sweet miscellany

Grapefruit juice and carrots lend sunshine-y vibes to this banana berry smoothie while hemp seeds add protein. Enjoy this gluten free and vegan smoothie on mornings when you need an extra boost!

Confession time: I’m not the biggest smoothie drinker, especially during the colder months. But as the weather warms, I do like to enjoy one once or twice a week. For the most part they serve as a vehicle for me to deliver healing plants and herbs to my system. And since I don’t want to shock my system with too much fruit at once, I always try to add in veggies of some sort. I tend to rotate between leafy greens, peas, cauliflower, and carrots. The veggies make it feel more balanced and less like a sugar bomb!

So here we are, a “recipe” for my favorite combo lately. I really love pairing grapefruit with something super sweet like a banana. The combo mellows out the sweetness of the banana but it also eases the bitterness of the grapefruit. This smoothie is based on that marriage of flavors with carrots added in for beta carotene and berries for antioxidants. Since I tend to drink smoothies in the morning, I typically use herbs that can provide sustained energy and support my digestion. And in my opinion, you can never go wrong with adding in adaptogens because we can all use a little support with managing stress in the body.

Supplements Included in this Smoothie

If you make this smoothie, I encourage you to go with the supplements you like to use rather than randomly buying the ones I’ve used here. If I’m being budget conscious, I’ll typically only go with ground ginger and hemp seeds. Here’s a breakdown of why I included what you see in the recipe:

hemp seeds — for their omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, protein, manganese, & magnesium
ground ginger — for its stimulating properties, digestive support, & its ability to increase the potency of other herbs
maca — for its adaptogenic properties, antioxidants, & ability to provide a sustained energy boost
lucuma — to support skin and digestion
ashwagandha — for its adaptogenic properties and adrenal support

Rise & Shine Smoothie

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Grapefruit juice and carrots lend sunshine-y vibes to this banana berry smoothie while hemp seeds add protein. Enjoy this gluten free and vegan smoothie on mornings when you need an extra boost!

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 small frozen banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped carrots
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
juice of 1 grapefruit (or 2 oranges if you don’t like grapefruit)
3 tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp lucuma
1/2 tsp ashwagandha
1–2 cups plant milk

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a blender except for the plant milk. Pour in just enough milk into the blender to cover all of the contents. Blend until smooth, then enjoy! Makes 1 large smoothie.

Notes

The addition of the maca, lucuma, and ashwagandha are completely optional. If you’re already using any of these as part of your diet, feel free to add them here!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Category: smoothie