Green tea, ginger & spinach smoothie (anti-oxidant boost)

This smoothie makes a delicious change to the traditional fruit-based ones. It is refreshing, dairy-free and packed with nutrients. Its vibrant colour is down to the spinach and avocado in it. A super way to get your 5, or is it 10 portions of fruit and veg a day?!

I have used a little apple to sweeten this smoothie. However, it you prefer, a sugar substitute like stevia or lucuma powder works well.

To make this smoothie even more nutrient–rich and satisfying, I add ground chia or ground flaxseed, which boosts the omega, fibre and protein content. To increase the protein content even further, I add protein powder too (soya bean, pea and whey varieties work well).

If you do not want to any of these supplements, simply omit for a less creamy smoothie or substitute for 25g silken tofu, steamed squash, cauliflower or pumpkin.

I love this smoothie; it is refreshing, healthy and satisfying, making it a super healthy breakfast, pre-work out drink and great to boost your energy levels.

Makes: 1 glass (approx. 300ml)

Preparation time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

14 cashews, soaked in 60ml water or green tea or coconut water for at least 15 mins (or overnight)
50g avocado, roughly chopped
50g spinach (frozen or fresh)
½ apple (red or green)
150ml chilled green tea
4 ice cubes (ideally made from green tea)
2-3 cm chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 ½ tbsp protein powder (pea , soya-bean and whey work well) (or 25g silken tofu or steamed squash/ cauliflower/ pumpkin)
½ tbsp ground chia seeds or ground flaxseed

Optional: for an extra-anti-oxidant zesty burst, you can add either:

1 1/2 tsp baobab powder
1 tsp camu berry powder
1tsp acai berry powder
Juice from ½ a lime

To garnish: fresh fruit, eg. Sliced strawberry.

Method:

Throw all the ingredients in a blender.

Whizz until smooth. Taste and adjust if required. This smoothie is sweet enough for my palate, but it you want it sweeter, you can add ½ tsp lucuma powder/ honey/ agave/ date syrup or stevia.

Pour into a glass. Decorate with fresh fruit and serve. Enjoy!