Soy Milk

You’ll have to ditch dairy if you’re trying to make vegan smoothies. Luckily, there are many plant-based alternatives on the market, and soy milk is one of the very best.

Silken Tofu

Tofu is another soy-based food that happens to be a great vegan source of protein. It may not be the most obvious smoothie add-in, but you won’t even feel its taste when mixed up with other ingredients, especially if you opt for silken tofu.

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A post shared by Mtofu Kenya – Vegan Food (@mtofukenya)

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a great smoothie add-in because it happens to be very protein-rich—just make sure to always pick a non-fat, plain variety to keep your smoothies on the healthy side.

Hemp Seeds

You can add all sorts of seeds to your smoothies to up their protein content, and hemp seeds happen to be one of the best options since they pack 10 grams of protein per three tablespoons.

Nuts and Nut Butters

Nuts happen to be a great source of protein, but you can also use any nut butter in their place if your blender isn’t powerful enough to handle them.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nicolette Casarotto (@naturally_nicolette)

The post Protein-Rich Ingredients to Use in Your Smoothies appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

This smoothie recipe from I Love Vegan is not only healthy for you and packed full of nutrients, but it’s also plant-based and full of healthy fats and protein to give you energy and keep you satiated until lunch. Plus, smoothies are super easy to make, so you can get your day started quickly. Here’s how to make it happen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ripe banana, frozen
• ½ cup (125 ml) chopped mango, frozen
• 1-2 large handfuls of baby spinach
• ¼ cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds (Pepita seeds)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) hemp hearts (hulled hemp seeds)
• Optional: ½ scoop (approx. 30ml) vanilla protein powder + ¼ cup (60ml) water

Instructions:

1. Throw the banana, spinach, pumpkin seeds, mango, and hemp hearts into a blender. Add almond milk and blend until smooth. That’s it!
2. This recipe makes about two cups, which is a good serving size for one person, but it’s very easy to double or even triple if you want to make enough for multiple people.
3. All in all, it’s a great source of vitamins B6, C, E, A K, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and healthy fatty acids. Yum!

The post You’ll Want to Drink This Healthy Smoothie Every Morning appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

The freezer is a very effective tool for preserving fruit. Almost all fruits—from melon, banana, plum, peach, apple to strawberries and berries—cope well with freezing, with the exception of citrus fruit.

The home freezer works at a very low temperature. Low enough, to turn water to ice. Fruit that freeze and thaw will always be more soggy than their fresh counterparts. This is because of the process of freezing water in the fruit freeze in the form of crystals, which cause fluid loss during thawing.

So, freezing fruit means the most appropriate use of them should be chosen in advance. To get the most of frozen fruit, group pieces of fruit you like into several bags, with each bag containing enough fruit for one serving of smoothie.

Freeze the bags and just pull one out and grind in a blender every morning with water, orange juice, yogurt—or any liquid that will help you get a yummy start to your day.

The post The Best Way To Freeze Fruit appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Step 1: Add Frozen Fruit

In order to keep your smoothie bowl from turning into a smoothie, you need to use frozen fruit. Choose your favorite fruits and add them to a blender. Add some frozen bananas to give your smoothie the creaminess. If you don’t like bananas, you can use avocados, but you’ll need to add more honey/maple syrup in the next step.

Step 2: Add Milk & Honey

Add 3 tablespoons of the milk of your choosing and 1-2 tablespoons of honey, depending on how sweet your want it. For a vegan option, use maple syrup instead of honey.

Step 3: Blend

Start on a low speed and then increase the speed to high. Make sure all the ingredients get down into the blades. Turn off the blender and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the container and to push the ingredients into the blades. Keep blending until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Step 4: Add-Ins

If you want to put add-ins like chia seeds, protein powder, nut butter, or acai powder, put them in now.

Step 5: Toppings

When the smoothie reaches the consistency you want, pour it into bowls. Now’s the time to add the toppings which set smoothie bowls apart from smoothies. Some topping you can use are granola, nut butter, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and flaked coconut.

The post Your Step-by-step Guide to Making a Smoothie Bowl appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are one of the best sources of calcium and iron, two important nutrients to keep your body strong. To make sure you eat enough of these greens, make sure you put in things like chard, kale, and spinach. Since they are all neutral flavors, you can put them in any type of smoothie without altering the taste.

Beets

Beets are not only a gorgeous color, but they are full of manganese and potassium. Since they are naturally sweet, pair them in a smoothie with a tart green apple and whatever other fruits you like to add.

Celery

Although this is not something you would ever think to put in a smoothie, if you make a smoothie that is on the sweeter side, like with strawberries or mango, you really will not be able to taste it at all.

The post These Smoothie Recipes Will Help You Get In Your Daily Amount Of Vegetables appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients:

To prepare this hangover smoothie you will need basics that you probably have in the freezer. As the name suggests, get one cup spinach and 1/2 cup blueberries. Also get one banana and 1/4 cup of either coconut milk, water, orange juice, apple juice or almond milk to your choice. The last thing you need is four ice cubes. The simplest ingredient list ever.

Preparation:

Put the banana, blueberries, the juice or milk, and ice cubes together in a blender. Blend them until you get a creamy mixture. This is the time when you add the cup of fresh spinach and blend again. You won’t be needing any sugar, but if you feel like you want the hangover smoothie to be sweeter, simply add some stevia to it. This is literally the best eye-opening recipe ever.

The post The Perfect Smoothie To Cure Your Hangover appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Soy Milk

You’ll have to ditch dairy if you’re trying to make vegan smoothies. Luckily, there are many plant-based alternatives on the market, and soy milk is one of the very best.

Silken Tofu

Tofu is another soy-based food that happens to be a great vegan source of protein. It may not be the most obvious smoothie add-in, but you won’t even feel its taste when mixed up with other ingredients, especially if you opt for silken tofu.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mtofu Kenya – Vegan Food (@mtofukenya)

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a great smoothie add-in because it happens to be very protein-rich—just make sure to always pick a non-fat, plain variety to keep your smoothies on the healthy side.

Hemp Seeds

You can add all sorts of seeds to your smoothies to up their protein content, and hemp seeds happen to be one of the best options since they pack 10 grams of protein per three tablespoons.

Nuts and Nut Butters

Nuts happen to be a great source of protein, but you can also use any nut butter in their place if your blender isn’t powerful enough to handle them.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nicolette Casarotto (@naturally_nicolette)

The post Protein-Rich Ingredients to Use in Your Smoothies appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

This smoothie recipe from I Love Vegan is not only healthy for you and packed full of nutrients, but it’s also plant-based and full of healthy fats and protein to give you energy and keep you satiated until lunch. Plus, smoothies are super easy to make, so you can get your day started quickly. Here’s how to make it happen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ripe banana, frozen
• ½ cup (125 ml) chopped mango, frozen
• 1-2 large handfuls of baby spinach
• ¼ cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds (Pepita seeds)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) hemp hearts (hulled hemp seeds)
• Optional: ½ scoop (approx. 30ml) vanilla protein powder + ¼ cup (60ml) water

Instructions:

1. Throw the banana, spinach, pumpkin seeds, mango, and hemp hearts into a blender. Add almond milk and blend until smooth. That’s it!
2. This recipe makes about two cups, which is a good serving size for one person, but it’s very easy to double or even triple if you want to make enough for multiple people.
3. All in all, it’s a great source of vitamins B6, C, E, A K, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and healthy fatty acids. Yum!

The post You’ll Want to Drink This Healthy Smoothie Every Morning appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

The freezer is a very effective tool for preserving fruit. Almost all fruits—from melon, banana, plum, peach, apple to strawberries and berries—cope well with freezing, with the exception of citrus fruit.

The home freezer works at a very low temperature. Low enough, to turn water to ice. Fruit that freeze and thaw will always be more soggy than their fresh counterparts. This is because of the process of freezing water in the fruit freeze in the form of crystals, which cause fluid loss during thawing.

So, freezing fruit means the most appropriate use of them should be chosen in advance. To get the most of frozen fruit, group pieces of fruit you like into several bags, with each bag containing enough fruit for one serving of smoothie.

Freeze the bags and just pull one out and grind in a blender every morning with water, orange juice, yogurt—or any liquid that will help you get a yummy start to your day.

The post The Best Way To Freeze Fruit appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Step 1: Add Frozen Fruit

In order to keep your smoothie bowl from turning into a smoothie, you need to use frozen fruit. Choose your favorite fruits and add them to a blender. Add some frozen bananas to give your smoothie the creaminess. If you don’t like bananas, you can use avocados, but you’ll need to add more honey/maple syrup in the next step.

Step 2: Add Milk & Honey

Add 3 tablespoons of the milk of your choosing and 1-2 tablespoons of honey, depending on how sweet your want it. For a vegan option, use maple syrup instead of honey.

Step 3: Blend

Start on a low speed and then increase the speed to high. Make sure all the ingredients get down into the blades. Turn off the blender and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the container and to push the ingredients into the blades. Keep blending until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Step 4: Add-Ins

If you want to put add-ins like chia seeds, protein powder, nut butter, or acai powder, put them in now.

Step 5: Toppings

When the smoothie reaches the consistency you want, pour it into bowls. Now’s the time to add the toppings which set smoothie bowls apart from smoothies. Some topping you can use are granola, nut butter, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and flaked coconut.

The post Your Step-by-step Guide to Making a Smoothie Bowl appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are one of the best sources of calcium and iron, two important nutrients to keep your body strong. To make sure you eat enough of these greens, make sure you put in things like chard, kale, and spinach. Since they are all neutral flavors, you can put them in any type of smoothie without altering the taste.

Beets

Beets are not only a gorgeous color, but they are full of manganese and potassium. Since they are naturally sweet, pair them in a smoothie with a tart green apple and whatever other fruits you like to add.

Celery

Although this is not something you would ever think to put in a smoothie, if you make a smoothie that is on the sweeter side, like with strawberries or mango, you really will not be able to taste it at all.

The post These Smoothie Recipes Will Help You Get In Your Daily Amount Of Vegetables appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients:

To prepare this hangover smoothie you will need basics that you probably have in the freezer. As the name suggests, get one cup spinach and 1/2 cup blueberries. Also get one banana and 1/4 cup of either coconut milk, water, orange juice, apple juice or almond milk to your choice. The last thing you need is four ice cubes. The simplest ingredient list ever.

Preparation:

Put the banana, blueberries, the juice or milk, and ice cubes together in a blender. Blend them until you get a creamy mixture. This is the time when you add the cup of fresh spinach and blend again. You won’t be needing any sugar, but if you feel like you want the hangover smoothie to be sweeter, simply add some stevia to it. This is literally the best eye-opening recipe ever.

The post The Perfect Smoothie To Cure Your Hangover appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.