My favorite smoothie packed with awesomely potent nutrition! Here’s what’s in it and why:

• Frozen banana: potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and B6.
• 1/2 an avocado: potassium, heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, loads of fiber
• 2 handfuls of spinach: Low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, spinach is high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K.
• Hemp hearts: Rich in healthy fats and essential fatty acids. They are also a great protein source.
• Ground flax: Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities.
• Raw cocoa powder: I add this mostly for the chocolate taste but raw cocoa also has nearly four times the antioxidant power of regular dark chocolate, and contains protein, calcium, carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, and sulfur.
• A bit of vanilla and vanilla stevia are added for sweetness. And then water and ice. Blend!

 

So good! Seriously tastes like a chocolate milkshake — really!