Putting Together Vegetable Smoothies For Wellness

Fruits are the more popular ingredient for smoothies because they are generally sweeter and more colorful. In addition, they lend themselves more easily to the making of desserts. Vegetable smoothies, however, can be just as sweet and delicious as the more familiar fruit smoothies. Moreover, the inclusion of veggies in your smoothies will aid greatly in coming up with blends that promote wellness.

Here are a few recipes of vegetable smoothies that should convince you to broaden your selection of ingredients to include vegetables when you next sit down to blend some smoothies. These tasty concoctions will not only be delicious; they can also be designed to strengthen the body and develop resistance to disease.

Carrot Apple Smoothie

The fresh, tangy taste of this smoothie belies the powerful punch it packs in terms of nutrition. Carrots contain beta-carotene and flavonoids compounds which act as protect the body against some types of cancer. Aside from vitamin C, carrots contain a good concentration of vitamin B complex. They also contain antioxidants which attack free radicals.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups steamed and finely chopped carrots
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup finely crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure:

Blend everything together and pour into glasses. Sprinkle very lightly with cinnamon just before serving.

Beet and Raspberry Smoothie

Beets are full of essential minerals. They have potassium which is necessary for kidney and heart function, for muscle contraction and regulation of electrolytes in the body. They also contain manganese which the body uses to build protein and absorb biotin, vitamin C and vitamin B1. Beets are good source of magnesium which the body needs in order to control blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Phosphorus, found in beets, is a requirement for cell repair, the formation of strong teeth and bones, as well as the production of DNA and RNA.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups steamed and finely chopped beets
• 1 1/2 cup raspberry
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup finely crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Procedure:

Blend everything together and serve immediately.

Broccoli Cucumber Smoothie

Broccoli is known to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties. It has a lot of vitamin C and indole-3-carbinol which, apart from being a DNA repair booster, is known to block cancer cell growth.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups steamed and finely chopped broccoli
• 1 1/2 cups seeded cucumbers
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup finely crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Procedure:

The healing properties of broccoli are greatly reduced by boiling. If steaming is too much of an effort, chop and microwave while covered for 2 minutes, stir and microwave for 2 more minutes. Let cool then puree along with other ingredients till fine. Serve immediately.

Yam and Blueberry Smoothie

Yams are a good source of potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. They have a delicate flavor that goes well with blueberry which serves to bolster its capacity to strengthen the body and contribute to its wellness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled and mashed yam
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup grape juice
• 1/2 cup finely crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Procedure:

Blend everything together and pour into glasses. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Smoothie

Pumpkins are a good not only for Thanksgiving and Christmas pies. They can be good ingredients the whole year round for smoothies. Pumpkins are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin A. They contain alpha carotene which is believed to slow the aging process and the formation of cataracts. They also have beta-carotene which prevents cholesterol build up in the arteries. Possibly because of their high vitamin C content, pumpkins have also been known to help reduce macular degeneration.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled and mashed pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup finely crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure:

Blend everything together and pour into glasses. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve immediately.

These recipes can help you look at vegetables in a different light especially when they are used as the center of your wellness promoting smoothies. Vegetable smoothies can be a refreshing addition to your kitchen offerings and these are delicious beverages that are good not only for the palate but for the health as well.