Superfood Morning Smoothies set me up for the day to have a clear mind, no aches and pains. I am feeding my body information that is going to set me up for feeling great all day long! Liz Lipski, from The Future of Nutrition Conference
Of course I have consumed smoothies, but mainly fruit blends made at Kauai (serving deliciously good and good for you food fast in South Africa). I first read about the idea of consuming super nutrient smoothies regularly in August 2012 when I read Abs Diet by David Zinczenko. At that stage I didn’t have a blender, so I just made a mental note that it was an interesting idea. My daughter-in-law made me my first super nutrient smoothie in June 2013. She told me about the ginger and lemon – which I have come to realize are absolutely essential for a great tasting smoothie!
I’ve been practicing making and drinking superfood smoothies for over six months now and would like to share my method. It’s not a recipe, because no two batches are ever the same. It is a method for using what you have and making something nutritious and delicious. I LOVE my superfood smoothies.
I think of the ingredients for the smoothie in terms of three categories: items I collect from the Cupboard, Refrigerator, and Freezer.
I try to keep these three places stocked with what I am going to be needing. However, if I run out of anything, I simple make it without!
- Cupboard
The ingredients that I store in the cupboard I usually purchase on-line from either Vitacost or Amazon. If you find a better source, or better prices, please let me know.
- Goji berries*
- Raw Cacao* (powder, nibs or whole beans)
- Maca powder* (a high priced item that I don’t always have available due to budgetary constraints!)
- Aloe Vera* bottled gel or fresh aloe vera (my local Kroger stocks whole fresh aloe vera)
- Spirulina* powder (when I have it. Beware, the strong green color TOTALLY DOMINATES the smoothie, which is fine for me, but some newbies might object)
- Coconut flakes* (once opened I keep in the freezer, sometimes I also add a Tablespoon of coconut oil)
- Hemp seeds* (once I open them I keep them in the refrigerator)
- Chia seeds
- Honey*, 1 Tablespoon (or to taste)
- Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon or to taste
- Pinch Himalayan crystal salt
* Superfoods that made David Wolfe’s Top 10 list
How much?? Well, that is entirely up to you. Do you have a huge stock on hand – be generous! Not too much left in the bag? Then go a bit easier. Generally two heaped spoons of most of the items, except for the honey, cinnamon and salt.
2. Refrigerator
- 1 – 2 apples** I put the whole apple, cut into quarters – seeds, core and all
- 1/3 – ½ lemon – organic preferred because I use the peel, but remove seeds
- fresh ginger – gives it a bit of a bite. I use about 1 inch, but you might start with less
- 1-2 sticks Celery**
- 1/3 – ½ cucumber**
- fresh coriander
- kale**
- kefir or yogurt (don’t always use this, but I intend to start making kefir and will include it regularly)
- kiwi or other seasonally available fruit
**These are part of the dirty dozen so you should really buy organic, or at least peel them.
3. Freezer
±1 frozen banana. I buy extra bananas, peel them and chop or break them into a container and keep them in the freezer.- Any other frozen fruit: blueberries, mangos, peaches, etc.
- Ice cubes made with raw milk or spring water (sometimes)
- Coconut flakes* a handful
I have a Vitamix. I just dump everything in, and then add spring water. I process on high till it seems like it is all mixed, pushing down with the tamper as needed. I haven’t ever tried with any other brand of blender. You can let me know how it goes, or what modifications you have to make if you have a different type.
I distribute the mixture evenly among 4 x 16 oz containers (500 ml) and they are usually 3/4 full. It makes enough for John and I to have one today and have two to put in the freezer for tomorrow. For the freezer, if I remember to transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator just before I go to bed, it is the perfect consistency in the morning.
Since organic fruit and vegetables are so expensive, I try to utilize every bit. I sometimes collect the little bits of leftover apples, or celery and put them into a container and store in the freezer for the next smoothie.
I love my morning smoothie. I love the taste. I love the fact that the cucumber, celery and cilantro are naturally helping my body to detox. I love the fact that the Superfoods are providing my body with nutritious dense ingredients. I love how I feel all day long. I love the fact that I’m not hungry for a long time and even if there aren’t too many options for lunch, I know my body has what it needs!
Tell me about your best habits that promote your health….
In case you haven’t noticed my recipes are not exactly structured, so I thought I would share how I came up with my latest greatest chocolate recipe!
I just spooned it into a smallish bowl and stirred. No heating, nothing! Just stirred it all until it was all mixed up and then spooned it into 4 small containers and popped them into the freezer because I decided I would share it with my family! I was very tempted just to spoon it into my mouth – so they should really be thankful!
