Green Carrot Cake

For if you're feeling like (healthy) dessert for breakfast... 

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• handful of kale
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 medjool date
• 1 tbsp maca powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil  
• 1 tbsp chia/buckwheat/hemp seed mix
• 1 tsp greens powder (I use Superfood Greens) 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1 cup nut milk, such as almond or Brazil nut  

Fennel and Fig

For calming a bloated tummy...

Ingredients:  

• 1/2 cup chopped fennel
• 3 dried figs
• 2 tbsp cashews
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• couple spoonfuls of coconut yogurt 
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp coconut oil  
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup coconut water  

Mango Turmeric

For a hit of anti-inflammatory and gut-loving goodness...

Ingredients: 

• 1 mango, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 inch fresh turmeric root
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger root
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp maca powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp beef gelatin (if you're worried, you can read more here)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 cups water, or coconut water

Papaya and Dandelion

For detox and immune support... 

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 papaya
• handful dandelion greens
• 1 small avocado
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp coconut oil  
• couple spoonfuls of coconut yogurt
• 1 tsp camu camu powder
• 300 ml coconut water (this is how much comes out of a fresh young coconut) 

Directions are to throw it all into your blender or VitaMix and blend until smooth. These smoothies serve 1 so feel free to double the recipe if you've got hungry housemates. They are all dairy-free as I prefer not to have dairy, but you can use cow's milk and yogurt in place of my nut / coconut milk and yogurt if you like.  With the exception of naturally occurring sugar in fruit, these five are also sugar free.  I very rarely use sugar substitutes (i.e. honey, rice malt, maple or agave syrup) as I never find that my smoothies are lacking sweetness nor do I want the additional fructose. I haven't found a soy-free plant-based protein powder that I am wild about so if I feel like a protein-boost, I include a tablespoon of beef gelatin or a raw egg (this is fine as long as you aren't buying dodgy eggs!). I add a tablespoon of coconut oil to almost every smoothie I make. There are too many health benefits to list here, but I like it for its creaminess, good fats that keep me full, and assistance with keeping my intestines lubed up so everything can run smoothly.  I hope you enjoy one, or all, of these delicious smoothie as well as the many health benefits to boot!  

Also try this tried and true creamy classic, or get tropical with my Maui-inspired acai bowl.   

 Let me know how you go!

Steph x