Sometimes after the silly season we realise we have been eating too much, drinking too much or just feel less than fabulous because we have been eating foods we wouldn’t normally…
Sometimes after the silly season we realise we have been eating too much, drinking too much or just feel less than fabulous because we have been eating foods we wouldn’t normally…As January rolls along often we crave light and nutritious foods – here are a couple of recipes from Breakfast Solutions (which I currently completing) as a fun start to your day. You have probably tried a green smoothie in the morning but here are recipes for a yellow and pink smoothie to get your day started with BANG or you may like to try them as a delicious afternoon energy drink.
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Mello Yellow Tropical Smoothie
This smoothie has a secret ingredient that’s really adds a great taste and texture to the drink…pumpkin! We realise pumpkin sounds like a strange ingredient but with the mango, pineapple and banana added – even the most discerning food critic will be surprised how this combination works extremely well.
Pumpkins is an excellent source of carotenes (beta-carotene in particular due to their orange colour) they also offer a very good source of potassium, vitamins A, B1 and C, vitamin B5, a stress reliever and ?bre. Foods high in potassium reduce the overall acidity levels of the body. Acid foods take calcium from our bones to buffer acidity levels. This weakens our bones, so a high acidic diet is a contributing factor for osteoporosis. Foods high in potassium reduce the net acidity levels in the body and help to keep calcium in our bones—where it belongs.
NOTE: We suggest cooking the pumpkin the night before and freezing the fruit so you can quickly make this for breakfast in the morning. You can even cook extra pumpkin and freeze in ice cube tray to use in smoothies.
Serves: 3 cups
Prep Time: 25 minutes if cooking pumpkin
Freezing Time: Overnight for fruit
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) coarsely chopped mango
- 1 medium banana, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) coarsely chopped pineapple
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) cooked, mashed pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or Omega Sufficiency oil
- 1 tablespoon macadamia nut or almond butter (optional – in Lunchbox Solutions, Chef Kate has five different nut butter recipes)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 cup (70 grams) yoghurt
- 1 – 2 tablespoons Vital Vanilla Protein (optional)
- 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) almond milk (please see our almond milk recipe) or milk of choice
Method:
- To cook pumpkin, peel and dice approximately 1 cup of pumpkin (1 cm/1/2 inch pieces), place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook over a medium-high heat, covered, for 5–10 minutes. Then cool and mash the pumpkin before using, or refrigerate until needed.
- Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend on high for 1–2 minutes. Add more liquid if needed and blend.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until needed.
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Think Pink Smoothie
The berries and maqui powder give this smoothie its bright and vibrant colour as well as its taste. Delicious and packed full of antioxidants and protein, this smoothie is a winner with children. The walnuts are fantastic for balancing behaviour and moods and terrific for brain function making them an ideal smoothie ingredient.
I make sure I tell my boys that maqui powder offers warrior strength. History tells us that the Mapuche Indian tribe or Mapuche warriors (the only tribe in the Americas that were not conquered by Europeans) ate very little solid food and drank a fermented beverage made from maqui berries several times a day. This may have contributed to the EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH and ENDURANCE that the warriors exhibited. Our glossary elaborates further on this remarkable berry.
Makes: 2 generous servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Freezing Time: Overnight for banana and berries
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, cut in small pieces
- 1/2 cup (70 grams) raspberries
- 1/2 cup (70 grams) strawberries
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) yoghurt
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil or Omega Sufficiency oil
- 1 – 2 tablespoons honey or agave (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons Vanilla Vital Protein
- 1 – 2 teaspoons acai powder or maqui powder
- 1 cup (250 ml) walnut milk (please see Chef Kate’s walnut milk recipe) or milk of choice
Method:
- Place all ingredients in the blender and blend on high for 1–2 minutes.
- Check to see if the smoothie needs more sweetener or liquid and blend again if needed.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until needed.
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Cheers to a healthy New Year!
From the desk of…
Jennifer Barham-Floreani
Bach. Chiropractic, Bach. App Clinical Science
Registered internationally, no longer practicing as a chiropractor in Australia.
