Here’s everything that goes into my morning smoothie and why I add each ingredient:
1 cup (8 ounces) unsweetened almond milk (for calcium)
2 tablespoons (14 grams) ground flaxseed (I buy whole, organic seeds, grind enough for a few weeks in my blender, and store in the fridge. I add this for fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids)
2 scant scoops (37 grams) Orgain Simple plant-based vanilla protein powder (I buy it at Costco)
1/4 teaspoon (less than 1 gram) organic turmeric (reduces inflammation)
A few grinds of organic black pepper (helps activate the curcumin in the turmeric)
1 teaspoon (3 grams) organic beet root powder (boosts nitric oxide in the bloodstream)
1 teaspoon (4 grams) organic amla powder (dried Indian gooseberries; helps lower cholesterol)
2 teaspoons (4 grams) powdered greens (I dry kale, beet greens, spinach, mustard greens and powder them in my blender)
1/2 teaspoon dried hibiscus flower powder (super high in antioxidants)
1/3 – 1/2 frozen banana (for sweetness and body; I freeze super ripe bananas in slices for easier blending)
1 scant cup (about 100 grams) frozen berries (for sweetness, fiber, Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anthocyanins)
This smoothie gets me off to a great start and it’s delicious! Here are the nutrition stats:
- Calories 378
- Protein 28 grams
- Carbs 45 grams
- Fat 13 grams
- Saturated fat 1 gram
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 500 mg
- Fiber 12 grams
- Sugar 24 grams (6 g from the protein powder, the rest from the fruit)
- Potassium 754 mg
- Calcium 66% (858 mg)
- Iron 48% (9 mg)
- Vitamin A 21% (189 mcg)
- Vitamin C 93% (84 mg)
Some spices, and supplements can be contaminated with lead or other heavy metals, so we always buy organic. If you’re just using turmeric in a curry dish once in a while it’s probably not a concern, but since we use turmeric daily we are more cautious. I usually order online from Mountain Rose Herbs, which is based in Eugene and does their own testing and quality control. I often order Amla powder from Amazon.
If you search any of the above supplements at nutritionfacts.org you will find videos detailing the science as to why they are so beneficial.
