Wondering how you can get more fruits & vegetables into your diet? It’s all the rage, ya know. This Spinach Blueberry Hemp Smoothie is how to it. You may have your hands full of produce by growing your own spinach and berries or shopping at local markets and roadside stands. Adding more produce to your diet is beneficial in so many ways, using summer’s abundance and this recipe is a simple and seasonal way to do it.
Smoothies shouldn’t be such a hard sell for those with a vegetable or fruit phobia, right? Like it should be hard to talk someone into a milkshake-like drink? With temps on the rise it’s an easy way to substitute a meal. I have a gal pal who uses spinach in her morning smoothies every morning. This post is for you Cheryl, you wonder woman!
Cheryl would agree that recipes should be played. Add a bit of fresh beet, apple, pear, strawberries, orange segments or pineapple to sneak extra fiber and flavor into this smoothie. Substitute kale or swiss chard for spinach. (Don’t add broccoli…even I wouldn’t do that)
Popeye had it right, getting all pumped up on spinach. Spinach is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and fiber. The addition of hemp seeds gives a boost of protein, 3 tablespoons have 1o grams of protein. Hemp seeds are also rich in vitamin E and omega-3’s.
Chia seeds also contain omega-3’s, more than flax seeds. Chia seeds don’t need to be ground, like flax seeds, to be digested and are shelf stable (flax must stay chilled to prevent oils from becoming rancid). Chia seeds are full of fiber, antioxidants & essential minerals. They have been described as having a mildly nutty flavor but I find it rather neutral. What I do love about them is they expand when blended with liquid, thus their thickening abilities. Just be careful to check our teeth for those stray seeds!
- 1 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened organic almond milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 cup organic blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup ice
- 3 ounces organic spinach
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds, optional
- 2 tablespoons chai seeds
- 1 tablespoon organic, raw agave (or a 2 teaspoons of local, unrefined honey)
- Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and puree until smooth.
- Serve cold.
