By Stacy Stowers, Healing the Body
Though this creamy blend tastes like a delicious dessert, it’s chock-full of spinach, berries, and super, happy foods like raw chocolate and maca. The Super Smoothie is a meal replacement. It’s a key place to start when trying to lose excess weight, increase energy levels, and get healthier—and happier!
Before you get started, keep in mind the Super Smoothie is more about technique than anything else. You can take these same ingredients, throw them into a blender, and get a glass full of “lawn clippings.” So follow the directions closely.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 to 4 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or 1 organic egg
- 1 tablespoon raw maca powder
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 3/4 cup frozen cherries
- 1/4 cup frozen banana, sliced in small pieces before freezing
Option 1: A little raw coconut palm sugar for those who like extra sweetness.
Option 2: Three ice cubes or a small handful of ice for those hot humid days.
Toppings: Raw cacao nibs, goji berries, shredded coconut, or fresh local bee pollen.
Directions
1. The Base. In your Vitamix or blender, start with the water.
2. The Greens. Here is your salad! Use a mild-tasting green like spinach. Kale is way too bitter and not ”happy.”
3. A Good Fat. Add the coconut oil or egg. Good fat won’t make you fat and is essential for metabolizing the greens and keeping you feeling satisfied longer. Be sure to add the fat after the greens, or it will get stuck on the bottom! Do not be tempted to leave out the fat. If you are adding a raw egg, use less water.
4. The Super Parts. Add the maca powder and cacao powder.
5. Mixing. Blend all of these ingredients until they yield 1 cup of green sludge. (Do not add the fruit until after making the sludge—this is very important for getting the right consistency.)
Add the 2 cups frozen fruit. (You can use any combination of blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and bananas. My personal favourite combination is blueberry and cherry. Find your favorite combo!)
If you are using a traditional blender, a carrot will be helpful for pushing your frozen fruit down the sides of the blender. This will give you a more efficient blend. The blending time is short to get a thick ice cream–like consistency. Do not overblend. Overblending will yield more of a shake-like drink instead of the desired soft-serve ice cream texture. You'll get the hang of it with practice.
6. Toppings: Now it’s time to decorate your Happy Shake. I like to add some raw cacao nibs. You can also top with goji berries, shredded coconut, or fresh local bee pollen.
A Note on Color. The blueberries are important for getting the chocolatey brown color, so use plenty of blues! The best are frozen wild blueberries. GREEN sludge + BLUEberries = Chocolate BROWN!
Consumption. This shake can be taken at any meal of the day, or simply as a healthy and uplifting snack.
