Clean 7 Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to add a boost of nutrition to your diet. Not only do they provide a simple way to sneak more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, you can also pack fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, and other goodness into a smoothie. I recently decided to add more smoothies to my regular diet. Here you will find several of my favorites that I like to call the Clean 7 Smoothies.

Selecting Ingredients

Making delicious smoothies is pretty easy if you keep a few basics in mind. Select ingredients from each of the following categories to create the “base” of your smoothie:

Liquid (almond milk, coconut milk, water, fruit juice)
Fruits and/or vegetables
Healthy fat (coconut or other oil, seeds, nuts or nut butters, avocado)

From there you can also add spices or extracts and/or other superfoods to add bulk, flavor, texture and nutrition. These may include oats, seeds, cocoa, ginger, flax, etc. If you want to add more sweetness to your smoothie, add a few dates or bit of stevia.

You’ll notice some of my favorite ingredients in many of these recipes. . .

Flax seeds or flax meal adds a boost of both soluble and insoluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. It may add a slight nuttiness to your smoothie, but most of the time, you won’t even know it’s in there.

Sweet potato helps to bulk up a smoothie to make it more of a meal. Plus it adds fiber as well as iron, calcium, selenium, vitamin C, and a hefty dose of most of the B vitamins.

Tahini, or sunflower butter, will give your smoothie a rich, buttery texture. Not only that, but it adds vitamin E and selenium, which combat heart disease and inflammation as well as help to regulate blood sugar.

It’s easy to sneak spinach or other mild greens into many smoothies for an added dose of phytonutrients, such as iron and calcium.

I use both almond milk and coconut milk in my smoothies. Coconut milk is much higher in calories and fat (especially canned coconut milk). Consequently, it makes for a richer, creamier smoothie. If you use almond milk, you may want to add tahini or another butter for more creaminess, Additionally, coconut milk is the obvious choice for people with nut allergies.

Ok…let’s get to the recipes!

Clean 7 Smoothies

Mango Coconut

This smoothie combines vitamin-packed mango with lime and a kick of ginger.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon flax meal

13.5 oz. can coconut milk

1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup frozen mango

1 teaspoon lime juice

Zest of half a lime

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon stevia

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blitz on high for 30-45 seconds until combined. Serves 2.

Piña Colada

Create a taste of the tropics at home with this creamy Piña Colada Smoothie. This simple recipe is not only creamy and delicious, it is also filling.

Ingredients

13.5 oz. can coconut milk

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon stevia

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blitz on high for 30-45 seconds until combined. Serves 2.

Berry Colada

Add a handful of mixed berries and some sweet potato to the basic Piña Colada Smoothie for a boost of antioxidants and vitamin A.

Ingredients

13.5 oz. can coconut milk

1 cup frozen pineapple

Mixed berries

1/2 medium sweet potato, cooked and skinned

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blitz on high for 30-45 seconds until combined. Serves 2.

Chocolate Avocado

Avocados provide beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids that help with weight management, brain health, and help regulate cholesterol. They also add a rich, creamy texture to this smoothie. *Disclaimer: This smoothie was not my favorite. Maybe a few modifications would make it taste better.