Just because a smoothie isn’t fruity doesn’t mean it isn’t good. This smoothie is light, refreshing and a reprieve from the world of fruit-flavored drinks. It’s also a perfect fit for The Belly Burn Plan’s 3-Day Cleanse, and will make a nice home as an alternative smoothie to the book’s original suggestions.
You’ll always find a bag or two of frozen spinach in my freezer. The half cup of frozen spinach found in the recipe is the equivalent of three to four cups of the fresh variety. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy fresh spinach. I do! But if I’m blending something, or if I want to make a soup with some added greens, I add in frozen spinach.
Spinach is a great source of vitamin K, vitamin C and folic acid. You can also find a plentiful amount of iron, B2, magnesium and fiber in spinach, too!
Avocado is one of my favorite fruits. Like olive oil, Avocado is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. In fact, the oleic and linoleic acid found in avocados have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels.
I also like to add coconut milk to my smoothies. Coconut milk is a great source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which gets converted to energy faster that nearly any other fat. MCTs are considered the "athlete's energy" for this reason. Consider swapping coconut milk in place of dairy milk to your smoothies to reap the benefits.
Serves 1
Ingredients
½ cup coconut milk (canned, full fat)*
½ cup water
½ cup spinach, frozen
¼ avocado
¼ cucumber, peeled
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
¼ tsp cinnamon
Preparation
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 60 seconds, or until mixture is smooth. *Canned coconut milk solidifies on top, so be careful opening the can. When you do, slowly stir it up before adding the 1/2 cup to your blender.
