Summer Berry + Veggie Smoothie

There are many ways to get your daily serving of fruits and veggies. Smoothies a particularly great because you can use lots of different fruits and vegetables in them, which makes them both healthy and delicious. You can try a variety of fruit and veggie combinations based on what is in season at our markets.This recipe takes full advantage of the berries and sweet carrots in season at our markets.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of frozen berries: berries are extremely rich in antioxidants, which your body needs in order to fight off free radical damage. This is turn prevents chronic diseases such as cancer. Frozen berries are used because they help to thicken the smoothie up.
• 1/2 a cup of carrots: carrots are the best food source of vitamin A that there is and half a cup provides you with more than 200% of your daily requirement. Vitamin A keeps your skin, eyes and hair looking vibrant.
• 1/2 a cucumber: cucumbers are made up of 96% water but contain vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and manganese, all of which your body needs.
• 1/2 a beetroot: the lovely purple colour that this smoothie has is thanks to the beetroot and berries in it. Beetroot is a natural athletic performance enhancer, making it ideal to have this smoothie before working out.
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds: nuts and seeds are nutritional powerhouses. They are rich in protein and fiber, both of which help to fill you up faster. In place of chia seeds you can also use flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
• 1 cup of water: and finally, you need a liquid to make this smoothie drinkable. In place of plain water you can also use coconut water.

Preparation

To prepare, add all of the ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a glass and garnish with a few sprigs of mint.

You can find more smoothie recipes like this one here.

Recipe contributed by Healthsomeness.com