Blood Orange Superfood Smoothie
If you have been around here before, you know that I believe smoothies have been the biggest contributor to my significant weight loss to-date. I drink a smoothie every morning and love the energy the smoothies give me and the weight loss benefits as well. If you are new to LTF, welcome! And don’t forget to signup for my Smoothie a Day newsletter – a fresh, healthy smoothie each weekday!
The superfood smoothie recipe I’d like to share today packs a ton of nutrition from the fruit and the superfoods. It’s important to note, if you don’t have the superfoods, you can still make this smoothie and it will still taste awesome. I know the superfoods are expensive so just put in whatever you have and/or can afford. I’ve got some tips on how to save money when buying the various superfoods later in this recipe post. You can also sub regular water for the coconut water.
Today’s smoothie includes the first time I’ve tried a blood orange. Looking at my Instagram feed, blood oranges are the talk of the town currently. If you don’t have access to blood oranges, you can use a regular orange or 3 clementines. I am often asked about substitutions on the Smoothie a Day newsletter and the answer is “Yes” – you should always feel free to swap out fruit or use what you have left over. Smoothies are totally flexible.
Don’t just take my word for it. Check out this comment from Lauren on my Green Smoothie recipe: “I tried this smoothie this morning– my first green smoothie! It was DELICIOUS! I was pretty suspicious of the whole this-thing-will-keep-you-full part. I woke up super hungry and this totally satisfied me and I feel great. I’m usually so lethargic in the morning. I’m excited to replace my normal breakfast with your smoothies. Great recipe, thanks Allen!” Comments like Lauren’s hit my inbox every day now and bring such a smile to my face. We are totally getting people hooked on how awesome green smoothies are for our health and frankly for our lives.
- 1 blood orange
- 1 frozen banana
- 4 ounces orange juice
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 dropper stevia (I like NuNaturals alcohol-free variety)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon acai berry powder
- coconut water to blend to desired consistency (I liked this one a bit on the thin side)
- Blend and enjoy.
- Optional: top with a few goji berries or some additional chia seeds.
Now that you have the recipe, check out a couple bullet points on the health and nutrition of each of the superfoods. Go to the source sites to get more details on how these superfoods can help you feel great and lose weight.
Acai Berry
- Lower cholesterol – 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.
- High in antioxidants – Purple acai has been found in studies to have high levels of antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are beneficial because they fight against the free radicals, high amounts of which are associated with lower rates of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. (source)
Chia Seeds
- The most popular health benefit of chia seeds is the fact that they are effective in boosting weight loss efforts. Chia seeds are rich in soluble fiber and protein and they also have carbohydrates that are slowly digested. These two factors combine help to curb your appetite and increase fat burning.
- The high fiber and antioxidants in chia seeds help with detoxification. When fiber is consumed, the body is effectively able to remove waste and toxins from the body. Additionally, antioxidants help with toxin and waste removal as they work to eliminate free radicals. (source)
Flax Seeds
- Flaxseeds are a a great source of fiber and work as a natural laxative. They are a great way to keep things regular.
- Flaxseeds are a good source of magnesium.
- Preliminary research in mice shows that flaxseeds may prevent or slow the spread of prostate cancer. (source)
Buying Superfoods
I’ve found the best places online to buy superfoods for your smoothies are Amazon and iHerb. Offline I’ve found that Whole Foods has the Goji Berries and the Chia Seeds in their bulk department at better prices than online. Plus with the bulk departments you can buy a small amount to try each superfood. Of course you will love what the superfoods do for you! Especially since they don’t change the taste of the superfood smoothie.
Check out some other groovy posts:
This superfood smoothie looks totally refreshing Allen! I added blood oranges to my shopping list for tomorrow.
Thanks Megan!
I would love to try blood oranges but we don’t seem to get them out her. But I will use your suggestion with using an orange instead. Looks like a nice refreshing drink.
where are you located vita?
I am located in a suburb of Chicago. I will try Whole Foods since they seem to have things that the local grocery stores don’t have.
Yea I am sure WF will have some – if they don’t ask the produce people – they are really friendly
maybe they have a secret stash in the back!
Funny how apprehensive you were of the green smoothies 1 year ago…I still remember the look on your face when I asked you to try it! Now you are spreading the message to the masses! Good stuff
I am sure that look was priceless
I am sorry Linda, you want me to drink what? A glass of fruit plus spinach? Ha! Green smoothies are awesome!
I was eating lunch at Central Market while reading your smoothie recipe. I headed immediately over to get some blood oranges. Made this smoothie tonight and it was DELISH. Another winner Allen!
I found Blood Oranges online at Local Harvest. They were shipped fresh (picked on Monday, shipped Tuesday) and I got them 2 days out of the field. Quality was very high, taste was fabulous. Definitely worth the cost!!