Snack Idea #2: Super Food Smoothie Recipe

It’s super fast, easy, and absolutely delicious. All you need are the six fresh ingredients below and a blender and you’re ready to make this on-the-go snack for a great boost of energy.

Ingredients for Super Food Smoothie:

• 6 medium strawberries
• 7 cubes of pineapple
• Voscos vanilla Greek yogurt (single serving)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup sweet red bell pepper
• 1 cup kale (chopped)

Directions:

Just measure out the ingredients, put them all in a blender (I love my food ninja single serve processor), and blend to your desired consistency. Sometimes on a hot day I like to add ice to make it really refreshing. Read on to find out some of the many health benefits of the various ingredients.

Kale – high in fiber, vitamin A, calcium, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin K, manganese, iron, and potassium. Protects from damaging free radicals, may help prevent heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis, cancer, and eye problems.

Red Bell Pepper – vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta carotene, folic acid, phyto-chemicals, lycopene, iron, copper, zinc, potassium, manganese, magnesium, selenium, and b-complex vitamins. May help protect against cancer, heart disease, eye problems, and blood clot formation. Boosts immunity, has anti-inflammatory compounds, and helps facilitate cellular metabolism.

Blueberries – fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B complex, vitamin E, vitamin A, copper, selenium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. Prevents infections and cancer, neutralizes free radicals, aids in reducing belly fat, reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, promotes urinary tract health, helps preserve eye health, helps to heal damaged brain cells and neuron tissues which keeps memory in check and improves learning capacity and motor skills, improves digestion, improves mood, ranks highest of any fruit for antioxidants, lowers blood cholesterol, improves glucose control and insulin sensitivity which lowers the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and boosts immunity.

Greek Yogurt – high protein, calcium, lower carbs and sugar than regular yogurt, less milk sugar and lactose which means it’s less likely to upset lactose intolerant people, helps maintain digestive health, and bone health.

Pineapple – vitamin C, manganese, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, copper, folate, and thiamine. Has tons of antioxidants, fights free radicals, may help prevent atherosclerosis, heart disease, asthma, cancer, arthritis, ear infections, colds, and flu, aids in proper immune function, energy production, and helps with eye health.

Strawberries – vitamin C, manganese, fiber, folate, iodine, potassium, magnesium, vitamin k, and omega 3 fats. Very high in antioxidants, improves blood sugar regulation, contains phyto-nutrients which have anti-inflammatory properties, aids in cardiovascular health, decreases risk of type 2 diabetes, may prevents cancer, helps maintain eye and bone health.

What’s your favorite afternoon pick me up?

This is a guest post by Kat Spangler, a certified personal trainer and nutrition devotee.  Find Kat online at The Kat’s Meoww or Twitter @katspangler.