Valentines Day Smoothie

A nutritiously packed smoothie that is perfectly pink for this valentines day. Filled with strawberries, raspberries, dates, love and deliciousness this is great in the morning or as a post workout drink.

I love incorporating fruits and veggies in my smoothies. Usually, smoothies are my go to breakfast as I can get on with my day and keep sipping it for atlas half an hour. Why that long? Sometimes if you ingest your smoothie/milkshake fast, the chances are you might feel bloated. This is because even though all those ingredients are blended and easier to ingest it doesn’t mean they don’t need time to digest. So I usually take longer to finish my smoothie in comparison to sitting down and eating a meal.

There are many variations to this smoothie depending on your preferences however I am here to tell you that if you stick to the quantities you will not have an issue with consistency. I have used almond milk, as the base for this recipe but yo could use coconut milk, oat milk, rice milk or regular milk as well. For fruits I’ve added fresh strawberries, bananas, raspberries, and dates – you could use frozen fruit as well as long as they are unsweetened and the ingredients on the pack only say frozen fruit. As for nuts I used walnuts but you can use any nuts you have. In reference to add ons, I also like sneaking a little raw beetroot into the smoothie, you don’t taste it but it gives a little earthy note and amps up the flavor.

When it comes to protein, if you are consuming this at the end of your workout then adding a whole scoop of protein powder makes sense to keep those protein levels high. But if you are having this as a breakfast smoothie you could add 2 tbsp greek yogurt or half a scoop of protein powder to ensure there is protein in there but not as much. I also like using Vital Proteins Collagen in the smoothie. You could also add a teaspoon of flaxseed powder or chia seeds but I like t switch it up. Sometimes I add a tsp of coconut oil for an additional healthy fat consumption. As for the garnish, I used a raw beetroot cut into the shape of a heart. You can roast the beetroot as well or steam it. But be mindful that it will stain your tongue – incase you drink it and after a date right after.

Food Pairings –

This smoothie is lovely to have with some granola for additional crunch, you could serve it with avocado toast. Salmon cream cheese crackers too. Scrambled eggs or any eggs preparation is a good option. I would reduce the portion size of the smoothie if you are serving it with food as the smoothie is a meal in itself. You could also serve this with Eggs Benedict or my Breakfast Muffins.

Now that we have covered how to make this, let us get started and spread love with this smoothie. Happy Drinking Ninjas!