Kale, Shmale: 10 New Things to Add to Your Morning Smoothie
True story: I was at lunch a few weeks back with Dave Magrogan, the owner of Harvest Seasonal Grill in Glen Mills and University City, and he mentioned that his favorite thing to add to smoothies is aloe. My mind? One-hundred percent blown. I’d never heard of this! Turns out, adding a bit of aloe juice is a good call after all, since it seems to aid digestion and immune function. I’ll drink to that.
Recipe to try: Orange Aloe Creamsicle Smoothie [via Young and Raw]
2. Sea algae (a.k.a. spirulina)
This pulverized blue-green algae is chockfull of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Specifically: B-complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron and selenium. Awesome.
Recipe to try: Strawberry, Spinach and Spirulina Smoothie [via The Whole Food Diary]
3. Cottage cheese
Protein, protein, protein! Plus, there are only 50 calories in half a cup of the nonfat stuff. Just be sure to blend it up reeeeally good to get rid of the chunks.
Recipe to try: Blueberry-Banana Cottage Cheese Smoothie [via Ladybugs, Butterflies and Boxing]
4. Avocado
Last summer, Honeygrow made a Be Well Philly smoothie after I posted an ode to my new favorite source of heart-healthy fats. I can’t remember everything that went into the smoothie, but I do remember this: it had avocado in it. Oh, and also this: it was delicious.
Recipe to try: Beet-Avocado Smoothie [via We Are Not Martha]
5. Raw pumpkin seeds
Hello, zinc; hello, protein. (Find these suckers in the bulk bins at Whole Foods Market.)
Recipe to try: Coconut Pineapple Pumpkin Seed Smoothie [via New York Times]
6. Hemp seeds
Here’s what to like about hemp seeds: they’ve got a whole lot of fiber and contain all the essential amino acids in optimal proportions, making them a complete protein. Win!
Recipe to try: Mango Banana Green Smoothie [via Skinnytaste]
7. Ginger
Another additive to help with digestive distress. Also, in my opinion, the spicy taste really wakes you up in the morning!
Recipe to try: Pineapple Ginger Smoothie [via Gimme Some Oven]
8. Almonds
If your blender is powerful enough (i.e. if you’ve got a Vitamix or some such (lucky)), toss a few almonds into your next smoothie; if not, go for some natural almond butter. An ounce of almonds, which is about 22 nuts, has six grams of protein, plus nutrients like vitamins E and B2 and magnesium.
Recipe to try: Cherry Almond Smoothie [via Whole Foods Market]
9. Rolled oats
Pass the fiber and manganese, please—er, I mean the rolled oats.
Recipe to try: Banana-Oat Smoothie [via Martha Stewart]
10. Dates
If you want to add some natural sweetness to your smoothie, toss in a date or two. Lucky you: dates have some fiber, too.
Recipe to try: Date, Peanut Butter and Coconut Smoothie [via Be Well Philly]
See Also
4 Good-for-You Whole Grains You Haven’t Tried
Four Super-Nutritious Smoothies for Runners
