How To Make a Fruit Smoothie

When Summer temperatures rise, it’s essential to stay hydrated and energized. An easy and delicious way to achieve this is by incorporating organic leafy greens and seasonal fruits into your daily nutrition plan. This refreshing green superfood smoothie recipe is brimming with fiber enriched fruits, and sweet, tart summer berries that will motivate you to eat the rainbow. In 5 easy steps you will learn how to make a fruit smoothie that fuels your body and satisfies your taste buds. This core formula creates a stellar smoothie and provides the foundation for an infinite number of recipes that will strengthen your smoothie game and have you feeling like a super natural star.

About 3 years ago, my husband and I started experimenting with smoothie recipes as an energy boost and healthy breakfast on the go to accommodate our hectic work schedules. Little did we know that we would love making them (and drinking them). As a result, they have become a part of our morning ritual that supports our health and wellness.

Every morning, we gather our fresh greens and colorful fruits for a dance party in the blender. I’m usually the Smoothie Operator, my husband is the Taste Tester, and our dog, Lulu, is the Banana Beggar. I swear she hears that banana peeling even if she’s sound asleep in the other room! Together, we make a mean green smoothie that can be made year round with a simple switch of the types of greens, seasonal fruits, and boosts. Using organic seasonal produce keeps our ingredients fresh, flavorful, and always changing so we don’t get bored. Furthermore, there are so many other benefits to eating organic, seasonal and locally grown produce. You can learn more about incorporating seasonal and locally grown produce into your diet here.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

-Hippocrates

We enjoy making this satisfying breakfast because it tastes like a treat while working to break down the fruits and veggies to their most digestible form, giving our bodies the vital nutrients they need for optimal performance. Absorbing all these nutrients has kept our immune systems strong, and I recall having a cold/flu only once in the last 3 years (knock on wood). That’s pretty good considering that I used to get sick once or twice a year before our health and wellness awakening a few years ago. Another benefit is that these fruits and veggies provide a powerful detox to cleanse out toxins, maintain vitality, and keep skin glowing and radiant.

Want to be a Smoothie Operator too? You will need the following:

INGREDIENTS

Serves 1

• 1 handful spinach
• ½ apple
• ½ orange
• ½ banana
• 4 strawberries
• 6 raspberries
• 12 blueberries
• 1 small piece fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. Camu Camu powder
• 1 tsp. sunflower seeds
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• Protein powder (optional)
• 4 oz. coconut water, almond milk or water
• Nutribullet (or other blending device)

 

PREPARATION

1. Fill half of your blender with spinach. Those gorgeous green spinach leaves are packed with blood pressure reducing proteins (peptides), cancer fighting phytonutrients, and vitamin K for bone building. The greens are the base of the smoothie since they account for 50% of the ingredients.

2. Add the fruits and berries, and bring on the superfoods! (We enjoy the complex flavors that the mixed seasonal berries create. However, if you prefer a more distinct berry flavor, you can simplify the recipe by using only one of the listed berries and increasing the amount accordingly.)

• Oranges – Tangy and juicy oranges provide healing properties of whole food vitamin C that provide immune support and antioxidant protection.
• Apples – Is it true that an apple a day keeps the doctor away? We think so! Apples are high in fiber and antioxidants. They help fight heart disease and high cholesterol while removing toxins and aiding in digestion.
• Bananas – Adding banana to your smoothie will create an easy to digest creamy texture. They are also a wonderful source of potassium, fiber, manganese, and vitamin C.
• Strawberries – Strawberries will satisfy your sweet tooth while providing anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory phenols.
• Blueberries – Known for their antioxidant power, blueberries are also high in fiber and vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. We like to use fresh blueberries, but you can also use frozen ones if you would like to create a colder smoothie.
• Raspberries – These bring a delicious tart complexity to the mix. They’re also cancer-fighting cuties that are full of free radical-blocking phytonutrients and antioxidants that are unique to the raspberry.

3. Add an extra boost of fiber and healing power with these earthy accouterments.

• Ginger – Spicy and immune boosting, ginger is highly effective in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, contains anti-inflammatory compounds, and protects against colorectal cancer.
• Sunflower Seeds – These nutty little characters lower cholesterol, and are a great source of magnesium and vitamin E. (We enjoy the distinct nutty flavor these bring to the smoothie. However, if you prefer mild tasting seeds, then you can use chia seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds instead.)
• Cinnamon – With unique healing abilities from the essential oils found in its bark, studies have shown that cinnamon can lower blood sugar, and can help fight against bacterial and fungal infections.
• Camu Camu Powder – Packing a serious punch of as much as 60 times more Vitamin C than an orange, Camu Camu strengthens the immune system, balances mood, and helps reduce inflammation.

4. Add protein powder. This step is optional if you would like a thicker smoothie.

We have tried dozens of different powders over the last few years. Most have a very chalky texture filled with additives and sweeteners, or an overpowering flavor. Finally, we found a gluten free protein that is organic and plant based, as well as:

• Dairy free
• Soy free
• Lactose free
• No GMO

5. Add water, almond milk, or unsweetened coconut water and blend in Nutribullet or other high powered blender. This is one of our favorite Nutribullet detox recipes and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!