How My Morning Smoothie Became A Chemistry Experiment

Just have fun when making a smoothie!

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Summer Smoothies
Now that it's warm, I generally start every morning with a raw smoothie. I rarely use a recipe and quite often they become a chemistry experiment. Yesterday's chemistry experiment was awful and today's was wonderful. But it's always fun to see what happens. I encourage you to do the same.

This morning I started out with kale. Besides it being a superfood, its volume in my garden is only surpassed by zucchini. So we eat some kale at just about every meal.

Next I added a heaping tablespoon of chia seeds that I soaked in Tempt's new Coconut Hempmilk. (A yummy new product .) This made it thick and full of omega-3.

A few stalks of celery made it in there so that I didn't feel too guilty about using so much fruit.

I sliced up a big pear because they have tons of fiber (6 grams per medium pear.)

And then there was that peach that needed to be eaten. A bit too ripe to bite into but still yummy enough for a smoothie.

Of course what would a smoothie be without frozen blueberries. Their colorful anthocyanins make the smoothie a more pleasant color. I'd much rather sip a thick purple drink than one that looks like it was scooped out of a pond. 

I added a few figs that I froze from my neighbors crop from last year because this year's crop is already coming in and I need to finish them up. Oh yes, I had to use that ripe banana. 

I finally stopped adding things because I ran out of room in the blender and there was only two of us here to drink it. I put in a few cups of cold water and blended until smooth and creamy. 

I finally ran out of room!

So you can see where I'm going with this. Smoothies are fun to experiment with. As long as you start with fresh or frozen organic fruit and veggies, you can't really go wrong. And if you do, try something else tomorrow!

Raw Vegan Hemp Powder Delivers Protein, Omega-3, And Fiber - Great For Smoothies!

Looking for protein, omega-3 and fiber? Try this!

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Hemp
For those who follow my blog, you already know that I LOVE hemp - read last year's post, Why hemp should be part of your diet.  Hemp seeds are one of the three Omega-3 Power Seeds (the other two being flax and chia seeds.) 

I recently discovered a new raw vegan product by Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods. It's called Hemp Pro Fiber. It 's not only a great source of high quality protein, but it also provides essential fatty acids as well as fiber - all critical nutrients in our diet.

Per Serving
Each quarter cup serving of Hemp Pro Fiber contains:
130 calories
11 grams protein
13 grams dietary fiber
14 grams carbohydrates
4 grams total fat / 0.5 grams saturated fat

Essential fatty acids:
   600 mg omega-3
   2100 mg omega-6
   300 mg omega-9

It also provides 35% of the daily requirement of iron.

Hemp is a Complete Protein 
Here is the Amino Acid Profile per serving:
Aspartic acid - 969 mg 
Threonine - 333 mg
Serine - 450 mg
Glutamic Acid - 1550 mg
Proline - 375 mg
Glycine - 414 mg
Alanine - 411 mg
Valine - 462 mg
Isoleucine - 381 mg
Leucine - 621 mg
Tyrosine - 315 mg
Phenylalanine - 447 mg
Lysine - 321 mg
Histidine - 228 mg
Arginine - 1180 mg
Cystine - 122 mg
Methionine - 201 mg

How to Use
My favorite way to use this powder is to stir it into my morning smoothie.
I also stir some into my oatmeal or bake it into banana bread and muffins.

Here's what I made with it this morning!

Hemp Smoothie with fruit and kale

Hemp Smoothie with Grapes, Kale, Orange, and Pear
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
Requires High Speed Blender
[makes 2 servings]

1 1/2 cups water or almond, hemp or other non-dairy milk 
1 pear, cored and cut into quarters
1 orange, peeled, seeds removed, and quartered
1 cup chopped kale, stems removed
1/4 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro Fiber
1 cup frozen red grapes

Place all ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend until smooth and serve.

Refreshing Peach, Blueberry, And Chia Seed Smoothie - Vegan And Gluten Free

Local peaches are in season and blend beautifully with blueberries in this delicious smoothie!

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Blenders are a Blast!

I love to see how excited people get when they buy their first high-quality blender. Most of them immediately get hooked on smoothies and start blending up every imaginable fruit and vegetable. We bought our first good blender at least 15 years ago. It was a Vitamix. We feel so strongly about how it has contributed to our health that we have bought one for each of our children.

Smoothies - The Special Nutritional Benefit over Juice
Juicing is great. This process allows you to consume far more fruits and vegetables than you could ever get by eating and chewing. Juices deliver critical nutrients and phytochemicals to your body in their purest form. Consuming nutrients in the form of juice can be very important therapeutically, especially when your body is in a weakened state, needs to conserve  energy, and assimilate nutrients instantly. 

Juices also deliver an enormous amount of sugar without the benefit of dietary fiber, which is stripped out in the juicing process. Blending, on the other hand, retains the dietary fiber and requires fewer (but ample) fruits and veggies to make a nice thick 8 ounce smoothie.

Whereas juice can cause a spike in blood sugar, dietary fiber can stabilize it. Fiber also makes you feel full longer, protects against colorectal cancer, and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Although juicing may help you get your 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables per day, it will not help you get to your 25 to 35 gram recommended daily fiber intake. 

Watch for the Sugar
One large apple provides more than 5 grams of dietary fiber, which is great. However, it also contains the equivalent of nearly 6 teaspoons of sugar. You might throw one or two into a smoothie where the fiber would help prevent your blood sugar from spiking. But you might use far more than one or two apples to make a glass of apple juice and it will have zero fiber to protect your blood sugar from spiking.

Carrots are another good example. I generally throw one large carrot in a smoothie but to make juice, I might use 10. A large carrot provides 2 grams of dietary fiber and the equivalent of almost 1 teaspoon of sugar. And one carrot is all you need to get 241% of your daily requirement of vitamin A. But juicing 10 carrots strips out all of the fiber and delivers 8.5 teaspoons of sugar.

I'm not suggesting that you give up your juicer, I'm just suggesting that you may want to juice in moderation and lean towards making more smoothies. And whether you are juicing or making smoothies, use fewer fruits and always try to include low carbohydrate green vegetables like spinach or kale. When making smoothies, you can also throw in a handful of nuts or seeds to provide some protein and healthy fat.

A Great Investment in your Health
A good blender is expensive costing around $400. But they last for years and years and if used for healthy smoothies, raw or cooked soups, dips, sauces and other healthy dishes (and not just for margaritas) they are a great investment in your health. I have lots of kitchen toys but if I could only have one, it would be my high-speed Vitamix blender.

 I prefer this model of Vitamix because it has a variable speed dial.

Blendtec is also a very highly recommended brand.

    *                       *                       *

Peaches and Blueberries
These fruits really complement each other and although the deep purple blueberries hide the  color of the peaches in this delicious smoothie, they certainly don't mask their wonderful peachy flavor. This smoothie is low in calories, provides over 800 mg of omega-3 fatty acid and a whopping 8 grams of dietary fiber per serving!
    
Peach, Blueberry and Chia Seed Smoothie
Mostly Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 (2-cup) servings]

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 
4 teaspoons ground chia seeds
3 medium peaches, pits removed and cut in 4 pieces
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped kale
1 packet stevia, or to taste
1/2 cup ice

Place the almond milk and ground chia seeds in the blender, pulse briefly and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

Place the remaining ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 163 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 842 mg omega-3 and 592 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 8 g dietary fiber and 16 mg of sodium.


For more ideas on how to create healthy smoothies, see my ebook Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Don't Forget The Veggies In Your Morning Smoothie! Amount Of Fruits And Veggies Needed Daily.

Fruits and veggies combine beautifully in a smoothie.

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How Many Fruits and Veggies Should I Eat?
Most nutritionists recommend consuming at least 5 to 7 servings of fruits and veggies a day. But there is often confusion about serving size, the number of fruits versus vegetables, the recommendations for adults versus kids, etc.. I just found an interesting GUIDELINE that may clear some of this up. The amounts vary with age, whether you are male or female and your level of activity. In most cases, the minimum is 5 CUPS of fruits and vegetables (not servings) with the recommended consumption of fruit being less than vegetables. An example of 5 cups of fruits and vegetables would be: 

1 apple

8 large strawberries

1 cup green beans

1 large sweet potato

10 broccoli florets

Now that's not so bad, is it? In fact, most people who eat a healthy plant-based diet eat at least this a day. But for others, this can be a challenge. Especially if you are racing to work and only have time to grab a bagel. Lunch is a sandwich and chips and dinner is a plate of pasta and maybe a small salad. For these people, daily fruit and vegetable consumption may barely reach one a cup. And kids have the same problem.


A 2010 study revealed the shocking statistic that a third of high school students consume vegetables less than once a day and a quarter of them eat fruit less than once a day!


Why does this matter? It matters because the people who manage to reach that 5 or more cup goal are less likely to be obese and have fewer chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. So start keeping a daily log for you and your children- even if it's just for a week. It will give you an appreciation of how much of these critical foods are actually being consumed on a daily basis.


Morning Smoothies
You all know how much I love my morning smoothie. But as yummy as it is to make your smoothie a fruit shake, we should also remember to throw some veggies in too. Here are a few example vegetables  that blend well into a smoothie:
* Spinach
* Kale
* Chard
* Carrots (my new favorite addition)
* Celery
* Parsley
* Cucumber 
* Zucchini or butternut squash 


You Need a High-Speed Blender
If you do this with the blender that you use to make frozen margaritas, you may end up with a pretty undrinkable mixture. I can't stress enough how important it is to own a good high-speed blender. I personally have a Vitamix but was recently introduced to a Blendtec. They are both excellent blenders. Yes, they are pricey but you will use it every day! Look for sales at Costco or buy one that's used. They last a long long time.


Spinach and Carrots
I love adding baby spinach and carrots to my smoothie. They both contain carotenoids that are very beneficial for eye health. Spinach and carrots are high in beta-carotene and lutein and spinach also contains zeaxanthin. Since I spend most days staring at a computer screen, my poor eyes need all the help they can get.
FYI, to get the most out of carotenoids, eat them with a healthy fat such as fresh, cold-pressed flaxseed oil.

Fruit and veggie smoothie

Fruit and Veggie Smoothie
Vegan, (or Raw Vegan), Gluten Free
[makes two (2 cup) servings]
Requires high-speed blender 


1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk, such as organic soy milk *
2 (unpacked) cups baby spinach or kale
1 carrot, sliced
1 organic apple, cored and cut into 8 pieces
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
1 packet stevia 
1 tablespoon cold-pressed flaxseed oil (check press date)
4,000 IU drop of vitamin D3 (optional, not vegan)
* For a raw smoothie, substitute with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 cup soaked walnuts


Place all ingredients except flaxseed oil and vitamin D in a high-speed blender, placing frozen blueberries on top. Blend until smooth.
Add flaxseed oil and vitamin D and blend briefly.
Serve immediately.


Each serving provides 1 cup fruit and 1 1/4 cups vegetables.


Per serving: 271 calories, 10.6 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 3.7 g omega-3 and 1.1 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.6 g protein, 40.4 g carbohydrates, 8.1 g dietary fiber and 111 mg sodium. 

Raw Vegan And Gluten Free Satsuma Orange And Pear Smoothie

Satsuma oranges and pears team up for this high fiber, flu fighting smoothie.
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Raw Food in the Winter
     Although we crave more hot, cooked meals in the cold winter months, it's important to continue to eat raw fruits and vegetables all year long. At least 1/3 of my diet is raw in the winter with 1/2 of my diet being raw in the spring and fall. In the summer, when fruits and vegetables are readily available and the weather is warm, I try to consume about 3/4 of my food raw. I will be writing about this seasonal food plan in my upcoming book. (Yes, one of my new year's resolutions is to finally finish it!)
     The easiest way to include raw food in your winter diet is to have a raw smoothie for breakfast, lunch or after a workout. 
     
Satsuma Oranges and Pears
     This delightful combination of fruits is readily available in winter time. Both high in fiber, one serving of this smoothie provides almost 11 grams of dietary fiber, over 40% of your daily requirement. Satsumas are lovely to look at and their thick skin makes them so easy to peel. Each serving of this smoothie contains an entire orange and provides your daily requirement of vitamin C. Just in time for cold and flu season!

Satsumas and pears are readily available in the winter.

Many satsuma oranges are seedless but just to make sure, slice them horizontally and look for seeds before blending.

Soaking Raw Nuts
     You'll notice that many raw food recipes call for soaking the nuts. One of the reasons they do this is to remove the phytic acid contained in the nut's outer layer. Phytic acid, if not removed by soaking, can combine with calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and other minerals and block their absorption. These minerals are very important in our diets so everything we can do to increase their consumption and absorption is a good thing.

Soaking nuts overnight will remove mineral-binding phytic acid.  

Satsuma Orange and Pear Smoothie

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 2 (2 cup) servings]

1 ½ cups cold, filtered water

7 English walnut halves, soaked overnight

1 packet GF stevia extract, optional, for added sweetness

1 banana, sliced and frozen

2 satsuma oranges, peeled and seeds removed 

2 medium pears, cored and quartered

The night before, soak walnuts and place sliced banana in freezer.

To remove seeds easily, slice the Satsuma horizontally after peeling and pick out the seeds. Many of them are seedless so this may not be necessary.

Rinse walnuts and place them with water and stevia in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and milky.

Add frozen banana, oranges and pears and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 261 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0.7 g ALA omega-3 and 2.8 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.5 g protein, 56.6 g carbohydrates, 10.6 g dietary fiber and 3 mg sodium. 

VARIATION: You can substitute English walnuts and water with 1½ cups non-GMO soy, hemp, coconut or other prepared non-dairy milk for a “mostly raw” smoothie.