Berry Detox Smoothie from The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure Book
This sweet smoothie is light and makes a great energy-boosting breakfast or a refreshing snack. The berries and spinach pack an extra antioxidant punch, while the protein in the yogurt will keep you satisfied. If you’ve had a heavy meal last night and are paying the price with bloat, this liquid elixir will help to quickly rid the bloat and get you back on the lean and svelte track.
Two key ingredients in this smoothie are the spinach and blueberries.
• Spinach: It has the brilliant combination of water, potassium and fiber to flush you out and give you that flat stomach, but what makes spinach really standout is the role it plays in the body’s detoxification process; it plays an important partin the first phases of the liver’s two-step detoxification process– and actually starts to break toxins down.
• Blueberries are little blue dynamos; they’re especially high in fiber and at just 80 calories per cup, they contain potent phytonutrients called polyphenols that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that play an important role in lessening the the inflammatory process associated with chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer and age-related decline. Plus they’re simple to incorporate in many meals and add a delicious sweet flavor.
Variation: If you don’t want to use the milk and yogurt, you can replace them with roughly 130 calories of a high-protein alternative. This is generally 1-1/3 scoops of whey protein powder. Then add 1 cup of ice and ½ banana. Or if you’re vegan you could use 5 tablespoons of hemp protein powder and 1 cup of ice and half a banana to replace the milk and yogurt. Please note that this will slightly change the viscosity and the flavor.
Serves 2 (8 ounces per serving)
Ingredients
1/2 cup skim milk (Vegans: use 5 tablespoons of hemp protein powder or split pea or brown rice protein, 1 cup ice and ½ banana; this will slightly change the viscosity and flavor)
1/2 cup flavored, fat-free yogurt (we like fruit flavors, especially berries) 1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup raw baby spinach, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground flaxseed (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cup frozen blueberries, unsweetened
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth.
Tip: We’ve found it’s best to layer smoothie ingredients into the blender jar in the following order: liquid, spinach, spices, then frozen ingredients on top. This allows the blender to make a slurry with the liquids, which draws the frozen fruit down to the blades while keeping the blender from getting hung up on the frozen ingredients.
Variation: For an extra boost add 1/4 cup walnuts. For best results, soak the nuts in water for 15 minutes, drain, then add to the blender with the rest of the ingredients to the process.
Per serving (not including optional flaxseed or walnuts): calories 150, total fat 1g, saturated fat 0g, cholesterol 2mg, sodium 76mg, carbohydrates 33g, dietary fiber 4g, sugars 26g, protein 6g
- ½ cup skim milk (Vegans: use 5 tablespoons of hemp protein powder or split pea or brown rice protein, 1 cup ice and ½ banana; this will slightly change the viscosity and flavor)
- ½ cup flavored, fat-free yogurt (we like fruit flavors, especially berries) 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ cup raw baby spinach, packed
- ½ teaspoon ground flaxseed (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 cup frozen blueberries, unsweetened
- Combine all ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth.
- Tip:
- We’ve found it’s best to layer smoothie ingredients
- into
- the blender jar in the following order: liquid, spinach, spices, then frozen ingredients on top. This allows the blender to make a slurry with the liquids, which draws the frozen fruit down to the blades while keeping the blender from getting hung up on the frozen ingredients.