Smooth Operator
If you’re looking for a quick antioxidant boost, a berry smoothie is a great way to go. To make a smoothie, all you need is a blender. Everyone has a blender, right? I feel like smoothies are one of those things that a lot of people talk about but not everybody gets.
Smoothies can be made with so many different ingredients that the possibilities are almost endless. Try soy milk with berries, almond milk with spinach, strawberries with bananas. You have to play around with your favorite foods to know what mash-ups you like. Make a green power drink: think cukes, spinach, kale, matcha, herbs, etc. Add just a few ingredients or you add as many as you like. Try not to drink the same one all the time though – you want to get a good mix of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Here are a couple of shots of a blackberry smoothie I made recently with what I happened to have on hand:
Smoothies don’t have to be complicated – you just need some fresh fruits and veggies on hand.
This is how I made this particular smoothie:
- 1 ripe banana broken into chunks
- 2 cups fresh (or you can use frozen!) blackberries
- 1 cup pure pomegranate juice
Blend until well pureed. I usually need to shake the blender around once or twice during blending, to keep everything moving.
Add crushed ice to the blender too, if you like – especially nice In the summertime or after a workout,
I also add ground flax seed sometimes, which is a great natural source of omega-3’s. Know that eating whole flax seeds don’t offer nearly the benefits that ground ones do – your body doesn’t absorb the nutrients from whole ones, because they usually pass through you without breaking down. I grind a batch of my flax seeds in a small coffee grinder and keep them in my fridge, so they’re ready to use. They can go rancid quickly if not stored in the fridge, so consider yourself warned.
For my fellow gardening friends, here’s a shot of one of my flax plants, taken last summer:
How about you – are you a smoothie drinker?
Reblogged this on ARZcreation.com.
Hmmm… I didn’t know that about ground flax seeds versus whole seeds. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! A lot of people don’t realize this little fact about flax seed, so I always like to share it. The hull of the seed is very hard to digest so usually whole seeds pass right through you. I always buy whole and grind my own though, so I know it’s freshly ground. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey! I’ve nominated you for the versatile blogger award! Congratulations!
http://michelledicken.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/4651/
That is so sweet of you! Thank you so much!
You’re VERY welcome!
Smoothies are awesome. My wife and I start our day with one almost every day!
That’s great to hear! I don’t think some people realize how easy they can be to make and so much better for you than most store bought juices! Do you and your wife have a favorite?
Our morning standard is ice, kale, carrots, pineapple, blueberries and some water. I never measure it, just throw it in the blend. It is anti-inflammatory and taste very good despite how it might sound. We bought a Vita-mix blender last year and use it every day. The thing is amazing. It could grind up wood chips. We also use it to make a frozen desert, which always includes papayas. I add mango, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, depending on what I have. I like to have all the fruit frozen, but will let it sit out for 10 minutes before blending. For the liquid I use coconut milk creamer. It takes some practice to get the consistency just right, and I have to use the blender plunger all through the process in order to get it stiff enough. It is like the best tasting sherbert ever, but 100% fruit.
That all sounds delicious to me! I like the pineapple/blueberry combo in your smoothie; that’s one I haven’t tried. And I’ve taken just frozen fruit and quickly pureed it to where it’s similar to a sorbet..the possibilities really are endless!
Indeed!
Want a blackberry smoothie right now. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Thanks – John
Glad I spurred a craving John! Thank you!
I’m very keen on spinach and eat a lot of it. I like the idea of a smoothie made with Almond milk and Spinach. Going to try that. Thank you.
I’m glad I inspired you and hope you love it as much as I do! Thanks Don!
Mmm…tasty smoothie!
It was pretty delicious! Thanks for stopping by!
I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award 🙂 Congratulations!
http://michelledicken.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/2-awards-in-one-beautiful-blogger-and-inspiring-blogger/
Thank you so much Michelle! I’m not sure I can keep up but you are SUCH a doll! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂
I understand. I received so many last week and now then again this week. I feel obligated but it’s getting SO hard to keep up. I don’t want YOU to feel obligated. Just know you’re thought of and liked 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
I love smoothies but rarely make my own! This has definitely inspired me to make some soon, yours look delicious!
I think so many recipes anymore have so many ingredients that it becomes overwhelming. Smoothies aren’t good for anyone if no one wants to make them. I try and keep my simple – a couple of ingredients and just make different ones each time…this way I get a good variety of vitamins & other good stuff. Thanks for stopping by!