Based on newsletter feedback, for April I am creating all “banana-free” smoothies. My first creation is a Blueberry Energy Superfood Green Smoothie – filled with antioxidant power plus a variety of superfoods to keep your energy going for hours after enjoying this green smoothie.

If you like smoothies, you should totally follow my Smoothie Board on Pinterest.

Since all of my green smoothies have had banana in them, this was a great experience to start to work on banana-free recipes. What I like about this recipe is that the frozen acai mix makes the smoothie have a somewhat “icee” texture while still tasting smoothie-like.

It’s important to remember that green smoothies are awesome because you can throw in whatever you have, hit blend and it will come out great. The big benefit of using banana in smoothies is that it helps to make the smoothie have a creamy texture.

If you don’t like bananas or are allergic to the fruit, my general recommendation is to use avocado in place as both will provide the same level of creaminess in your green smoothie.

For this smoothie I selected the following superfoods: acai (in the frozen mix), maca and chia seeds. The chia seeds can help thicken the smoothie as well. I like the maca because I feel like it gives me an energy burst and makes me feel alive.

Check out some of the health benefits of acai (from Eat This):

• Purple acai has been found in studies to have high levels of antioxidant activity.
• There have been some promising results in studies that show acai may help with the symptoms of diseases due to chronic inflammation such as asthma and autoimmune disorders.
• The antioxidants in acai, including high levels of vitamin c, may help to boost the immune system.
• A study published in the journal Nutrition found that rats fed high fat diets along with acai pulp had lower levels of total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol than rats who were fed high fat diets without acai pulp. The anthocyanins in acai may also help to lower cholesterol levels.

What about chia seeds? They aren’t just for pets anymore! I like chia because it’s one of the least expensive superfoods and has great health benefits including:

• Just 1 tablespoon of chia seeds contains 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 2282 mg of Omega 3 and 752 mg of Omega 6 fatty acids!
• A significant concentration of fiber combined with their ability to absorb 10 times their weight in water also makes chia seeds excellent for maintaining regularity. This fiber content also helps normalize blood glucose levels by slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.
• Chia seeds contain respectable concentrations of potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and manganese.
• Chia seeds are extremely nutrient-dense, with one of the highest antioxidant concentrations of any known food. (from mother nature network)