Here are my Patriotic Smoothies I made over the 4th of July holiday. It was a super fun and delicious way to celebrate the 4th and keep cool at the same time!
I am loving all the fresh berries popping up in the super markets now that it is summer. I am all for buying fresh berries since they pack in incredible flavor + I love color! However, if you need to get frozen fruit, then go for it! Frozen fruit is picked at the peak ripeness, then frozen quickly to preserve the most nutrients.
I love berries because they are low in sugar, full of antioxidants and fiber…so fresh or frozen, you can’t go wrong!
EASY INGREDIENT SWAPS
In all of my smoothies over the weekend I used cauliflower rice in my base, but you can definitley use frozen green tipped bananas if you prefer. When I do use bananas, I using green tipped ones because they are lower in sugar and I personally just like them better. To keep the sugar content even lower, even though it’s from a natural source, cauliflower rice is great because it won’t change the color of your smoothies (like fresh greens), and it keeps your smoothie creamy! No you don’t taste it!
If strawberries aren’t your thing, then go for another red berry: red raspberries will turn this a little more pink, and cherries will deepen the red color.
Swap out the spirulina powder (purely for color!) for a scoop of organic greens booster. I love blue spirulina…it’s magical! Often times I use both the organic greens booster and spirulina, especially when traveling!
FAQ?
Are all berries interchangable and do they go well together? Absolutely! I love mixing my berries.
Are smoothies high in sugar and good for you? Absolutely not high in sugar and are GOOD for you. Berries are low in sugar, high in antioxidants, and also contain lots of fiber.
What are the best fruits to put in a smoothie? To be perfectly honest, no fruit is off limits. I love pears, melons, apples, and of course, berries in my smoothies. Just use your faves. I like to use less than a cup of fruit (mix n’ match) + 1 cup veggies (greens and/or cauliflower rice), plus liquid and this protein powder. If you prefer your smoothies thick like me, use less liquid.
I especially love smoothies during the summer when fruit is at it’s peak. They are especially refreshing right now since we are in the middle of a heat wave. The entire weekend was HOT with Monday being the most humid day. I thought about running a race either in Excelsior on July 4th or in Spicer on July 5th or this one in Delano. We ended having guests over on Saturday night and the evening got late so sleeping in sounded more appealing on Sunday and Monday’s race started at 7 am. Getting up at 5 am on Monday also didn’t sound like much fun🙄. I did have a fun festive run in spite of the heat starting and ending outside my front door, similar to last year 😉.
I tried sitting outside for a bit while enjoying my smoothie bowl which was great, but trust me, in less than an hour I was back in my cool house. To be honest, I was hoping to head to a near by lake with my hubby but he wasn’t at all the interested. Trust me, it was a lot cooler watching boats at the brewery the day before!
So I sat outside, geeked out at the golfers while I ate my afternoon smoothie, and tried to work on my computer before giving up and taking a nice cold shower.
Another fact…
Smoothies are never boring. It’s easy to swap out a couple ingredients to achieve a completely different looking, but just as delicious smoothie. Saturday I made this patriotic smoothie bowl with a frozen açaí packet from Trader Joes.
Frozen Açaí packets are amazing since they pack a nutrition punch and are also delicious. I have learned however if you use a more neutral fruit like mangos rather than berries, you’ll get a prettier smoothie. For some reason, berries and açaí together make a more greyish smoothie, espeically when you add greens like I did in the above smoothie. I love pretty smoothies.….I know I am not alone in this!
Are you ready to make a pretty smoothie bowl?
PATRIOTIC SMOOTHIE ~ 3 Ways
INGREDIENTS:
BASE:
- 1 cup cauliflower rice or banana
- 1 large handful blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries
- Açaí packet (optional)
- 1 serving Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 tbsp cashew butter or other nut butter
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- Blue spirulina (optional)
- Organic Greens Booster or fresh greens (optional)
- Small amount coconut milk and ice
DIRECTIONS:
- Blend your choice of berries with all other ingredients and optional açaí packet till smooth. Pour in bowl and top as desired. I have 3 very different smoothies based on my choice of berries.
- I kept my weekend smoothies festive and used strawberries, raspberries, coconut & blueberries.
Did you run in an Independence day theme race?
What is your favorite summer fruit?
How hot does it have to get before you to not run?
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