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Monday, December 15, 2014

Gluten-Free Berry and Rainbow Chard Smoothie

Get all the vitamins & nutrients you need in this tasty vegetable & fruit #healthytreats smoothie!
Berry & Rainbow Chard Smoothie by Anyonita-Nibbles.co.uk
Yield: 1 smoothie
Prep time:
Cook time:

Raw Swiss Chard Smoothie with Berries

Usually, green smoothies (not the colour green, but the generic name for any smoothie made with vegetables) contain spinach. But, when I received a bushel of the most vibrant rainbow chard I've ever seen, I know I wanted to use it in an unusual way. Swiss chard, the proper name for the vegetable in my smoothie, is actually a part of the chenopod family, along with beetroot and spinach, so it's an easy, natural substitute for it.
’This post has been supported by Rennie®, but all thoughts are my own’.

Rennie has teamed up with online supermarket Ocado to challenge bloggers to come up with healthy recipes for their #healthytreats campaign. As soon as I received the brief to come up with a healthy meal, I immediately wanted to use chard in some way. In terms of health, rainbow chard has the market cornered. It provides high servings of vitamins A, C and K and is a gold mine of minerals, fibre and protein. In addition to all those healthful accolades, every bit of rainbow chard, from the leaves to the colourful stalks contain oxalic acid. If you travel in circles with health conscious individuals, you've probably heard every angle of the oxalic acid debate: some dieticians believe it causes kidney stones, whilst other raw food enthusiasts believe it to have cancer-fighting powers. The bottom line, though,is that in moderate amounts, oxalic acid is beneficial to the blood and helpful.

When it comes to healthy foods, many nutrients are lost the moment they are cooked. To ensure I offered a truly healthy treat, I wanted to keep the fruit and vegetable I used raw to retain as many nutrients as possible. I also wanted to address pitfalls where people usually find themselves sucked into opting for things with a higher fat content, such as convenience foods. Think about it, rushing off to work, it's so easy to just grab a pastry or croissant on the way. Wash it down with sugary brew and you're all set to crash around 10am. Instead, spend 10 less minutes getting ready and whip up this delicious smoothie. Pop it in a thermos or to-go cup and sip it on your commute. The blueberries will gently help to rouse your brain awake and your immune system will thank you for the extra antioxidants, too. You'll feel better about yourself, putting the good stuff in instead of the fatty junk. Besides, if you eat well; you'll feel well.

Ingredients:

For the berry and rainbow chard smoothie
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup rainbow chard, stalks and leaves
4 tablespoons non-fat berry yogurt


Berry and Rainbow Chard Smoothie

Fresh fruit and Swiss chard from Anyonita-nibbles.co.uk

Instructions:

  1. Wash all the fruit and vegetables well and pat dry.
  2. Blitz the chard in a blender, food processor or smoothie maker.
  3. Add the berries, yogurt and honey and continue to blitz until as smooth as you like.
  4. Pass through a fine sieve into a cup and enjoy

Smoothie with berries and Swiss chard from Anyonita-Nibbles.co.uk

Get your smoothie on with these lovely recipes:

Cherry & Cauliflower Smoothie by Anyonita-Nibbles.co.uk
Mango & Passion Fruit Smoothie with Fresh Basil by Anyonita-nibbles.co.uk
 
Apple Cider Smoothie

2 comments:

  1. pamDecember 15, 2014 at 8:46 PM

    Sounds wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 16, 2014 at 2:21 AM

    This looks really good (I need a break from all the sweets & treats)! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete

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