Yes, I know… my last few recipes have been all “VEGAN”, or “PALEO”… but that’s what happens when I’m searching for recipes that are dairy free and preferably gluten free! Now, I have no type of intolerance or allergy- eating either of these will not make me sick. However, when I eat dairy I tend to break out much more, and then I’m also just trying to exclude gluten wherever I can because too much of it is really not great for your either!

So, by searching for dairy free or gluten free recipes, often times paleo and vegan ones come up. Which I’m Okay with!! As long as they still taste good! And I’ve been quite pleased so far.

Now, I make myself a green smoothie almost every morning. Really it’s how I have to get my vegetables in because I have a bad habit of not incorporating many veggies in my diet. Normally my smoothie consists of a large heaping serving of spinach, 1/4 avocado, cucumber,  (occasionally tomato if I’m feeling real adventurous and don’t want my smoothie to taste good at all…), frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries), and then occasionally some sort of sweeter fruit (pineapple, mango, or banana). I then add a dash of almond milk and use water to provide the rest of the liquid.

Whenever I take these smoothies to work, my coworkers always heckle me for how gross it looks. Yes, I’m drinking something green, but I SWEAR it doesn’t taste bad (unless I put tomatoes in 🙂 ) So this Superfood smoothie added a whole new level of color to my drinks and turned them bright PINK thanks to two very beautifully colored ingredients… BEETS and PURPLE CABBAGE! Yes… this smoothie contains both of those, but I swear it’s not as bad as it may sound!

The purple cabbage in this smoothie provides wonderfully needed antioxidants and helps reduce inflammation of the gut.

The mango contains many different vitamins (including Vitamins K, C, D, and calcium)

The banana is your potassium booster!!

The beets in this smoothie have similar antioxidant powder to the purple cabbage

The chia seeds are a great source of plant-based Omega 3’s, fiber, and protein

The ginger is soothing for the gut, used as an anti-inflammatory agent, and an immunity booster!

The almond milk is your dairy free alternative, full of healthy fats and minerals!

And lastly, your maple syrup is your natural sweetener- has anti-microbial properties and is rich in minerals
Next time you’re feeling adventurous, try this smoothie out for yourself! Let me know what you think!!

RED VITALITY SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE (VEGAN, PALEO)

 

INGREDIENTS: 

1. 1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped purple cabbage
2. 1 small mango, peeled, core removed
3. 1 small banana
4. 2/3 cup cooked beets (about 1 medium or 2 small beets). Raw beets will work but will not be as smooth in the smoothie.
5. 10-14oz unsweetened original almond milk
6. 2 Tbs chia seeds
7. 1/4 tsp ground ginger
8. 3 Tbs pure maple syrup

PREPARATION:

Chop your cabbage and place in blender. Peel your mango, slice, and add to blender. Peel and cook your beets, or used precooked. Place beets as well as banana in blender. Add your almond milk, chia seeds, ground ginger, and maple syrup. Blend until smooth. You may add more milk if you’re smoothie is too thick.