Summer is fully underway, bringing warm weather and sunny skies! In an attempt to cool off, one of my favorite summer past-times is experimenting with new ways to create the perfect superfruit smoothie using as many in-season produce options as possible. With a simple blender and the right ingredients, revitalizing your mornings with a superfruit smoothie is actually easier than people think. From the nutrient-packed kale to the ever-popular acai berry, here are my five favorite superfruit smoothie recipes to try during the summer!
5. Detoxifying Green Smoothie
A typical summer weekend filled with cocktails and decadent food can do a number on your digestive system and body as a whole. To help manage these indulgent weekends, I like to start my Monday’s off with a detoxifying green shake full of all the antioxidants and cleansing nutrients that my body is craving. This specific recipe includes organic kale, green apples, spinach, lemon, cucumber and a dash of agave nectar or local honey. The two stars of the show are definitely kale and spinach, as they are both jam-packed with fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, as well as iron and calcium to help your mind and body feel its best throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed kale leaves
- 1 cup packed spinach leaves
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 green apple
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or local honey
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 3 ice cubes
4. Carrot Mango Smoothie
From antioxidants to beta-carotene, the health benefits of carrots have been well documented for hundreds of years. But just being honest, who actually likes the taste of plain carrot juice? On my quest to find a suitable coverup for the carrot flavor, I developed a unique smoothie recipe that leverages the sweetness of mangoes to accomplish this. Add in a dash of turmeric, ginger and a drizzle of local honey and you’ve got the perfect carrot-containing smoothie! I’ve also found that replacing mangos with oranges brings a bit more tang to the table and is equally delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped mangoes/oranges
- ½ inch fresh ginger to taste
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar or local honey
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- 3 ice cubes
3. Raspberry Almond Smoothie
Off all the different flavors representing on this smoothie list, I still find myself partial toward anything with raspberries in it. That perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness gives so much brightness to a smoothie and pairs so well with the slight bitterness of the blended almonds. In case that the raspberries are a bit too tangy for your liking, you can always add a half banana to the mix to bring out the sweetness profile a bit more. This is actually one of the easier smoothies to make and the ingredients can be found in most supermarkets. However, we always suggest supporting your local farmers market and using only organic and locally sourced fruits, nuts and veggies in your summer smoothies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raspberries
- ¼ cup of unsalted almonds
- ½ banana (if necessary)
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 ice cubes
2. Chocolate Beet Berry Smoothie
Now this isn’t a smoothie I would typically have for breakfast as it is a bit sweet for my morning taste. However, I’ll often find myself making one of these chocolatey creations as either a midday pick-me-up or a late night guilty dessert. The key ingredient here are the beets, which blend almost invisibly and tastelessly into the chocolate and berry flavors. With a banana, frozen berries and almond milk as the base, simply blend in cacao powder, chopped dark chocolate, chopped beets and then garnish with pomegranate arils and granola for a truly decadent snack.
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 1 beet, root and greens
- 1 cup of frozen berries
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tablespoon of cacao powder
- ¼ cup of chopped dark chocolate
- ¼ cup of granola
- ¼ cup of pomegranate arils
- 3 ice cubes
1. Spinach Acai Berry Smoothie
In light of all the various smoothie recipes previously mentioned, my personal favorite remains the simple yet elegant acai smoothie. In addition to its amazing antioxidant properties, one of the main reasons I love the acai berry so much is due to its versatile flavor profile. Being not too sweet and not too tangy in either direction, acai berry is able to be blended and mixed with a myriad of various fruits and nuts to create unique and healthy variations. My favorite version of this contains frozen acai berries, dark chocolate, almond milk and spinach as the base and topped off with Goji berries, bananas, shredded coconut, granola, raspberries and drizzled with honey. I totally understand that most people do not have these ingredients in their house, which is why I suggest experimenting with the acai berry smoothie to find your perfect (and not too complicated) blend.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen acai berry
- 1 cup packed spinach
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ banana
- ½ cup raspberries
- ¼ cup gogi berries
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- ¼ cup granola
- 3 ice cubes
Creating delicious and healthy smoothies that your body will love is all about creativity and most importantly, having fun! Enjoy the process of picking out your bundles of produce, talking to the farmer that grew it and before you know it, your mind and body will both be at peace. We’d love to hear your feedback on these recipes and invite you to share your own in the comment section below.
