If you’ve made a renewed commitment to healthy eating, or perhaps had a little too much fun last weekend, this berry detox smoothie is just the ticket. It only takes minutes to prepare a drink that can give your body the nutrients it needs – not a bad way to start the morning. This beautiful purple detox smoothie tastes bright, refreshing, and sweet, with a little added zing from ginger as well.
Let’s talk about the detox part of this berry smoothie. The secret detox ingredient is…beets. I know. I KNOW. I’m actually not joking. Take the honest word of someone (me) who does not like beets at all: the beets somehow don’t overpower the smoothie – you can’t taste them. It turns out that the raw, earthy flavor of beets can be masked with sweet berries, honey, and ginger.
I don’t know if I was more surprised that I even put beets in a smoothie, or that I couldn’t taste them. You may be wondering, if I don’t like beets, why the heck would I hide them in a smoothie? I was encouraged to take the leap and try it a year ago when I developed smoothie recipes as a freelancer.
Besides turning the smoothie a beautiful deep red color, beets also provide a ridiculous number of health benefits that are hard to find in other foods. Mainly, your liver with thank you. All day your liver is working to filter and flush toxins out of the body to prevent illness and sluggishness. Beets strengthen and defend the liver so that it can do its job more efficiently.
Beets are also rich in nitrates, which help to improve blood flow throughout the body and just might aid in lowering that blood pressure. Science, man! Also, the high amount of iron and vitamin B in beets is especially good for pregnant women (this is NOT a hint, family). You want to keep going? There’s a bit of potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C, and folic acid in a regular old beet. Jeez, it’s too bad they taste like dirt to me.
The good news for those who share my taste of beets is that the other ingredients balance this smoothie so that the beets do not overwhelm the flavor. The berries in the smoothie provide plenty of vitamin C to keep your immune system strong, and ginger is another great detoxifier that helps with digestion. I might be nerding out a bit, but isn’t it so cool that all this naturally comes from food? No vitamin supplements necessary.
You probably need a high-powered blender to break down beets into smoothie form. If you do not have one, you can try straining the juice through cheesecloth, or simply make the smoothie without the beets. The other ingredients still make a wonderfully nourishing smoothie.
Here’s a trick: I usually make smoothies at night (let’s just say I not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the A.M.) and then refrigerate overnight, ready to carry out the door the next morning if need be. Which makes my breakfast a naturally detoxifying smoothie, that helps me to recover and restore a healthy balance.
- 1/2 medium beet, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 pear, cored, optional
- ⅔ heaping cup frozen mixed berries
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach
- 1 cup almond milk or cold water
- Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Adjust ginger and honey to taste. Add more almond milk (or cold water) to adjust consistency as desired. Serve immediately, or transfer to a lidded jar to keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- If you do not have a high-powered blender, you can try straining the juice through cheesecloth, or simply make the smoothie without the beets.
