Having a smoothie for breakfast can be an easy, quick and heart healthy choice. This one is particularly heart healthy and below read the 7 reasons why you might want to drink this heart healthy smoothie for breakfast.
Powerhouse of Nutrition
This smoothie is packed full of goodness! It is a powerhouse of nutrition that you can drink any time of day. Rather it be a morning pick-me-up or an afternoon energizer, you'll love the flavor and also knowing you are are the right track with your nutrition.
Using frozen fruit makes this recipe fast and simple. So, grab your frozen organic berries, oats, flaxseed, greens, non-dairy milk, juice and peanut butter. Throw all the ingredients into your blender and in a few minutes you have a delightful, balanced beverage!
Read below about why this is a Heart Healthy Smoothie.
Plant-based recipes are Heart-Healthy! Check out ore Heart-conscious recipes:
- Green Berry Smoothie
- Healing Turmeric Smoothie
- Rick's Superfood Smoothie
- Roasted Squash Salad
- Vegan Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream
Make your own non-dairy milk to add to this smoothie and all your other plant-based recipes. Most non-dairy milks last between 3-4 days in the refrigerator. So, if you are looking to add more smoothies to your diet, it's very helpful to have these ready.
Read about How to Make Delicious Homemade Nut, Seed and Grain-Based Milk
7 Reasons to Drink This Smoothie
- It’s a good way to eat more greens. Add some spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce and you’ll be on your way to having your daily dose of greens. Don’t be afraid to use steamed or add a handful of raw.
- The blender does the chewing for you and helps release all the goodness in your food.
- Cranberries contain polyphenols and they may boost heart health by alleviating arterial stiffness.(1) And, blueberries help reduce atherosclerosis. Not to mention that both of these antioxidant rich berries help prevent urinary tract infections by blocking bacterias ability to bind to the bladder’s wall. (2)(3)
- Oatmeal can lower your cholesterol. It’s soluble fiber binds to cholesterol and ushers it out of the system. (4) Use cooked or raw.
- Clinic studies have shown pomegranates to be heart healthy. From Dr. Fuhrman, Pomegranate “not only lower cholesterol, but also lower blood pressure and increase the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.”
- Flax seeds, which need to be ground to be bioavailable, are rich in lignans and omega 3 fatty acids and “scientific studies have confirmed that flax seeds have a positive influence on everything from cholesterol levels and constipation to cancer and heart disease.” (5)
- “Soy’s lunasin peptide is “nutritional magic” for your heart. Lunasin is a naturally occurring peptide found in soy that disrupts production of cholesterol in the liver and clears LDL from bloodstream.” from news-medical.net.
If you’re concerned about soy, you can substitute unsweetened almond milk.
I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Heart Healthy Smoothie! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.
The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition
- Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
- May be minimally processed
- No added oil
- No added sugars
- No artificial additives or preservatives
- Sodium (mgs) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
- Total Fiber to Calories, 3g ≥ 100 calorie
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 0 minutes |
Servings |
person |
- 1/3 cup frozen organic blueberries (unsweetened)
- 1/3 cup frozen organic strawberries (unsweetened)
- 1/3 cup frozen organic cranberries (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 Tbl ground flaxseeds or whole
- 3 large leaves romaine lettuce or other greens
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk like Westsoy or other unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
- water extra, as needed to thin
Ingredients
|
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add more water if you’d like it a little thinner.
References: (1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21411615 (2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20660283 (3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19441868 (4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21631511 (5)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568181
You say to add more water but there is no water in the ingredients.
I added a note at the end of the ingredients. The extra water is only needed if you’d like your smoothie a little thinner. Hope that makes it more clear. ????
Can’t wait to try!!
????I think you’ll enjoy it!