Superfood smoothies make it easy to get concentrated nutrition into your family’s diet. They can also be a great way to have highly nutritious foods like kale, that don’t always lend themselves to simple recipes.
Using avocado in this recipe adds a creaminess, flavor and some wonderful nutritional properties. Mixed with all the minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients in kale, along with banana and kiwi fruit, this makes for an incredibly energizing and very tasty green treat.
Ingredients for Two
- Half a ripe avocado.
- A handful of organic kale. Unfortunately, healthy as it is, conventionally grown kale often has pesticide residues. If this is all you can find, soak it in sodium bicarbonate and lemon juice first or use veggie wash. Ideally though, organic is best.
- One medium sized banana.
- Two kiwi fruit. Scooping out the fruit from the skin with a teaspoon is much quicker than trying to pare the skin off with a knife.
- Around a cup of unflavored cultured yogurt (not the ‘fruit’ stuff filled with sugar).
- A handful of ice cubes.
Optional Ingredients
- 1 cup of diced papaya for many more health nutrients, along with proteolytic enzymes for digestive health.
- 3 tablespoons of fresh flaxseed meal increases the already high fiber content in this smoothie and adds essential omega-3 and estrogen controlling lignans.
- 1 cup of chopped pineapple gives extra antioxidants, vitamins and digestive enzymes. A good blender will handle the pineapple core so make sure you add it as it contains the most bromalain.
- 3 tablespoons of raw pumpkin seeds for more vitamins and minerals, along with phytosterols and special DHT inhibiting nutrients.
How to Make an Avocado and Kale Smoothie
If you enjoy making and drinking smoothies, it makes sense to get a good blender. I’ve had them in the past and found cheap blenders are false economy. Ice or any harder ingredients quickly wears them out and they seldom blend leafy greens like kale very well.
The difference, once I got this Cusinart 1000 watt blender, was amazing. Ice, nuts, seeds and other harder ingredients are all blended up instantly. Even tougher greens like parsley stems are pureed and drunk down with all the nutrients released from the fiber.
To quickly make this refreshing drink, first add your banana and yogurt, then push down the handful of kale and top it off with the avocado, kiwi fruit and ice. Blend it all up by starting on medium and then high until it is smooth and creamy.
This recipe has a generous helping of vitamin C to help prevent oxidization, but it’s still best to enjoy it as soon as you finish blending. I’d appreciate hearing what you think of this avocado and kale smoothie and any other variations that you’ve tried and enjoyed.
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Photo 1 credit with thanks: ktmadeblog
Photo 2 credit with thanks: thebittenword
That was delicious, thank you!
Thanks Lori for the positive comments.