The smoothie recipes below don’t contain a hint of animal products and therefore can be categorized as vegan. Note, none of these recipes contain cooked food either; so they also qualify as raw vegan for anyone adhering to that diet.
With all the chocolate smoothies I make, vanilla is a nice change of pace. Native to the tropical rain forests of Central America, vanilla is one of the more popular spices, now used around the world.
Vanilla is more than just a flavoring agent though and imparts its own unique health benefits. First, it combats free radicals through its high levels of antioxidants. The active compound in vanilla, aptly named vanillin, is a polyphenol that provides the antioxidant punch.
You’re probably asking yourself, what’s Hindu lemonade? It’s not lemonade that you’d typically buy from the store or make at home, it’s far superior, from a health standpoint.
Hindu lemonade is a fermented, probiotic rich beverage, in the same class as kefir and kombucha.
It’s extremely easy to make and only requires a few ingredients: a couple lemons and limes, sucanat, liquid whey, nutmeg, and water. Ditch the sugary drinks and opt for this delicious fermented beverage. It’s a sweet drink you can feel good consuming and giving to your kids. It also serves as a great base for your smoothies.
While grabbing a few bags of raspberries and blueberries from the freezer at Whole Foods yesterday I noticed frozen cranberries. It occurred to me that I’ve been neglecting this nutritious berry lately and thus snatched a couple bags with thoughts of blending them into my smoothie the next day.
The cranberries seemed to synchronistically come along as I was still doing a little detox work and eating lightly to “recover” after a mini-vacation. Something I like to do whenever I deviate from my normal eating habits for a couple of days to a week.
After yet another successful trip to the farmers’ market this morning I decided to make a smoothie using a few things that I purchased. Strawberry season is fast and furious here in Michigan so I make sure to load up on these delicious treats, and put some up in the freezer for future use. Along with strawberries I got a couple bags of salad mix and a bag of kale, all of which made their way into my blender.
This is my go to green superfood smoothie when I get cravings for chlorophyll. I like to mix my smoothies up to ensure I get a good healthy balance of vitamins and minerals (and keep things fun and interesting), but truth be told, I’d have no problem guzzling this guy every day.
Starting my day with plenty of greens puts me in a good mood, with plenty of energy, feeling good about myself! The combination of ingredients in this smoothie provide an abundance of goodness. Let’s delve into the myriad health benefits.
Besides being a great snack, cashews and cashew nut butter also blend will in smoothies and provide a rich creamy consistency. Like any healthy food, the more ways you find to integrate it into your diet the more you’ll consume, and the healthier you’ll be :)
Cashews are one of the healthier nuts you can consume. They are rich in copper, manganese, tryptophan, magnesium, phosphorus, and healthy fats. The monounsaturated fats found in cashews promote good cardiovascular health in tandem with magnesium and antioxidants. Here are 6 other health benefits attributed to cashews:
