Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, yet it is often neglected in the rush of the school run. So a quick and easy to make Smoothie is a great way of starting the day with a healthy and nutritious boost in drink form. I always find the problem with smoothies is that you need a supply of fresh fruit to make them. In my house, if there is a punnet of strawberries in the fridge the kids will eat them in three seconds flat. Therefore there will be none left over for smoothie making. So I have overcome this problem by keeping a bag of frozen mixed berries in the freezer. They cost just £1.50 for a 500g bag which will be enough for lots of smoothie making. That way I always have the ingredients ready and available and it's so convenient as they can be blended straight from the freezer. The coldness of the fruit also makes the smoothie lovely and chilled to drink.
I wanted my smoothie to pack a nutritious punch and contain ingredients that would be health enhancing as well as delicious. The Californian almonds that make Almond Breeze are a superfood, so I used that as a theme for the Superfood Smoothie I made. I also wanted it to be easy to make as time is so limited in the mornings that I wouldn't have time to peel, weigh, prepare or chop up ingredients.
Superfood Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup of unsweetened Almond Breeze milk
1 good handful of frozen berries ; blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries and redcurrants
1 ripe banana (broken into four)
2 teaspoons of milled Goji Berries
Method
Put in a blender (milk first) and blitz until smooth.
Serve immediately.
This nutritious blend of natural superfoods is a perfect way to start the day. It's so quick, easy and convenient there is really no excuse not to make one! If you still need convincing, check out the nutritional properties of the ingredients.
Almond Breeze is low in fat and contains bone building calcium. The almonds are nutrient rich and contain monosaturated fats which helps reduce cholesterol. They also are rich in plant protein, iron and Vitamin E as well as other essential vitamins and minerals.
Bananas are rich in potassium which is good for heart health. They also contain vitamin B6 which helps eleviate mood swings and Trytophan which encourages feelings of wellbeing. Bananas also contain soluble fibre and a prebiotic substance that enhances the body's ability to absorb the calcium from the Almond Breeze. Along with the slow release of energy, bananas are a perfect addition to a morning smoothie adding sweetness and texture.
Berries bring a nutritional punch of vitamins, antioxidants, essential minerals and dietary fibre to the recipe, as well as a beautiful rich red colour and fruity flavour.
The milled Goji Berries and flaxseed contain Omega 3, fibre and antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals, adding an extra nutritional boost to the smoothie.
