Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen wild blueberries or other seasonal fruit
- ½ cup frozen cranberries
- ¼ lemon with rind (optional)
- 2 tbs. almond butter
- 2 tbs. pumpkin-seeds
- 2 tbs. chia seeds
- 2 tbs. hemp seeds
- 1 small handful nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or pecans (optional: add a Brazil nut or two for selenium)
- 1 leaf de-stemmed, ripped-up kale or handful of spinach (optional)
- 1 tbs. extra-virgin coconut butter
- ½ cup unsweetened almond or hemp milk
- 1 cup water, plus 1 to 3 ice cubes if desired.
Improvise! It’s fine to use the greens, seeds, and seasonal fruits you have on hand — just strive to maintain suggested ratios.
For a fast to-go smoothie, put the ingredients in a wide-mouth Mason jar and use a hand blender to mix to desired consistency. Then drink one portion straight from the jar. Chill the unused portion for a great midmorning or afternoon snack.
You can also use a regular blender, if you prefer. If the shake is too thick, add more water until you reach a drinkable consistency.
Makes 2 to 3 servings. Prepared as shown, each 1-cup serving contains about 370 metabolism-boosting calories — a nice balance of plant-based protein, healthy fats, and phytonutrient-rich, fiber-packed, low-glycemic carbs. Rightsize the recipe based on your appetite and energy needs. You can also add unsweetened, plant-based protein powder and supergreens to further pump up the nutritional value, if desired.
Prep time: 3 to 5 minutes, including cleanup.
Thanks for the great recipes! I love to have chia seeds and flax seeds in my shakes and mixed in with my food, but lately I have been wondering if this will bother my appendix. Is that possible? I do not have diverticulitis, but obviously if someone did this would not be a good idea right?
Thanks for your great question, Heather! If you have a specific medical condition, you should definitely speak with your doctor or nutritionist. Many of us combine chia seeds and flaxseeds in our smoothies (or sprinkled on top of salads) without issue.