Super Strawberry Spirulina Smoothie

We joke around our house that you just never know what I might have in the pantry that 2Chili can’t identify. He once called me out for putting some of those “white beets” in his salad. For the record, the white beets were not beets, but rather, daikon radish.

Truth be told, there are a lot of things in the cupboards he eats that he doesn’t know about (ha!), and wouldn’t be able to identify. Spirulina isn’t one of the items I sneak into his food, but, I do put it in mine almost daily.

Algae may not sound all that great, but spirulina (and chlorella) are packed with nutrition. A teaspoon in your smoothie is fairly indiscernible, but adds a great array of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, K, B12,  iron, magnesium, and trace minerals. It is even a decent plant source of protein (2g per teaspoon) and appears to help with gut function and digestion, even helping suppress bad bacteria like e-Coli and Candida while improving good bacteria. Talk about a utility player.

Like anything in today’s toxic society – especially edibles that come from the ocean – you need to be careful if you choose to supplement with algae. I use the Nutrex Pure Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica.  After much research, they seem to provide the best quality spirulina that is grown in the United States. You can get this at Whole Foods or a natural market, or, on Amazon.

Before you start putting spirulina in your food – if you don’t already – it would be wise to read up on its benefits and uses. Here is a good article that covers its many benefits way more in depth than I can.

If you’re sold, let’s make a smoothie, shall we?

I have been having this smoothie for breakfast lately, and it keeps me going all the way until lunch, even after a morning workout.

Spirulina Smoothie | Test Kitchen Tuesday

Super Strawberry Spirulina Smoothie

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Makes: 1 smoothie

Recommended Ninja Blender Jar:

  • Ninja Pulse: Single serve cup
  • Ninja Kitchen System: Single serve cup
  • Ninja Mega Kitchen System: Single serve cup
  • Ninja Professional Blender: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
  • Ninja Ultima: Nutri Ninja cup, or, 72 ounce jar without quad blade

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup preferred non-dairy milk (I like unsweetened almond milk for this)
  • 1 scoop preferred plain or vanilla protein powder (I like PlantFusion)
  • 1 cup frozen organic strawberries
  • 1/4 Hass avocado
  • 1 teaspoon preferred spirulina
  • 2 tablespoons Hemp Hearts

Method:

  • Add all the ingredients except hemp hearts to the jar  of your blender
  • Pulse 2-3 times to combine, then blend on “2” (medium speed) until combined
    • For Ninja Pulse, hold the lid down until combined
  • Sprinkle hemp hearts on top of the smoothie and enjoy

Nutritional Breakdown:

 

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