Summer is definitely the season of smoothies. As the temperature rises, it gets harder and harder to maintain much of an appetite, and the kids get pickier and pickier about what they’re willing to eat. Sigh. Thankfully, smoothies are quick and easy to whip up, and they’re a fantastic way to cool down and get some healthy vitamins and nutrients into everybody at the same time.
We went blueberry picking this weekend, and when we came home with 11 pounds of beautiful local, no spray blueberries, I just knew I had to create a refreshing, icy blueberry smoothie to beat the heat! Blueberries are a superfood packed full of anti-inflammatory antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and manganese. Not only have blueberries been shown to reduce your risk for heart disease, there’s even some evidence that blueberries may help improve your memory. Most importantly for my kids though, they taste great!
I’ve mentioned before that hubs and Kay can’t eat dairy. Hubs gets congested, and Kay’s cheeks get all red and rashy. So many foods (and especially so many of the yummy ones!) have dairy in them, and that means they get left out a lot of the time. No fair!
With no dairy on the menu for my family, I’ve learned how to make delicious and healthy smoothies without the milk. Almond milk and coconut milk are great substitutes for the traditional milk or yogurt smoothie base. When you have allergies in your family like I do, it’s good to know that Silk beverages are all gluten-free and dairy-free, as well as free from lactose, casein, egg, and MSG.
With temperatures in the 30s all week, it’s been a perfect time to experiment with smoothie-making. For this, I find frozen berries work better than fresh to get that icy creamy texture, but if you don’t have the time to freeze your fruit just add a handful of ice cubes to the blender. I made this smoothie with frozen blueberries, Silk Unsweetened Coconut, half a banana to thicken, some vanilla extract, and a touch of maple syrup to sweeten. Don’t forget to add a couple teaspoons of fresh lemon or lime juice to give the smoothie some acidity and help the blueberries keep their colour. My first attempt at a blueberry smoothie turned an awful grayish brown colour without that lemon juice. Lesson learned!
Want to know a neat little trick I’ve picked up making these smoothies? This mix makes phenomenal ice pops too! Just pour any leftover smoothie into a popsicle mold, freeze, and enjoy for a refreshing, healthy dessert.
[yumprint-recipe id=’49’]What are your favourite smoothie ingredients?This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
