Everyone loves green smoothies and those icy cold drinks that cool you down and taste a bit like drinking a fruity malt, but did you know warm smoothies can be just as inviting, especially on cold days. Whether it’s winter or just a chilly spring or fall day, a warm smoothie can be just what you need to boost more vegetable intake and cut back on fruit that most cold smoothies contain.
Add some bone broth to your smoothie.
If you aren’t aware of the nutritional values of bone broth, it’s time to learn them. Bone broth is high in collagen, which is great for the skin. It also is high in calcium, protein, magnesium, boron, iron, vitamin A, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, zinc, copper, manganese and the B vitamins. It has many benefits for the body, including better joints, boosting the immune system, reducing cellulite, reducing allergies and treating leaky gut syndrome. You can make bone broth smoothies with any number of vegetables. I like to add a cup of dice carrots, 3 cups of Kale, a cup of leaks or onions chopped and cilantro (approximately 1/3 C) to four cups of bone broth. You can saute the veggies in coconut oil before you add the bone broth to make it tastier. Sprinkle in a little lemon juice and sea salt, then simmer for 25 minutes and blend. It’s a yummy drink that’s good both cold and hot, so if you have some leftover, store in the frig for later.
Try a hot smoothie for breakfast.
This is one of my favorite recipes, frankly it’s because it reminds me a bit of warm nutty pumpkin pie! Best of all, it’s pretty easy to make. You do have to cook a 1/2 large sweet potato, but if you peel it and cut it in cubes, that doesn’t take long. You can also cook and mash it ahead of time, then throw it in with the unsweetened almond milk that you heat on the stovetop to warm it. You need 1 cup of unsweetened almond mild, the half of a sweet potato cooked and mashed, 1/2 inch of ginger grated—use an inch if you like it, a teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of almond butter. Add a bit of nutmeg, clove and ground allspice if you want a flavor that’s even closer to pumpkin pie. Blend until smooth and serve warm. YUM!
Supplement your dinner menu with this smoothie.
You can have a salad and some soup when you add this warm smoothie that doubles as a drink and dessert. It tastes a lot like apple pie to me, but the flavor changed entirely when I added some nut butter to it. Use 1/2 plain yogurt or water, a whole apple peeled, cored and cut into small chunks, a splash of vanilla extract, plus half that amount of allspice and nutmeg. Top it off with a tablespoon of maple syrup and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. For the nutty flavor add a tablespoon or two of your favorite nut butter. Blend it and microwave until warm and sprinkle with cinnamon. Consider a “chunky” soup instead of a smoothie. Boil bone broth. Pour it over finely chopped veggies and let set a few minutes. The veggies will cook in the hot broth, but some will have a little crunch. It’s my version of pho that’s healthy and delicious.
- Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave with slightly more than 3/4 cup of almond milk. Put two squares of dark chocolate, 1/4 c rolled oats, 1/2 a banana, almond milk, 1 tsp chia seeds a handful of almonds in the blender and mix with a few tablespoons of water and a tablespoon of the hot almond milk/chocolate mixture. Blend and slowly add the rest of the milk/chocolate mix for a warm breakfast smoothie.
- Use hot green tea to make warm smoothies. Pour a tablespoon of cold water and a tablespoon of green tea into the blender with apples, bananas, peaches, berries, kale and/or dates. Blend until smooth and pour the mixture in your cup. Pour hot green tea over it and mix for a tasty warm smoothie.
- Be careful of relying too heavily on smoothies for fruit and veggie requirements. Most are made with lots of fruit and very little vegetables. Warm soup-like smoothies provide more veggies.