Raw food smoothies taste amazing and have many health benefits. Many people who are not deliberately partaking in a raw foods diet enjoy raw smoothies but may not realize they are consuming raw foods. Here is an overview of what they are, what the benefits are and how to make them.
What is a Raw Food Smoothie?
The simplest and easiest form of a raw smoothie is all fruit. You can also add a cup or handful of raw green vegetables for added nutrients. When mixing raw fruit and raw greens, you often never even taste the vegetables when adding small amounts. Greens like parsley or spinach can be virtually undetectable when mixed in a smoothie with fruits.
To make your smoothie truly raw and keep it vegan at the same time, dairy products such as yogurt should be avoided. Stick to fruits and water combined with perhaps dark green leafy vegetables, sprouted nuts, sprouted seeds, salt, raw oils, cinnamon, etc.
What are the Benefits of Smoothies?
You will be getting all the nutrients the fruits and vegetables have to offer when keeping the ingredients raw. When you cook the produce in any way, whether it is by steaming, roasting, boiling or even microwaving, you are losing some of the enzymes and nutrients. By consuming them raw and in smoothie form, you get all the vitamins and nutrients in a tasty drink that is easily assimilated.
How Do I Make A Delicious Smoothie?
The only equipment you really need to make these yummy treats is a blender. Fresh or flash frozen fruit are the easiest way to transition into this eating habit. Strawberries and bananas make an excellent tasting drink. Add a little water to make the blending easier, and you can add some ice for that frosty touch. You may also choose to add fresh squeezed juice in place or along with the water.
Once you are used to this dietary change, you can start incorporating green leafy vegetables in them. As mentioned before, spinach and parsley are great choices for starting out and offer an abundance of nutrition. Chard, romaine and kale are other good choices and really deliver a nutritional punch. Simply make your smoothies in the same way you have been, just add a handful or fresh, raw greens to them. You may have to add a bit more water to make blending a little easier. Soon you will be experimenting with different fruit and green vegetable combinations in your smoothies.
Consume smoothies immediately if possible. They can stay up to a day in the refrigerator, but the texture can change. If this happens, you can throw it back in the blender with some extra ice to make it frosty again.
Raw food smoothies are great for your health. They pack a ton of nutrients and essential vitamins in the best form possible, are easy to make, offer easy digestion and assimilation and taste wonderful.
Michelle Bosmier - Michelle Bosmier is a passionate nutrition expert, author and health journalist with a vast experience in dieting and wellness.
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