This smoothie is sweet, fruity and filled with essential vitamins that will kick-start your day in the healthiest of ways. I just entered the beginning of my third trimester of pregnancy, and I love to start my morning out with a healthy dose of vitamins and nutrients with a delicious smoothie. Plus, our household has been hit pretty hard with the cold season this winter, so it is a great way to ensure we’re getting our vitamin C and other immune-boosting nutrients to help our bodies fight off what has felt like one cold and sickness after another. It’s bad this year… Shorter duration of stuffy noses and sore throats? Yes PLEASE!
Most of the produce in this recipe contain high levels of Vitamin C. Each serving of sweet and tangy kiwi contains 13% of your daily needed potassium, 6% of your calcium, 10% of your vitamin E, 70% of vitamin K, 230% of vitamin C, and 2% of your needed iron intake. There are 2 kiwis in one serving, and this recipe calls for one, but luckily the kale fills in with all of it’s jam-packed nutrient content. Kale, or the “queen of greens” as its appropriately named, contains massive amounts of nutrients. I love knowing my day has only just begun and I’ve already had a mega-dose of one of the most antioxidant-packed and nutrient-dense foods out there. It’s fantastic brain food for a developing baby as well as for myself…goodness knows I need it – “pregnancy brain” on top of “mom brain” just about does me in on a daily basis. Bring on the brain food!
And here’s another little tip – I’ve found healthy smoothies like these to be great for that mid-afternoon sweets craving if you get those. Instead of hitting up Starbucks for a mocha frappucino, a healthy alternative is to make this smoothie in the morning and stick it in the fridge as an already-made way to tackle those sweets cravings while fueling your body with essential nutrients. If you’re want to get really fancy and indulgent, top it off with a bit of whip cream – it’s still way healthier than a daily frap. And you’ll save a lot of time heading straight home to this tasty treat in your fridge versus sitting in a long drive-through line, in addition to keeping that $4 in your pocket and saving yourself a good number of calories. Win-win-win!
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped Tuscan Kale (Lacinato/Dinosaur Kale)
1 1/2 c. diced, frozen mango
1 kiwi, skin removed
1/2 banana
1 mandarin orange, peeled or substitute 1/4 c. canned mandarins
1/2 c. sweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 c. Tropical V-8 (regular or diet)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
First, add the frozen fruit into the blender, then layer with the fresh fruit and cinnamon.
Add the kale and pour the liquids over the top.
Blend for 1-2 minutes or until liquified and smooth.
If craving as an indulgent treat, top with whip cream and a pinch of cinnamon sugar. I love Ambiance Cafe Collection’s brand of Cinnamon Hot Beverage Sprinkles that can be found on Amazon. We use it for hot and cold drinks. Delish!
Each cup of kale contains the following in terms of recommend daily allowance (RDA):
- Vitamin A: 206%
- Vitamin K: 684%
- Vitamin C: 134%
- Vitamin B6: 9%
- Manganese: 26%
- Calcium: 9%
- Copper: 10%
- Potassium: 9%
- Magnesium: 6%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus: 3% of RDA or more.
Makes approximately 3 cups
Additionally, vitamin supplements are a great way to make sure you are getting all your body needs in pursuit of embracing the healthiest lifestyle possible. I’ve used some of these brands myself, and specifically love the Nature Made brand that tailor to the dietary needs and fill in the gaps with specific gender differences in what nutrients and amounts that we need. While this is not a paid for or sponsored endorsement, I did find this article helpful in reading about the best multivitamins on the market.
Make it a lifestyle to get those nutrients!