Smoothies: An Easy, Tasty Way to Get Your Fruits and Veggies

Many of us have a hard time getting our recommended five to nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables. We have a simple and delicious solution: whip up a smoothie! Each of the smoothie recipes below includes a mix of fruit and veggies that pack a huge nutritional punch in each glass. Just click the smoothie of your choice to get the recipe.

Cherry Almond Spinach Smoothie 

This green smoothie from Meaningful Eats is pretty in pink! The almonds make the smoothie nice and creamy and add natural protein, while the citrus from the orange juice helps hide the green flavor so you get all the vitamins K, A, C, folic acid, and iron from the spinach without an overwhelming green taste.[i] The banana brings creaminess and potassium to the mix and cherries are a superfood that helps reduce inflammation, provides cancer-fighting antioxidants, and much more.[ii]

Beet Happy Morning Smoothie

This beautiful bright red smoothie from Fo Reals Life includes vitamin-packed spinach, strawberries for vitamin C and antioxidants, and orange for another vitamin C boost. The real star of this smoothie, though, is the beet. Besides lending the smoothie its striking color, the beet is a great source of potassium, fiber, iron, vitamins A, B, and C, beta carotene, and folic acid. Beets can also help remove toxins from the liver and blood, are a great source of energy, and contain tryptophan, which helps promote relaxation and mental well-being.[i]

Spinach and Basil Smoothie

Feel like something a little bit more savory? Sweet & Delish features this cool creation that combines nutrient-rich spinach with protein-packed Greek yogurt. Skim milk helps make it extra creamy and adds more calcium, and the basil not only adds a refreshing flavor, the phytochemicals in basil may even help reduce the stress hormone cortisol.[ii]

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Green Smoothie 

Of course this list wouldn’t be complete without a smoothie that tastes like dessert! This smoothie from The Veggie Nook provides both whole grains and veggies, and tastes like a creamy oatmeal raisin cookie. The sweetness comes from the raisins, dates, and almond butter, which brings protein to the mix. With a banana for potassium plus cinnamon and vanilla to complete the cookie flavor profile, and you might not realize there’s any spinach in it at all!

[i] http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/10/6-health-benefits-of-eating-beets/

[ii] http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20500778_3,00.html

[i] http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-spinach

[ii] http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Health-Benefits-Cherries-37512971