CLEAN EATING #5 – Cherry Chocolate Smoothie Recipe
I usually skip breakfast when I am in a rush for school or work but not anymore!! Try preparing your breakfast the night before to save you the trouble of rushing to work or school in the morning. Berries are definitely my favourite fruits in North America because of it’s natural sweetness that I can never get in Singapore or Indonesia. However, since I have already tried two types of berries smoothies, I decided to make something different this time and Cherry Chocolate Smoothie it is!!
Prepared the smoothie with the ingredients above and I just went to Sprouts Farmers Market prior to making the smoothie. I love my apartment at Westwood because there are so many grocery stores within reach – according to proximity to my apartment, Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s, Whole Foods, Bristol Farm and Sprouts Farmers Market. I bought lots of seeds and raw food to experiment with my different smoothies, parfaits and overnight oats. The prices of those raw food are relatively cheap, as compared to the ones in Asia. This is because raw food is imported to Asia and since it is always labelled as organic, the price is raised.
The above pictures showed the measurements and food items I used to blend for the smoothie:
- 2 fresh bananas
- 20 cherries (fresh but I frezzed it)
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 tablespoon of cacoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of macapowder
- 1/2 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1/4 cup of rolled oats
- 1/16 cup of steel cut oats
- 1/4 cup of flax seeds
Next, I layered the smoothie with the following raw food items as depicted in the first picture:
- 15 almonds split accordingly
- 28 goji berries split accordingly
According to the second picture, I topped the mason jar of smoothie with:
- 5 blackberries
- 2 raspberries
- 1 cherry in the middle
- shredded coconut
- 3 bee pollen sprinkled
TA-DAH!! Here is the result of my very own Cherry Chocolate Smoothie for breakfast the next day!! I need not worry about waking up early to prepare breakfast as long as I take a bit of time before sleeping to MAKE IT HAPPEN!!
These are the following reasons why I use the ingredients for the smoothie:
- banana adds natural sweetness to the smoothie and helps with regular bowel movements
- cherries
- cacao powder has high levels of antioxidants, fibre and protein, which can help to support heart functioning, improve digestion via stimulating digestive enzymes and enhance physical and mental being by boosting energy, improving mood and combating depression
- maca powder boost energy, balances the endocrine system, such as the pancreatic, pituitary, adrenals and thyroid gland.
- steel cut oats provides 6% vitamin A, 2% calcium, 16% fibre, 9% carbohydrate, 4% fat and 10% iron
- nuts and seeds help you control your cravings for chocolate, sugary foods and unrefined starches
- flaxseeds has a good source of fibre that bind and flush toxins from the intestinal tract and has high omega 3 oils content
- almonds is high in fibre, magnesium, vitamin E and useable proteins
- goji berries boost your vitamin C and beta-carotene intake, which can remove waste from the body and improve liver function respectively
Remember that if you want to use a variety of raw items, try to add more almond milk or lessen some of the raw items so that it will not absorb the almond milk and the smoothie will be unreasonably thick. I love my smoothie thick but not too solidified like my second Berry Smoothie.
