Did you know when soup season ends, smoothie season begins?
Okay, that might not be an official thing, but it’s definitely the trend here around the AlgaeCal Kitchen.
This is a perfect time to recommit to this year’s bone health goals. A great way to do that is to reexamine your diet and see what simple, healthy improvements you can make. Take the opportunity to find new recipes that get you excited about clean eating again!
While searching for ways to ramp up your smoothie game, commit to finding recipes that push the boundaries of typical sugar-laden, low-nutrient standbys. Look for unique ingredients that add flavor, texture, and tons of vitamins and minerals.
Right now, we’re obsessed with zucchini and prunes. Zucchini is a great way to add bulk to smoothies without adding a lot of unnecessary calories and sugar. It packs a ton of potassium into each serving and has a super mild taste, so it blends well with all sorts of different fruit, vegetables, and spices. Banana is a wonderful source of potassium as well and why you’ll see both ingredients in the smoothie below. Potassium is not only important for overall health but bone health too! One study found that potassium reduces bone resorption (which is the process of breaking down bone) and increases the rate of bone formation in postmenopausal women.
Prunes, like dates or apricots, are an amazing sugar alternative. Naturally sweet prunes can be used in baking and other recipes to replace refined, overly-processed sugars.
Prunes are also a great source of bone-building nutrients like boron. Research has shown that just 4-5 prunes per day (the amount we have in our Chocolate Energy smoothie) can support healthy bones. For more, check out our post on Prunes and Osteoporosis. Prunes are also rich in dietary fiber and even act as a natural laxative in higher quantities — so don’t go overboard!
Remember to think outside the box. For more fiber and texture, try adding oatmeal or granola to your next smoothie. Looking for dairy-free creaminess? Avocado is your solution! Avocados also add healthy fat, which helps to keep you feeling full for longer.
We’ve put together a few of our favorite new bone healthy smoothie recipes to share with you. These are brand new and won’t be found in AlgaeCal’s Bone Healthy Smoothie Recipes eBook.
Each recipe makes a one-cup serving, but all can easily be scaled up to make larger portion sizes or multiple smoothies at once.
Feel free to customize these recipes and play around with flavors, but most importantly, enjoy!
Berry Blue Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup blackberries
- 1 cup zucchini
- 1/2 cup yogurt regular
- 2-3 cubes ice
- 1 serving plant-based protein powder optional
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!
Notes
Nutrition
*Protein powder not included in nutrition information. However, plant-based protein powders typically range from 18-25g of protein per serving.
Chocolate Energy Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cacao
- 2 tbsp peanut butter or PB2
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 small banana frozen, chopped
- 3-4 prunes (optional: try freezing them first!)
- 1 tsp coconut flakes
- 5-6 cubes ice
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!
Notes
- Magnesium: 34.4 mg
- Boron: 47 mg
Nutrition
Ras Buster Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 100 g acai puree frozen
- 1/2 cup zucchini
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!
Notes
- Magnesium: 373.5 mg
- Omega 3s: 50 mg
- Omega 6s: 625 mg
- Omega 9s: 3,060 mg
Nutrition
*Nutrition information for acai packets calculated from Sambazon
Do you have a favorite unconventional smoothie ingredient? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Fareah
April 1, 2018 , 2:24 pmI don’t want a smoothie!
I’d like a list of foods that help improve bone density?
Do you have that?