Smoothies are a quick and easy option for a nutritious breakfast and can help to get more vegetables into your diet with no-fuss. For this recipe, I find it helps to cube and steam a few beets at a time and then save them in the freezer or fridge to cut down on prep time when hunger strikes. The same goes for bananas, I simply peel a few when ripe, and break into smaller pieces and store in the freezer in a container, so they are always ready to go.
This smoothie has a wonderful earthy flavour with hints of cacao, and was inspired by a recipe I served when I worked at a smoothie shop. It includes antioxidant-rich beetroot, which gives the smoothie a beautiful deep red-blue colour. Antioxidants occur naturally in foods, and help protect your cells against damage from free radicals; free radicals can come from the environment and pollution but are also produced by the body as oxygen interacts with other substances (1).
Sweet beets pair well with bitter cocoa for a decadent and rich flavour profile, considering this smoothie is made mostly of vegetables! While I listed spinach in the ingredients below, you could substitute for other greens as well. Zucchini makes for another great substitution for banana, and works well if you prefer something less sweet and lower sugar.
Ingredients:
(Serves 1 as a meal or 2 snack sizes)
1 cup water – may need more or less depending on your blender/desired consistency,
1 cup spinach
½ banana (frozen)
½ cup beetroot, steamed
½ ripe avocado
¼ cup berries of your choice
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1 tablespoon shredded, dried, unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients until smooth, adding protein powder at the very end.
Note: one option for a good lactose-free protein is Kaizen Naturalsâ„¢ Vegan Protein
Nutrition Information (including protein powder)
Calories: 465.3, Fat: 22.8, Carbohydrates: 44.8, Fiber: 19.4, Protein: 31.4
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