Smoothies

As I sit her sipping my morning smoothie, I thought it was time for me to share what I put in it. I've procastinated sharing the recipe, because I don't really measure & it's a constantly evolving one. So I'll share the basics & you can modify it as you like.

1 banana, medium
1 c. berries (rasp, blue or straw are my favorites)
1 T. flax seed oil
1 T. raw honey
3 T. brown rice protein powder
1/4 tsp. kelp
1 1/2-2 c. coconut or almond milk (unsweetened cuts down on sugar content)
1 T. raw wheat germ

**2 T. Wheat grass (optional); 1 tsp. spirulina (optional- if you can get past the smell, it really doesn't have flavor as long as it is mixed in well & no chunks remain. It will turn your smoothie green!)**

Dump this all in a blender and blend. It's that easy and tastes great! Also, you can make it ahead of time, stick it in the fridge & it's a great breakfast drink on the run.

The only part I leave out for my kids is the protein powder. But little do they know I'll soon be sneeking it back in. The first time I tried adding some to theirs, I didn't have enough liquid in it & it gelled pretty quickly so noses where turned up & now I'm asked every time "Is there protein powder in this?"

Although it's been complicated to determine, when I posted this I wanted to include the nutritional information. I never would have imagined prior to my Vegan dietary changes that I could get so much nutrition in one little drink.

And don't let the calories or sugar content freak you out. This is designed to be a meal. It will fill you up for several hours. So as long as you're not eating this along with a 3-course meal, relax, enjoy and don't feel guilty about having a deliciously sweet shake! If you are concerned about sugar intake and wish to reduce it, simply replace the honey with powdered or liquid stevia according to taste.

Nutritional Information:
Calories- 499; Fat- 22 g (33%-Most of this is from beneficial flax seed oil); Sodium- 100 g (3-4%); Total Carbohydrates- 80 g (26%); Dietary Fiber- 15 g (41%); Sugars- 37 g; Protein- 21 g (27%); Potassium- 24%
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Vitamin A- 13%; Vitamin C- 73%; Vitamin D- 30%; Vitamin B12- 50%; Magnesium- 10%; Zinc- 4%; Selenium- 8%; Folate- 6%; Iron- 36%; Calcium- 14.5%; Iodine- 260%; Omega 3- 500%; Omega 6- 2 g; Omega 9- 3 g

PLUS the following Amino Acids- *L-Isoleucine; *L-Leucine; *L-Lysine; *L-Methionine; *L-Phenylalanine; *L-Threonine; *L-Tryptophan; *L-Valine; L-Alanine;* L-Arginine; L-Aspartic Acid; L-Cystine; L-Glutamic Acid; L-Glycine; *L-Histidine; L-Proline; L-Serine; L-Tyrosine

*Essential Amino Acids


The vitamin & mineral content of Raw Honey is not included here. Do your research & discover all the benefits of consuming raw honey. Also, when I'd originally researched the berries & banana, the nutritional information did not include all the vitamins & minerals in them either.

**If you add wheat grass, you could be adding as much as 25% RDA of protein, plus adding chlorophyll and high amounts of Vitamins A, C & E AND 12 amino acids (8 of which are essential to our bodies). If you really want to get uber-healthy, try adding just 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and you'll get 4% RDA protein; 225% Vitamin A; 6% Thiamin; 7% Riboflavin; 33% Vitamin B12; 17% Iron; and more chlorophyll, Gammalinolenic acid; zeaxanthin; carotenoids; and c. Phycocyanin.

Kelp, wheat grass & spirulina are all Super Foods that you should try to add to your diet any way you can. And the great thing is it only takes very small amounts to reap HUGE health benefits!



Notes & Disclaimer- All of the nutritional information was what I could compile based on product labels & internet research. I cannot guarantee that all the information is complete or 100% accurate. Also all nutritional content would vary depending upon portion size and actual ingredients used.