Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie

People ask about the Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie I drink sometimes and are always curious about just how pink it is.  Well here is a pretty accurate picture of just how pink it is.  It's truly VERY pink and VERY tasty.  :)  I love this recipe and could drink it a couple times a week.  My husband on the other hand is not so keen on the beet flavor, so he doesn't drink these.  While I don't care for beets either, I think the smoothie is awesome and the flavors blend nicely!  And as you'll see from the two recipes posted below, you can change how much beet you use.

This smoothie is based off of a delicious recipe from one of Green Smoothie Girl's recipe books (which I will post below), but I've definitely modified it for me.  My recipe goes as such:

1/2-1 medium zucchini, washed

1-2 carrots, washed or peeled, and chopped

1 whole sm/med red beet, scrubbed and chopped

1 apple, washed and chopped

2-3 dates (2 medjool dates or 3 deglet noor dates)

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 Tbsp cashews

enough water to blend 

5 frozen strawberries

Blend all ingredients blender but strawberries (vitamix or blendtec is best, but a regular blender will work)  to a nice smooth texture, add strawberries and finish blending smooth.  Makes 4-6 cups depending on size of veggies/fruit and quantity of water and contains roughly 350 calories.  I drink the whole thing in one meal generally, unless it's a full 6 cups.  Sonny loves this smoothie when I'm generous enough to share. ;-)

This is the original recipe which you can also find in one of her smoothie recipe books if you'd like to purchase a whole bunch of delicious smoothie recipes and other recipes.

1 1/2 cups coconut liquid (best raw, or from a can, both can be found at asian markets)
1 large carrot, cleaned and cut into 3 pieces
1/4 of a medium beet, raw, peeled
1/4 cup of cashews
1/4 cup chopped dates (inexpensive in bulk)
2 tsp. vanilla
12 frozen strawberries

Place all ingredients except strawberries in blendtec for 90 sec.  Add strawberries and puree on high until smooth.  Makes 1 quart, a 450 calorie breakfast that has 4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 15 percent plant protein, and good fats in the cashews. 

So my recipe has slightly less calories and fats if you are strictly watching those things and need a little less.  On the other hand if you are active and can easily work off those calories, they are all good calories, so by all means use more cashews, etc, and go with her recipe.

Also as a side note, beets are great for helping clean out your digestive system and cleaning your colon.  So if you suffer from that horrible C word that no one likes to talk about, adding a daily beet to your diet might be just what you need to help move things along (bleh, bad joke).  But know that one beet is not likely to cure constipation if the rest of your diet is bad, so be sure to consume lots of water and whole, unprocessed fibery foods.

Happy Pink Smoothie-ing!