2 Delcious and Healthy Seasonal Smoothies

I am sure you all agree with me that eating seasonal food is good for health. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that we get the best tasting seasonal produce at great price. When it comes to smoothies, nothing beat quality seasonal produce and I know I am not the only one who can drink smoothies during winter. In fact, keeping your body well-nourished is more important in winter months to prevent weight gain from eating comfort foods and to ward off the nasty germs that cause cold and flu. Smoothies are the nutritious way to stir things up, if you have a good blender and quality ingredients handy in the kitchen.  I enjoy my smoothies at room temperature, hence everything I use is fresh.  If I have to use frozen vegetables or fruits I thaw them a night before.

Posted January 26, 2015 Republished January 6, 2024 with a video on YouTube.

I recently picked green chard, fresh turmeric, persimmon, ginger, avocado and grapes for anti-inflammatory green smoothie. Ginger and avocado are not a winter crop. However ginger adds a nice brightness and avocado gives the smoothie a rich and creamy texture and its healthy fats make this smoothie more filling. Those who cannot gulp down the anti-inflammatory green smoothie, for them I have persimmon and mandarin bliss. There is no added sugar or artificial sweetener of any kind. Both the recipes are rich in anti-oxidants and dairy free.

Let’s go over some of the ingredients to understand how exceptional these seasonal smoothies are.

Persimmon

The brilliant orange color skinned fruit, which is similar to a tomato in appearance , is infact a berry. It tastes delicious. Low in calories, high in beta carotene and minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and iron, and studies have found that they also contain twice as much dietary fibre per 100g as apples, plus more of the phenolic compounds thought to ward off heart disease. Being rich in fibers, this fruit can be relished by diabetics to curb the hunger levels. It is also known to regulate the level of sugar in blood. There are two types of persimmons and many varieties of each. I have used kaki variety in my smoothie.

Fresh turmeric:

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and related to galangal. It has a delicate flavor,  much more pleasant than the dried or powdered varieties. On the other hand, it has a very loud color – deeply orange inside an orange-tinged beige-brown skin, that can stain your hands, cooking utensils, and clothes, even more than turmeric powder. Hence wear disposable kitchen gloves while peeling or grating. Even covering the cutting board with plastic wrap, parchment or wax paper helps. Before using, scrub the roots really well with a veggie brush to get all the dirt off. You don’t need to peel or scrape turmeric to use in smoothies or curries but I like to do. To minimize staining while grating stretch a piece of plastic wrap on micro plane. Fresh unpeeled turmeric can be kept in the refrigerator for two to three weeks. To store, wipe dry, wrap in a clean paper towel and place in a Ziploc bag. Or freeze the grated or sliced turmeric in usable sizes wrapped in plastic wrap and then in a ziploc bag.

Turmeric contains magical anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents, as well as having natural antibiotic, antiseptic, and analgesic properties. It can improve digestion, purifies your blood, lowers cholesterol, heals stomach ulcers, prevents gas and bloating, help fight rheumatoid arthritis. It is just INCREDIBLE.

It’s  important to check with your practitioner if you have a liver condition as turmeric can be hard on your liver in some cases.

Chard

The earthy-tasting Swiss chard is a member of the beet family, and really packs a nutritional punch. It is a great source of vitamin K, A and C, and is a wonderful cauldron of potassium, magnesium, iron and fiber. It is high in antioxidants, making it another great super food. It grows in all seasons, only extreme cold weather kills it but then it sprouts back in the spring.

Mandarin orange

Like all members of the citrus family, they provide a boost of vitamins and minerals, yet have few calories and not even 1 gram of fat.  They have a delightfully sweet flavor less acidic than orange. Their bright orange skin is easy to peel, and inner segments can be easily separated. There are seeded and seedless varieties

Grapes

Grapes are actually berries! There are numerous varieties of grapes and each version of the grape has its own taste and goodness. Green grape is the sweetest and most commonly found variety. They are high in water content and good for hydration. High water-content fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense, meaning they provide a large amount of essential nutrients while containing few calories.

Hemp Hearts

Hemp hearts are  teeny tiny super seeds. There are many seeds that boast super food status but few taste this fantastic. They are higher in protein and omega 3 & 6 than flax and chia seeds, and they are lower in carbohydrates than flax and chia seeds. They have a nice little nutty flavor and are great sprinkled on top of salads, yogurt, or added in your favorite smoothie. You can also make hemp milk from hemp seeds. I haven’t tried it myself yet but purchased it from Costco. It comes in different flavors. I used the unsweetened in smoothie. Next time you are looking for a milk alternative, give hemp milk a try!

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