Green Antioxidant Smoothie

Smoothies have been my go-to lately.

I'm at the point in my pregnancy where one bite of food makes me full.  Like I-just-ate-at-the-buffet full.  I'm running out of room baby!

Obviously, I need to make sure I'm still eating.  There is never a lull for baby, and it's so important he is getting as much nutrition as possible.  For me, it is important to keep my nutrients up and protect my gut health in preparation for labor and delivery.

Smoothies are not new news.  This is a simple and easy way to get in nutrients for your body.  In addition, it invites a lot of variety, as there are many different ingredients that you can try in your smoothie.  I think it's important to highlight different ways to make your smoothies as nutrient and antioxidant-rich as possible to get the most bang for your drink!

This was the smoothie I made this morning:

This has been my favorite the last two weeks: organic chard, organic blueberries, organic strawberries, half a banana, organic kefir and a spoonful of organic coconut oil.  Antioxidant Note the coconut oil- I find that adding a spoonful of a fat-enriched ingredient to my smoothies, whether it is coconut oil, chia seeds, or flax, adds to the taste and texture of the smoothie.  In addition, I feel better knowing I'm getting quality fats in my diet that are not only helping my brain but baby's brain too!

Here are a list of items we routinely use in our smoothies and some ideas for you too!!  I highlight lower glycemic index fruits (sugar is inflammatory and many people have gut issues with fructose), veggies that go great in smoothies, fats and milk/protein bases.  It's so easy to cover so many variety of vitamins and minerals in one drink!  Even if you experiment and try something new, you really can't go wrong.  I find the easiest way to make a healthy, great tasting smoothies is to pick one ingredient from each category below to add into the smoothie, but you can always double up on fruits and veggies! :o)

Enjoy your smoothies!

Base:

Organic kefir

Raw Milk

Almond Milk (we prefer Blue Diamond because ingredients are free of "gums")

Coconut Milk

Organic Greek Yogurt

Coconut Water

Protein/Nuts:

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein 

Almond Butter 

Nuttzo Organic Seed and Nut Butter (this is one of my faves!!! has 7 nuts and seeds-find at WF)

Veggies:

Chard

Romaine

Spinach

Carrot 

Kale

Fruits:

Banana (I use half because of high glycemic index)

Strawberries (high in antioxidants- buying organic is a must with berries!)

Blueberries (high in antioxidants- buying organic is a must with berries!)

Raspberries (high in antioxidants- buying organic is a must with berries!)

Goji berries (high in antioxidants- buying organic is a must with berries!)

Pineapple (use less of because of high glycemic index)

Apple 

Pear

Mango

Kiwi

Fats:

Avocado (this tastes great in smoothies!)

Coconut Oil

Flax

Chia Seed

Other:
Ginger
Gluten-free granola

Blessings,

Lindsay