Smoothies aka the secretly delicious healthy version of a milkshake that tastes just as sweet but with all the nutrients. All fruits contain antioxidants but berries in particular are packed with them! I opted for frozen blueberries in this version but any fruit will do. If you are looking for other high antioxidant fruits choose the dark red, blue, or purple fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and dark cherries. Serve your smoothie in a bowl or cup. I sometimes like mine as a smoothie bowl especially if I use frozen fruit.
Bonus tip: cherries are best for night time smoothies to aid in sleep or help with muscle soreness recovery.
Blueberry Farm Adventures
I was lucky enough to go to a blueberry farm this past summer. It was so much fun getting to pick and taste the different varieties of blueberries. I highly recommend if you live near a berry farm or any farm that allows you to pick your own produce to go. I loved doing it as a kid with my Gram.
Freshly picked fruit and vegetables is on a complete other flavor level than grocery produce. It not only tastes better but it smells better. You can actually smell the sweetness of the fruit.
We were given a brief tour of the farm. They had over 8 different varieties. One of the key differences was the range of tartness and sweetness. The firmness also change between the blueberry varieties. The tarter firmer types we were told are best in jams and in sweet desserts. This is due to their higher pectin content (thickening agent used in jams) which makes them perfect for their jelling capabilities in jams and pie fillings. Nobody wants a runny pie 🫠. They also help balance the sugar sweetness in desserts.
Regardless of berry type you can adjust the sweetness by adding or reducing your sweetener of choice. I prefer honey or maple syrup. You can also add flavor enhancers and toppings. I have some of my favorite below along with different fruit combos.
Smoothie Flavor combos: peanut butter banana, walnut chocolate, date chocolate pecan caramel, banana maple syrup, pineapple coconut, strawberry cocoa, honeydew mint, orange banana creamsicle, chocolate dark cherry
Flavor enhancers: cinnamon, cocoa, espresso powder, pumpkin pie spice, matcha, coconut extract, lemon extract
Crunch toppings: granola, dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts, graham crackers
Omega-3 add ins: flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts
Easy 5 Minute Antioxidant Packed Sweet Berry Smoothie
An antioxidant packed berry smoothie made in a matter of minutes using fresh or frozen fruit. A great breakfast, snack, or healthy dessert option that can be made vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Instructions
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For easy blending add the milk, sweetener of choice, and yogurt to the blender first before adding the frozen fruit.
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Blend for a minute and scrap downside again and blender for another 30 seconds.
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Top with additional fruit, chopped nuts, dollop of cream, drizzle of syrup.
