Superfoods are loaded with so many nutrients and antioxidants that pack a powerful nutritional punch! By blending up superfoods into smoothies, you can increase the health benefits of your drink by miles.
Without further ado, here are 10 superfoods to blend into your smoothies for a nutritious delight!
Top 10 Superfoods for Smoothies
1. Cacao Powder
Cacao (pronounced: ka-COW) is one of the top must-add superfoods for smoothies! It is bursting with antioxidants and makes your smoothies creamy and chocolatey!
Health Benefits:
- Contains 40 times more antioxidants than blueberries.
- Has more calcium than cow’s milk. 100g of cacao contain 160mg of calcium compared to125mg of calcium per 100ml of milk!
- Natural anti-depressant and mood lifter.
- High plant based source of iron and magnesium,
Taste: Cacao is chocolate in its very pure form. It tastes like very very dark chocolate!
Blends well with: Cacao is amazing for smoothies that contain nuts, dairy and plant milks like almond milk or coconut milk. It also goes well with banana and avocado. You can blend up a creamy and chocolatey smoothie by adding 1-3 tsp of cacao powder!
2. Chia Seeds
Did you know that Aztec warriors consumed just one teaspoon of chia seeds for energy when they ran all the way from the Colorado River to the Californian coast to trade turquoise for sea shells?! Amazing fact right? Chia seeds are just the thing you need to give you the energy boost you need in the morning before work!
Health Benefits:
- Rich in omega 3 fatty acids that promote glowing skin, good heart health and lower cholesterol
- A great weight loss promoting food which keeps you full for long
- Increases energy and endurance
Taste: You can add chia seeds to any smoothie. But keep in mind that they can give your smoothie a gooey consistency when a large amount is used. Blend not more than 1-3 tsp in your smoothies.
Blends well with: You can add chia seeds to any smoothie out there! It blends perfectly with banana, dairy milk/plant milks, cacao powder and it also thickens ‘thin’ smoothies to give them the perfect consistency.
3. Dried Goji Berries
Goji berries have an acquired taste. It is tangy, with a slightly sweet and sour taste. Its taste falls in the category of tart berries such as cranberries and sour plums. If you find that you can’t eat goji berries on their own or on baked goods like goji berry oatmeal cookies, just toss them into a smoothie!
Health Benefits:
- Has cancer fighting properties.
- Contains high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin which support good vision and eye health.
- Reduces the amount of damage done by UV rays on skin.
- Increases and improves feelings of well being such as happiness, low stress levels, high energy and better sleep.
- Packed with beta carotene (that gives it a reddish orange colour) which promotes supple glowing skin.
Taste: Tangy with a slightly sweet and sour taste.
Blends well with: Add 1 tbsp of goji berries to a citrus based smoothie for a boost of Vitamin C and beta carotene! It goes well with pineapple, strawberries, apple, oranges and other citrus fruits.
4. Maca Powder
Maca root powder is an amazing superfood originating from South America. Ancient Peruvians prized it for its ability to improve fertility, sharpen memory, enhance stamina and more. It’s packed with a lot of calcium, in fact it has a higher concentration of calcium than milk! It also contains amino acids, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
Health Benefits:
- Improves stamina and increases energy.
- Has mood boosting properties that can cheer you up when you’re feeling low.
- It helps regulate the pituitary and hypothalamus gland functions which balances hormones.
- Consuming it helps sharpen up memory.
- It is an adaptogen which means it helps the body adapt to stressful situations which helps it manage stress effectively
- It improves fertility by balancing hormones that have gone out of whack.
Taste: Maca has a distinct caramel or malt-like flavor. Some describe it as being sweet, with an earthy, mildly nutty taste.
Blends well with: Maca blends well with cacao, milk, banana, acas berry, and any other fruit smoothie. Just add one teaspoon of it into your breakfast smoothie and you’re good to go!
5. Ginger
Ginger is one of the healthiest spices in the world! It is invigorating and most people LOVE adding it to tea to ‘wake’ them up in the morning! Check out the health benefits of ginger below:
Health Benefits:
- Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory food that fights inflammation and swelling in the body.
- It has natural pain-relieving properties that can alleviate headaches, menstrual cramps and chronic pain!
- Ginger relieves nausea, morning sickness, dizziness and loss of appetite.
- It lowers the risk of cancer due to its many types of powerful antioxidants including gingerols, shogaols, and zingerones.
- Ginger contains broad-spectrum anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-viral properties.
Taste: Ginger tastes spicy, warm and hot. Just add a tiny bit of it to your smoothies for a great spicy kick to your smoothies!
Blends well with: Add half an inch of ginger to any of your green smoothies! It blends well with citrus fruits and apple.
6. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are an incredible food to add to your smoothies. They are tiny seeds rich in healthy oils that are popularly used as a vegan substitute for eggs. That’s because once ground and mixed in water, they get a goopy consistency just like egg whites! Read on to discover their health benefits:
Health Benefits:
- They are filled with omega 3 fatty acids that nourish the skin, hair and nails, making them shine!
- Flaxseeds are rich in fiber that help promote healthy bowel movements.
- Flaxseeds can help naturally increase oestrogen in the body since they are rich in lignans which are plant hormones.
- Due to their plant omega-3 fatty acid content, called ALA, flaxseeds decrease the risk of cancer by inhibiting tumor incidence and growth.
- Research shows that daily intake of lignans decreases blood sugar which helps improve diabetes naturally.
Taste: Flaxseeds taste nutty, toasty and somewhat earthy.
Blends well with: You can add ground flaxseed to improve the thickness of green smoothies. It blends well with banana, cacao, maca, acai berry, bananas, dates, almonds and other nuts.
7. Coconut Flakes
If you love the taste of coconuts, then you definitely must add coconut flakes to your smoothies! They don’t just taste sensational though, check out their amazing health benefits:
Health Benefits:
- Coconuts are rich in antimicrobial properties that promote good gut health.
- They contain medium chain fatty acids such as lauric acid that supports good skin, health digestion and improved immune function.
- Provides your body and brain with quick energy.
- The medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil actually help boost fat-burning in the body, hence supporting weight loss. These MCTs have been shown to increase calories burned over 24 hours by as much as 5%.
- Consuming coconuts improves the health and appearance of your hair, skin, nails and teeth!
Taste: Coconuts taste well, just like coconuts! It’s sweet, creamy and chewy
Blends well with: Bananas, berries, nuts, any nut milk/dairy
8. Cardamom Powder
Cardamom is a spice that Indians love to use to spice up their food and desserts. Did you know that according to Chinese tradition, drinking cardamom tea promotes longevity? Here are more health benefits of cardamom powder:
Health Benefits:
- Cardamom aids digestion and treats stomach problems like gas, constipation and indigestion.
- Querecetin, a flavoinoid found in cardamom has anti-anxiety effects by reducing corticotropin-releasing hormone in the brain.
- Cardamom reduces inflammation in the body due to its anti-inflammatory compounds.
- It improves heart health, prevents blood clots and lowers blood pressure.
- Cardamom improves oral health and reduces cavities.
Taste: Believe it or not, cardamom is altogether sweet, citrusy, minty, spicy and herbal in its taste and aroma.
Blends well with: Cardamom blends well with chia seeds, apple, banana, dairy/plant milk, cacao and nuts.
9. Blueberries
These super berries are rich in antioxidants that fight off disease-causing free radicals. Blending blueberries into your smoothie make it refreshing and super nutritious!
Health Benefits:
- Blueberries contain anthocyanin, a flavonoid antioxidant that gives blueberries their deep blue color. This antioxidant helps guard the body against cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
- Eating blueberries keeps your skin glowing, dewy and youthful since they are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A that boost collagen.
- They help sharpen your memory, enhance cognitive function and balance.
- Blueberries helps reduce excess weight because they have a high fiber content which increases satiety and decrease fat storage.
Taste: Ripe fresh blueberries have a flavorful sweet/tart taste. You can also use frozen blueberries or blueberry powder in your smoothies!
Blends well with: Blueberries blend well with other berries and citrus fruits in smoothies. You can also blend them with banana, nut/plant milks, chia seeds, acai berry.
10. Acai Berry Powder
For years, people in the Amazon have been using acai berry for their various health benefits. When blended into smoothies, acai berry makes your drink a beautiful purple color! Let’s check out the benefits of acai berry below:
Health Benefits:
- Just like blueberries, acai berry contains anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals cause disease and premature aging.
- Eating acai berry improves brain function and protects the brain from damage and memory loss in raging individuals.
- Acai berry contains amino acids that increase energy production, stamina and endurance.
- It contains as much vitamin C as blueberries.
- Acai berry is rich in nutrients such as vitamins like vitamin A, B1, B2, B3 and E and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.
Taste: Acai berry has an earthy taste that is commonly described as a cross between blackberries and unsweetened chocolate.
Blends well with: Acai berry blends well with banana, apple, citrus fruits, nuts, chia seeds and nut/plant milks.
Those are our top ten superfoods for smoothies that enhance the taste and nutritious value of your drink! Which superfood do you like blend into your smoothies? Share below!
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