Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Smoothies - A Recent Discovery

So I recently discovered that I may not be getting as much omega-3 fatty acids as I should. That's not because they can't be found in a vegan diet, but because I simply have not been consuming any plant foods with significant amounts of omega-3. 

Flax seed has tons of omega-3 but I wasn't sure how to go about eating a tablespoon of the stuff on a daily basis. Then I discovered the power of smoothies. Smoothies are amazing because they are a treat, but at the same time you can hide a lot of nutrition in them! My personal quest is to see how much "junk" I can hide in my smoothies. Currently, I have been able to successfully hide 2 leaves of kale and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed. Not to mention that there is also about 2.5 servings of fruit. I am also playing around with hemp protein powder (hemp is good for you and has lots of protein too!). Unfortunately it makes smoothies a bit too gritty when you add the two tablespoon serving size. But I plan on trying it out with a bit less. I will keep you updated on the results. 



So here are my general guidelines for successful smoothie making:

1/2 cup frozen fruit (mixed berries, mango, peaches, pineapple, raspberries)
1/2 cup red kale (I pick red kale because it doesn't make the smoothie as green as regular kale)
1 banana
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (this will vary depending on how thick you like your smoothie)

Put ingredients in blender. I find that putting the frozen fruit in first lets the machine blend them up a bit easier. Blend until you no longer see pieces of green leaves flying by and the smoothie is moving fluidly.

Enjoy!

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