Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Glowing Green Smoothie


Given that St. Patrick's Day is less than a week away, I figured a themed post was in order. I know St. Patrick's Day is typically associated with green beverages, green baked goods and pretty much anything {artificially colored} green and unhealthy.

HOWEVER, why don't you try something a little different this year? How about a healthy, nutrient-packed smoothie that is green without the help of any food coloring! And if you happen to wander out for a St. Patrick's Day parade, eat a green cookie and drink a green beverage {or 3}, you'll at least be happy to know you started your day off right.


Aside from the smoothie being a festive color and tasting great, why should you drink it? Well, because it's packed with vitamin C, fiber and other great nutrients! While all the ingredients in this smoothie are great, two of the powerhouse ingredients are ginger and spinach. 

Ginger is known to sooth the stomach and, evidence shows, is beneficial in fighting the symptoms from a cold or flu. And spinach, in addition to its nutritional benefits, has been found to have a powerful effect on muscle strength. In other words, Popeye got it right!


So, whether you want to power-up before a work-out or bike ride (the weather is getting warmer, right?), need help fighting off a cold, or just want a great way to start off your morning, try this smoothie - you'll be glowing after you drink it!


Glowing Green Smoothie

Yield: 1 serving | Prep time: 1 minute | Total time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 apple
  • 1 orange
  • 1 lime - juiced
  • 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Directions:
  1. Grate the ginger*, core and cut the apple into slices, peel the orange and separate the segments (remove the seeds if there are any).
  2. Load items into your blender in the order listed above (milk first, seeds last).
  3. Blend until smooth, pour into a glass and enjoy!
*Note: grating the ginger works much better if your ginger is frozen!


Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 330
Total fat: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 66 grams
Fiber: 18.5 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Weight Watchers points: 9


Enjoy and thanks for reading!
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