Superfood Smoothie On The Go~Smoothie Cubes
I, like many of you I suspect, love smoothies; especially a superfood smoothie on the go! They’re nutrient dense which makes them effective; but what they aren’t is convenient. Yes, they are convenient when you consider how much salad one would have to eat in order to acquire the same amount of vitamins and minerals; however, when you consider the clean up and preparation of all the ingredients that make up a complete smoothie, then they can be quite a pain.
Like a labor pain, which I know nothing about, we do it because the reward is worth it; and although I have not one tool to alleviate the discomfort of birth, I can do a little something about smoothies- smoothie cubes!
The process is simple, prepare a large quantity of your favorite smoothie and fill ice cube trays with the mixture and freeze. And just like that you have smoothie cups- the portrait of convenience! I store my smoothie cubes in freezer bags and they last for ages (real time: up to 5 months).
The merits of smoothie cups are far reaching! For instance, berries, peaches, cherries and the like are currently gracing the markets with their presence, by taking the time prepare smoothie cups now, you can enjoy the summer fruits of your labor during the winter chill; and when you are ready to enjoy a convenient superfood smoothie on the go, just drop a couple of your frozen smoothie cubes in blender with a liquid of your choice- nut milk, juice, water; and BOOM you’re good to go!
Superfood Smoothie On The Go~ Berry and Pistachio Smoothie Cubes
Adapted from Alive Magazine
2 cups plain almond milk
2 cups mixed berries; I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup kefir
1 tsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon
1/3cup raw pistachios
Place all ingredients into a blend and blend until completely smooth. Divide the mixture among three ice cube trays and freeze until solid, about 3-4 hours. Unmold and place in an airtight container and place in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
When you are ready to make a smoothie, place 1 cup of liquid and two smoothie cubes into a blender; and blend until smooth.
***This was the recipe I ended choosing for my audition video…check it out here!
While healthier in more ways than one, smoothies can be very acidic than vinegar. This means that it can damage the teeth enamel. So, even if you drink smoothies and not have to chew something, it’s still important to brush your teeth afterwards to wash away the acidity.
I had asked my dentist about this earlier this year, and she let me know that when consuming acidic foods, like wine and the like, it’s best not to brush afterward; because when we eat, nutrients leave the tooth enamel (in sure there is a far more scientific explanation!) and about 30 minutes later return. So when we brush immediately after, we wash away those enamel essential nutrients. One of the methods she gave me was to eat nuts or include nut milks in my smoothies to reduce the amount of leaching!