blood orange smoothie

Smoothies are a year round thing in my house, not as much with Zoe, but Eli and his peeps love them! It can be cold and pouring out and Eli and his peeps will still want a smoothie. That’s why I always keep a batch of frozen bananas and some fresh or frozen fruit on hand, so when the troops come home, I’m ready to go!

The kids and I have been naturally cutting back on refined sugars, and trying to find healthier unrefined alternatives for snacks and dessert in general. You know what’s funny, it hasn’t been hard to do at all, because as you naturally break away from refined sugars, your taste buds appreciate the taste of “real” food! Seriously, give it a shot and take a 30-day break from processed food or refined sugars and your taste buds will change! The moment you eat something sugar laden, it will taste too sweet and fake! It’s pretty cool!

Smoothies are a great healthy snack or breakfast, as you can experiment with them and add in just about anything. I love this blood orange smoothie because it’s a seasonal smoothie, as it uses oranges!  Seasonal produce rocks, because the fresher the produce is, the more vitality, vitamins and antioxidants you get from it. This smoothie not only has vitamin C, but contains potassium and healthy fats as well, which growing kids (and adults) need for their brains and bodies! Oranges are high in natural sugars, but the fats in the smoothie help to balance those sugars, and stabilize blood sugar levels.

This smoothie was rated a 10 in my house by four 11-year-old boys! This isn’t just a kid’s smoothie, as I love it too! I usually drink half the smoothie, and then put the rest in glass jar with 3 tablespoons chia seed, (if I didn’t add in the chia seed earlier) give it a stir, cover it and put it in the fridge for a healthy snack or on-the-go breakfast! So easy and so tasty!

Ok, let’s get blending!

blood orange smoothie:

serves 2

• 1 1/2 cups milk of choice, you can use dairy or a non-dairy milk – I’ve used coconut, brazil nut, almond and regular old milk – Eli loved the regular milk smoothie best!
• 1 blood orange, peeled and pith removed – you can also use a regular old orange 
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – if you’re using a sweetened nut milk, then you will just need 1/2 tsp
• 13-15 raw cashews – your kids will not taste these, they just add a bit of extra fat, protein and creaminess
• 1 frozen banana – if you don’t have a frozen one, you can just add in some ice to compensate for the non-frozen banana

Freeze your ripe bananas: I just started getting into the habit of freezing ripe bananas this past year, and it’s genius, as I’m not tossing out and wasting ripe bananas anymore, and I always have some on hand ready to go for smoothies! Just peel a banana, put it in a ziplock freezer bag, zip it up and toss it in the freezer. They’re perfect for smoothies because they add the cold element to the smoothie without the watery aspect of the ice. Come on, there’s nothing worse than a watered down smoothie!

All you have to do to make this smoothie is the following:

Add the milk, orange slices, vanilla, cashews and frozen banana to a high-powered blender.

Blend away until smooth and creamy! That’s it folks!

Give the smoothie a taste and if you want it a bit sweeter, add in a bit more vanilla, or a Medjool date.

If you’re daring and sneaky, you could add in any of the following to boost up the nutritional value add in some more healthy fats:

•  1-2 tablespoons chia seeds – Chai seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and improve mental focus. The chia seeds will be noticed by kids, as they gel up in consistency and absorb the liquid, but Eli likes chai seeds, so he doesn’t mind the texture.
• 1-2 tablespoons ground flax seeds – Flax seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, they strengthen the immune system, help to prevent cancer, and can help normalize a woman’s menstrual cycle.
•  1 tablespoon coconut oil or coconut butter. This adds an extra dose of healthy fat which enhances brain function and the immune system. Just to be clear, the body does not store coconut oil as fat, it actually metabolizes the fatty acids into energy, perfect for kids and athletes! Tip: I would melt the coconut oil down and let it cool a bit before adding it as it can be hard to break down in the smoothie when it’s cold. 
• Collagen – Since school started, I’ve become a huge fan of this stuff. It’s flavorless and dissolves easily. It helps regulate the body’s metabolism, builds connective tissue in hair, skin, and nails, and it’s full of protein. You can actually learn more about this product and the company here.

I’ve made this smoothie for the kids with almond milk, coconut milk and regular milk.  All were loved, but Eli loved the regular milk one the best.

I’ve made this smoothie for myself with homemade brazil nut milk and it was delish!  I also added in some chia seeds, collagen and melted, but cooled coconut oil to give myself some extra omegas, healthy fats and fiber!

Give this smoothie a try. I’ve tested it on four 11-year old boys and they’ve all been BIG fans!

This isn’t just a kid’s smoothie, as I love it too! I usually drink half the smoothie, and then put the rest in glass jar with 3 tablespoons chia seed, (if I didn’t add chia seed earlier) give it a stir, cover it and put it in the fridge for a healthy snack or on-the-go breakfast! So easy and so tasty!