Smoothies are one my favorite things for a few reasons but mainly because I don’t know any other meal where you can toss in a bunch of different greens, veggies, and fruits – blend them up and flood your body with nutrients…just like that. BOOM!!! I mean in like under five minutes BOOM! How sweet is that?!
And to make things even a little sweeter, I’ll show you why adding these 5 top superfoods will turbo charge your smoothies leaving you energized and feeling spunky.
Hemp Seed
Hemp seed is a solid source of protein providing 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential and not produced by the body. It contains soluble and unsoluble fiber to help battle sugar cravings and keep the colon clean. It also has essential fatty acids (a good balanced 3:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6), and is particularly high in GLA (gamma linolenic acid) for heart health, hormonal support, healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Chia Seed
Chia seed is another super source of complete protein, high in fiber (14 grams in 1/4 cup), high in essential fatty acids, containing antioxidant levels higher than blueberries. This tiny seed helps to stabilize blood sugar and is a high stamina food.
Matcha
Matcha is a super metabolism booster, promotes energy and is rich in catechin polyphenol compounds that contain high antioxidant activity which prevents free radical damage and cellular oxidation protecting from cardiovascular disease, various types of cancer and even slows the aging process.
Camu Camu
Camu camu is mostly revered for having one of the highest amounts of vitamin C (708 mg per teaspoon) making it incredibly beneficial for a strong immune system, it also contains beta carotene supporting eye health, and helps maintain healthy gums.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a rich source of protein containing high concentrations of zeaxanthin which is good for overall eye health and could possibly reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. It also contains antioxidants for prevention of cell damage, iron, and GLA like hemp seeds. It supports a healthy immune system and liver health.
Well there you have it, I love adding superfood boosters to smoothies, they add so much to your energy levels, plus you reap all these incredible health benefits that support your health from the inside out. Good mood food right here folks.
If You Want to Simplify Your Life
Since life is hectic enough I’m always looking for ways to simplify things wherever I can.
So here’s a little tip that will make your whole smoothie making process even faster: make your own superfood smoothie powder. Super simple, you could figure this out yourself if you haven’t already but it’s nice to have a kind of guide with measurements to go off of.
You may be thinking ‘how much more simple could adding some seeds and powders to a smoothie be?’ but it can be pretty time consuming measuring each individual super food one by one. With this powder I simply toss it, my greens, fruit, and water (sometimes almond milk) into my Nutribullet, blend and done!
Making your own powder not only saves you precious morning time, or post workout time, or whatever time you have your smoothie time, but it saves your pocketbook too.
Ready made superfood powders can get up there in cost, and while this may not be the cheapest for the initial foods, it most definitely saves you mula in the long term.
DIY Smoothie Powder
- 2 cups hulled hemp seeds
- 1 cup whole chia seeds
- 3 Tbsp camu camu powder
- 3 Tbsp spirulina powder
- 2 Tbsp matcha powder
Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Store in a mason jar in your fridge. Keeping your seeds intact until adding them to your smoothie keeps the oils from the essential fatty acids from going rancid.
The first time you add your mixture to a smoothie you may want to start with a smaller amount to see how you like the taste and how it makes your energy feel. Otherwise 1/4 cup of your powder for a one serving smoothie will do.
If you’d like some ideas for nutritious smoothies you can check out my recipes here.
What are your favorite ways to super charge your smoothies? If you try this, let us know how it made you feel, in the comments below!
Hello Jess!
My girlfriend is into these kind of things and she is making smoothies every day. So, I am familiar with most of these elements you are mentioning in this article. I tried some of them but it doesn`t work for me. Every smoothie I tried so far tasted like punishment.
I really need to ask you; is there any way of making smoothies that will taste good? I don`t mind those natural ingredients but I feel i need to ad something more. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Haha you gave me a good laugh when you said the smoothies you’ve tasted so far have tasted like “punishment!” I got a visual of something out of a cartoon like a giant smoothie monster chaining you down and torturing you with all it’s green-ness! But on a serious note, I’m sorry to hear that your experiences with smoothies haven’t left you wanting more :(
A few simple suggestions I can offer would be to add spinach as your green base since it is the most mild tasting and is easily masked by other ingredients. Bananas and dates add nice sweetness, and try a liquid base of coconut water or coconut or almond milk. These things along with any other fruits, or superfood boosters are yummy!
Here are some of my smoothie recipes you may want to give a try. I hope this will give you a new positive experience with drinking smoothies so you can reap the many nutrient dense benefits for health :)
Wow, there are a lot of seeds among your smoothies ingredients :D
I was actually thinking about trying spirulina, as I’ve heard a lot of things about it, and I wasn’t sure. Your post really convinced me.
Besides the immunity and liver support, I’ve heard antioxidants keep the skin young, I mean they prevent the wrinkles. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s really worth trying.
And I really like that idea with the smoothie powder :D
About that smoothie recipe from the end, how long do you have to keep it in the fridge ?
Hi Ashley! You are right – antioxidants are awesome for your skin :) I would try to use up your smoothie powder within a month once it’s made, the hemp seed in particular can go rancid if not used up by then. I usually use mine up before that anyway :) Let me know if you try it!
Hi Jess, thank you very much for this post I loved reading it and hoovered up the information!
I´ve been on the smoothies now for a while and have a nutri-bullet which is amazing. One Thing that I haven´t been able to shake off is the sugat cravings and find myself going for biscuits and chocolate, a bit too much!
I´m going to give the hemp seed a go for sure. I´m no stranger to chia, spirulina, matcha and flax, but camu camu is new to me so I will get some of that too!
Great tip on mixing them all together and storing them in a jar in the fridge, never thought of that and this will definitely save me time!
Much appreciated and all the best to you,
Nathan
So happy you enjoyed the post, Nathan! Camu camu really is an amazing source of whole food vitamin C, I find it really gives my immune system a nice boost and makes a great addition to the blend. Enjoy your smoothies and let me know what you think of this superfood powder should you give it a try! All the best to you too =)