What shall I create today?
Hmmm…
Well, it all depends upon what I have on hand in my kitchen today.
Lucky for me, I had enough organic fruits and vegetables left from my last
shopping trip to whip up a thick, rich, sweet and creamy, “super”green smoothie.
With the addition of chia seeds and flax seeds, my smoothie was thick enough to eat
with a spoon.
This is actually a good thing because, ideally, smoothies should be “chewed” and then
swallowed for better digestion and to derive optimum nutrition.
Benefits of Drinking Smoothies
* More Nutrients
Let’s face it, it’s not always so easy to consume as many fruits, vegetables and other important
nutrients as we need each day.
Carefully-planned smoothies can help you get your RDA in every single day.
Think about it, if you have one breakfast smoothie you may easily consume four to five servings
of fruits and vegetables in one beverage.
Consume two smoothies in a day and you can count that day a vegetable success!
* More Fiber
Smoothies provide the fiber you need to reduce bloat, lose weight, and improve your
digestive system.
* Better Health & Stronger Immune System
Studies have shown that people with a diet high in vegetables and fruits have a lower risk of
heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
The antioxidants and vitamins help protect you from common viruses and infections too.
* More Energy
When you drink a smoothie you get an instant dose of energy.
The digestive process is hastened; you digest smoothies quickly, and receive the nutrition and
benefits almost instantly.
And if you add protein to your smoothies or juice then your energy will last several hours
because the protein helps control the release of sugars into your blood stream.
Nutritional Highlights
Today’s green smoothie was packed with fresh, organic green vegetables:
* Parsley
Parsley isn’t exactly a green.
It’s an herb, like cilantro or basil.
With high levels of chlorophyll, it fights parasites, cleanses the liver and is a detoxifier.
(And if you add garlic or onions to your smoothie parsley can help your breath.)
It has a mild flavor so you can add it to just about any juice.
* Spinach
Popeye loved spinach and there’s a reason why.
In addition to a bit of calcium it also contains an abundance of vitamin K and folic acid.
It’s packed with many other important vitamins and minerals including A, B, and E
and it has the minerals your body needs.
Like kale, spinach pairs nicely with many fruits.
* Celery
Celery is an excellent vegetable blend.
It has diuretic properties and is a detoxifier.
Celery helps cleanse uric acid from digestive system and it’s very alkalizing.
It also contains potassium and has been used to lower blood pressure.
Celery stalks, including the greens, can be washed and popped into the blender or juicer whole.
No trimming or peeling required.
* Kale
Kale is the king of dark leafy greens.
There are different types of kale but they’re all extraordinarily nutritious.
A cup of kale provides 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C,
and an impressive 684% of vitamin K.
It is also a good source of minerals potassium, iron, copper, phosphorus and manganese.
Kale is excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K–and sulphur-containing phytonutrients
Plus, it is rich in eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
Kale’s carotenoids and flavonoids provide powerful cancer-fighting health benefits.
What’s more, the fiber content of raw kale especially, binds bile acids and helps to lower cholesterol
levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Additionally, it tastes quite nice with apples, bananas, and berries.
*Fruits
Today’s smoothie contains several fruits as well including banana, orange and goji berries to
provide sweetness as well as important nutrients.
Fruits are filled with antioxidants such as Vitamin C and A.
Antioxidants fight free radical damage in the body and reduce the risk of cancer.
Berries such as goji berries have the highest amount of antioxidants.
But choose an array of fruits in a wide variety of colors for maximum health.
The antioxidants in fruit boost the immune system to fight the effects of aging in the body.
*Goji Berries
The real stars of today’s smoothie are the super-nutritious goji berries.
They are very expensive, so I don’t always buy them, but when I find them
on sale at my local health food store I stock up.
Goji berries have been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries.
They are the richest known source of beta carotene of all known foods or plants.
They contain polysaccharides which are considered a healing catalyst–fortifying the
immune system and stimulating the secretion of natural ani-aging HGH.
*Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
They also contain omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.
You get a lot of power to fight high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes with this
mighty seed.
Ground flax seed can be added to your smoothies and blends well.
*Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are a full-spectrum “super seed” and a free radical fighting super food.
They are loaded with omegas 3, 6 and 9 for heart and digestive health.
They provide complete protein and are rich in amino acids–in addition to potent
antioxidants and fiber.
Goji Berry, Orange Banana Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
(Organic)
1 Banana
1 Orange
2/3 cup Goji Berries
1 cup Kale
1 cup Parsley
3 stalks Celery
1 cup Spinach
2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
2 tablespoons Flax Seeds
1 cup Coconut Water
Directions:
Wash, peel and break fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces.
Add items to a high speed blender such as a Vitamix, in the order above.
Blend until smooth.
This smoothie will be especially thick and creamy due to the chia seeds.
You can add additional liquid for a thinner consistency, if desired.
Drink up and enjoy!
What’s in your smoothie today?
Share your favorite smoothie ingredients with us!
“Shared at Healthy Vegan Fridays”
“Shared at Weekend Wholefood Blender Party”
“Shared on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday”
I’ve got so much Chinese celery at the moment in the garden, I’m going to give this smoothie a whirl today! Thanks for sharing the recipe at the Weekend Wholefood Blender Party, it sounds scrumptious 😀
Oh Deborah, this looks amazing 🙂 I’ve been on a smoothie kick lately and will definitely add this one to my queue. I never would have thought to put gogi berries in a smoothie because of their texture, but I’m going to try. Do you soak them first or do they blend right on in? Thanks for the great idea!
Love your smoothie creations! And I really appreciate all the info about the ingredients; very thorough.
Thanks!
Zsu @ Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
Hi Zsu,
Thank you visiting Urban Naturale. I am so glad you liked my smoothie. I am always trying out new combinations. I hopped over to your blog and I loved it! Wonderful recipes! I entered your giveaway as well and followed you on social media. I am vegan too. You might enjoy sharing some of your recipes on the Plant Based Potluck Party Link Up” https://urbannaturale.com/share-the-food-fun-at-the-plant-based-potluck-party-link-up-4/ — which runs from Thursday until midnight on Monday. I also host the the “Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party” Blog Hop” which runs from Tuesday through Saturday. So please feel free to hop by anytime! All the best, Deborah
I never thought to add Goji Berries to my smoothies but what a great idea! Looking forward to trying out your recipe. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.
Hi Lauren,
I love making smoothies and when I learned how nutritious Goji Berries are I had to start including them in my smoothies as often as possible. Thanks for hopping by and for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate it. I love your blog, by the way! All the best, Deb
Funny, I’m eating goji berries as I read your post! I love them in smoothies. And I love how many nutrients you’ve packed into one smoothie.
That’s great, Heather. These super-smoothies really get me going!
Hi Heather,
I was excited about this dressing because my dressings are normally simple apple cider vinegar and oil! I am trying to spice things up a bit in my kitchen!
What a great combination of tasty ingredients for this smoothie. Stumbling to share.
Hi Joy,
I hope you enjoy it too! Thank you for Stumbling it. I appreciate it.