Smoothies are rich in nutrients and give you a nice boost of antioxidant energy without being too heavy. My favorites: Refreshing All Green Smoothie, Bet on Beets with Ginger Smoothie and Mocktail Painkiller Pineapple & Coconut Smoothie. Try these 3 lightened-up smoothies for a concentrated energy boost.

3 Lightened-up Smoothies:

Scroll to bottom to see ALL the recipes

Loaded with antioxidants and superfoods – this green smoothie is lightened-up and delicious with the addition of fresh ginger.

Ingredients: Spinach, Kale, Celery, Cucumber, Green Apple, Organic Coconut Water, Ginger and Ice.
CLEAN – GREEN – REFRESHING & LIGHT

This smoothie creates foam. Ingredients like spinach, kale, apples, and pineapple have insoluble fiber that traps air, creating foam.

My Green Smoothie is made without  Highly processed foods or added sugars, and are less likely to spike your blood sugar (blood glucose.)

I keep these ingredients in my crisper drawer – so a smoothie is minutes away from drinking.

ADD-INS you might add include: Greek Yogurt, Kefir, dairy or plant-based Milks, Avocado, Nut Butters, Protein Powder and or Bananas.

This is the first drink I made – “The Painkiller Mocktail” without unhealthy Coco López Coconut Cream.
Ingredients: Fresh Pineapple, Organic Coconut Water, Fresh Orange Segments (I like better than orange juice), Raw Honey, Vanilla and essential Fresh Grated Nutmeg.

This is the first drink I made – “The Painkiller Mocktail” without unhealthy Coco López.

Ingredients: Fresh Pineapple, Organic Coconut Water, Fresh Orange Segments (I like better than orange juice), Raw Honey, Vanilla and essential Fresh Grated Nutmeg.

After visiting St. Martin this winter – “The Painkiller” drink was favored by my husband and myself. Yes, it contained a good dose of rum…

History; The Painkiller: Created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar, it’s known for its soothing, sweet, and fruity flavor, often served over crushed ice with local rum.

So, I gathered ingredients – and importantly, I knew Coco López was out of the question! So I used Organic Coconut Water and Coconut Milk for the liquid. Frozen fresh Pineapple, Orange segments (not orange juice), a touch Honey and Vanilla, and some Ice – were the ingredients. The texture has nice body from the fresh fruit and ice. I topped the smoothie with freshly grated nutmeg – true to the original Painkiller recipe. Yum!

Coco Lopez Cream Of Coconut Ingredients: (I never use this product) Coconut Juice (Pressed Coconut Meat, Milk, Oil and Water (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)) (200%), Sugar, Humectant: Glycerol, Salt, Acid: Citric Acid, Emulsifiers: Mono and Diglycerides, Sorbitan Monostearate, Thickeners: Sodium Alginate, Xanthan Gum, Preservatives: Potassium Sorbate, Natural Rosemary Extract. 2 tablespoons = 130-140 calories with 18 grams of sugar!

Another fabulous smoothie made with raw beets – rich in antioxidants. My nutribullet personal blender effortlessly whirls these ingredient into a simply delicious smoothie with a little texture. Add a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt if you like.

Ingredients: raw beets, red apple, orange segments, fresh ginger, filtered water and ice.

A smoothie with a good concentration of beets has a bevy of health benefits!
Some are: fights inflammation, will keep your blood pressure in check and maintain good heart health, also improves digestion due to the presence of dietary fibers.

A smoothie is super-delicious and easy to make

A smoothie can taste great and still be healthy. You just need to add the right ingredients.
It’s a really easy way to get a lot of good fruits and vegetables. You can get a lot of nutrients packed into glassful.

Benefits of Smoothies:

• Increases your consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially if you are not getting enough
• Increases fiber intake
• Adding protein intake can make people feel fuller and reduces food cravings later in the day
• Can drink as breakfast of mid day snack
• They keep you hydrated
• Contains essentiel antioxidants and superfoods
• Can be convenient – have your usual ingredients on hand
• Economical – as your local shop will surely ask about $8 for one
• Easy to make; easy to digest

I’m finally making Smoothies!

What took me so long??

For the longest time I disregarded making smoothies. Yes, I have a high speed blender ( that is kind a pain cleaning.)

Because I like eating my calories, not drinking as much… I thought.
Jump ahead to this holiday season when I was tempted to buy a nutribullet.
They use powerful motors (often 600W to 900W+) and specialized extractor blades that create a cyclonic action, making them easy to use for single servings by simply loading ingredients into a cup, twisting on the blade, and inverting onto the motor base. 

This is the first drink I made – “The Painkiller Mocktail” without unhealthy Coco López.
After visiting St. Martin this winter – “The Painkiller” drink was favored by my husband and myself. Yes, it contained a good dose of rum…
History: Created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar, it’s known for its soothing, sweet, and fruity flavor, often served over crushed ice with local rum.

So, I gathered ingredients – and importantly, I knew Coco López was out of the question! So I used Organic Coconut Water and Coconut Milk for the liquid. Fresh Pineapple, Orange segments (not orange juice), a touch Honey and Vanilla, and some Ice – were the ingredients. I topped the smoothie with freshly grated nutmeg – true to the original Painkiller recipe. Yum!

ADD-INS you might include:

Greek Yogurt, Kefir, dairy or plant-based Milks, Avocado, Nut Butters, Protein Powder, Berries, Bananas (and small amounts of chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds. 

Ok, so I am not officially a smoothie drinker! Once in a while I drink for breakfast, but usually a mid afternoon pick-me-up.

If you are looking to add a healthy nutritional-punch in the New Year, especially in the months after the calorie laden holiday feasting – smoothies are a great idea to add to your repertoire!

Enjoy,

Karen