Super smoothies

Blend up your own whole-food elixirs with these unique recipes.

Sweet tooth healthy smoothie

Fear not, the sweetness of this refreshing smoothie is sourced from whole fruits including one of the more trendy superfoods: Lúcuma (Pouteria lucuma). This golden Peruvian fruit contains beta-carotene, iron, zinc, vitamin B3, calcium, fibre and protein. It comes in a powdered form and is a low-GI sweetener, meaning it won’t give you the spike and crash that white sugar or high-fructose corn syrup do. On its own, lúcuma tastes like something between maple syrup and caramel.

INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4 | PREP 15 MINS

1 cup apple juice

1 cup water

1 navel orange, peeled

½ banana, peeled

½ cucumber

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh fennel fronds

1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1 Tbsp lúcuma powder/highlight

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to a blender and mix to desired consistency.

Nutritional value (per serving): Calories 110; Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 28g; Protein 1g

Verdant Smoothie

At last, a green smoothie without spinach. Green tea, basil and moringa (Moringa oleifera) give this drink its deep, rich colour and the peaches are a subtle reminder of summer days. Moringa is rich in protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C and antioxidants.  Guyusa tastes like green tea without the bitterness. Its naturally high caffeine content offers a ton of jitter-free energy along with twice the antioxidants green tea provides.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 2 | PREP 15 MINS

2 cups cold guyusa tea/highlight

2 cups frozen peaches

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp moringa/highlight

1 Tbsp maple syrup OPTIONAL

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix to desired consistency.

Nutritional value (per serving): Calories 228; Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 24g; Protein 2g

Big fat energy drink

High-fat breakfasts are making a comeback, but this time the key is to have high-quality/ITC fat. Coconut oil and sunflower seed butter deliver instant, long-lasting energy. Chlorella, a freshwater algae, provides a boost of antioxidants and iron. That, plus the protein content of this smoothie make it ideal for vegan and vegetarian women.

SERVES 2 | PREP 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup nut milk

1 banana, peeled

2 shots espresso or ½ cup coffee

1 Tbsp sunflower seed butter

1 Tbsp liquid coconut oil

½ tsp cinnamon

1 to 2 tsp chlorella /highlight

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix to desired consistency.

Nutritional value (per serving): Calories 314; Fat 20g; Carbohydrates 36g; Protein 9g

More recipe inspiration: Try this immunity booster tropical bowl smoothie!