Green Smoothie with Basil, Berries + Cashews
A Smoothie For Breakfast To Dial Up Your Bod's Slimming Work
Posted March 15th, 2011 by noelle | View Comments
Berries, including strawberries, are packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants, or “free radical fighters,” may help prevent cancer and heart disease as well as slow the aging process. Enjoy more berries in your day with this green smoothie for breakfast. Smoothies for breakfast are a great way to nourish your body and ramp up your body’s overnight detoxification work at the same time.
Green Smoothie with Basil, Berries + Cashews
Serving Size: 1 (makes 16 ounces), ~320 calories per serving
Ingredients
1/3 cup cashews, unroasted and unsalted if possible (Why?)
2 tablespoons of good maple syrup or 1/4 TEAspoon Stevia*
2 cups strawberries, frozen
1 1/3 cup filtered water
1 handful (or ~1 cup) fresh spinach
3 sprigs fresh basil, stems removed
2-3 ice cubes, optional
Better-for-you ingredients
Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:
- Berries are packed with antioxidants. Fruit is also loaded with fiber, which is crucial in a cleansing diet.
- Cashews are a great way to get your protein as an alternative to meat, fish and eggs. Protein is a key part of a well-balanced diet.
- Stevia is a natural sweetener. Artificial sweeteners like Splenda often linger around in your bod gunking up the works. These sweeteners ultimately slow down your bod’s healing and rejuvenation work.
Directions
Place cashews, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice), strawberries, spinach and 1 cup of water into a Blendtec (or good powerful blender) until smooth and creamy. Add an additional 1/3 cup of water and more ice if desired. I enjoyed the extra tablespoon of maple syrup (for a total of two tablespoons), but if you prefer stick with less. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Notes *:
- Stevia is a plant native to Central and South America. It is 300 times as sweet as sugar, but has zero calories. I recommend the Nu Naturals brand of Stevia in powdered form.
- Soak cashews for 15-20 minutes in your blender to maximize the creaminess of your smoothie if you do not have a high powered blender.
- Leftover unroasted cashews? Use them in this Cashew Peach Green Smoothie and in this Dark Cherry Green Smoothie.
