Super-powered smoothie full of blueberries, sweet banana, spinach, creamy cashew milk, a handful of frozen cauliflower and maca root for immune boosting.

This Immune Boosting Blueberry Smoothie is an excellent (and delicious) option for keeping your immune system functioning properly with nutrients like vitamin A rich spinach, choline from cauliflower, vitamin C from blueberries and maca root powder.

Well balanced smoothies are key to maintain stable blood sugar levels as well as providing meal time satisfaction and this immune boosting blueberry smoothie checks all the boxes offering protein, healthy fats, fiber rich veggies, and energy rich carbohydrates. 

Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of any fruit or vegetable, an excellent capacity for immune system support. The antioxidants in blueberries belong to the polyphenol’s family, called flavonoids. A group of flavonoids, called anthocyanins, give blueberries their beautiful hue and protect our healthy cells from harmful free radicals, which cause damage to immune cells. Antioxidants also protect our skin cells, promote collagen production, ward off wrinkles, dry skin, and a bunch of other skin aging reactions.

Blueberries have also exhibited ability to reduce LDL cholesterol, improve cell signaling for better cognitive function, reduce muscle damage after exercise, regular intake has shown to lower blood pressure and improve immune function.

Blueberries are rich in:

Fiber: 4 grams per 1 cup

Vitamin K

Vitamin C

Vitamin B6

Manganese

This blueberry smoothie is perfect for a satisfying post workout fuel from the fibrous carbohydrates-blueberry and banana, restorative amino acids & good fat from walnuts, flax seeds and electrolytes potassium, magnesium from spinach and banana.

Blueberry Smoothie Recipe Tips

-You can use fresh or frozen ingredients (spinach, blueberries, cauliflower). I prefer to use frozen cauliflower and frozen spinach, as it makes the smoothie a bit cooler without adding ice. But if you want to use fresh ingredients that is great too, you may need to add a scoop of ice depending on your preference. 

-Yes there is frozen cauliflower in this recipe. Despite what you may think the cauliflower isn’t over-powering, taste wise. Start small if you need, with a 1/4 cup then build your way up to 1/2 cup. Blending cauliflower in smoothies is a great way to squeeze in fiber rich veggies. 

-Looking for less sweetness swap out the banana for ½ an avocado for anti-inflammatory rich healthy fats and fiber. Need a little extra sweetness? Maple syrup, honey or dates are delicious choices. 

-Protein powders are optional, so don’t worry if you don’t like them or don’t have any in house. There are plenty of other foods you can add to infuse protein into your smoothie- yogurt, nut butters, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. Use this recipe as a guideline, you can easily swap out ingredients to create a smoothie that meets your food preferences.

-You’ll find Maca Root Powder in this recipe, it is a quote “super-food”  booster, rich in vitamin C , and has a nice nutty flavor, you can learn about maca root powder here. 

Can’t wait to see you try it!

 Let me see your creations with the #sidebarnutrition or tag me @sidebarnutriton! Have any variations of this blueberry smoothie you prefer? Comment your recipe in the section below.

Would love to hear from you!

With Gratitude, 

Jamie

Resources

Krikorian, Robert et al. “Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58.7 (2010): 3996–4000. PMC. Web. 17 Feb. 2018.

Wolfe KL et al. “Cellular Antioxidant Activity of Common Fruit.”Journal Agricultural Food Chem., (2008): 56 (18), 8418–8426 (Web): August 30, 2008.