Unusual but Fantastic Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothies

If you’re concerned enough with your health to drink or make smoothies on a regular basis, we’ll guess that it’s safe to assume that you research enough to know what you’re putting into them. We also bet that you’ve gotten the basics down, like the anti-inflammatory benefits of ginger and/or tumeric, and the knowledge that kale is among one of the most nutrient-rich foods there is. But, pineapple juice and bananas aside, we bet there are a few ingredients that you may not have heard of adding to smoothies, like fermented vegetables ( what?!) or sweet potatoes. Yes, sweet potato fries are the among some of the best things ever invented, but who would’ve thought to add them to a smoothie? Not us. Here are a few ingredients it may not have occurred to you to add to your smoothies.

Beans

Mhmm… beans. The same ones you might add into your chilli. The reason these work so well is because they’re filling, and combine beautifully with chocolate, for instance. They’re excellent for weight loss, contain antioxidants, are good for heart health, and have even been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Among the heathiest you can go for include garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, the same ones that go into making hummus. They help with weight management, improve cardiovascular health, and lower blood sugar and insulin. Here’s a great recipe that includes chocolate and is packed with fiber.

The next type is lentils. Lentils are also linked to improved cardiovascular health, as well as increasing good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol. They’re also great for gut health. Lentil smoothies, here you come!

Herbs

The healing power of herbs has been known for centuries. They tend to have myriad healing qualities, like being anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-bacterial. They can also prevent liver damage, reduce muscle spasms, along with having a healing effect on the digestive system. Adding these into your diet, whether through smoothies, cooking, or even just tinctures, is a form of preventative medicine, just like the rest of the food you (hopefully) eat.

A good herb to try is Amalaki, which is especially helpful for women. It ‘s considered to be one of the most potently healing herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. It improves blood circulation, balances hormones, helps with libido, and assists in stress management. If you can get your hands on Indian Gooseberries, you’re in business.

Moringa is another plant you may not have heard of. It originates in sub-Saharan Africa and is commonly referred to as the ‘miracle tree.’ That’s because it really is a miracle plant. According to this article, Moringa has 25 times the iron found in spinach, 15 times the potassium of bananas, four times as much calcium as milk, seven times the Vitamin C content of oranges, and four times the vitamin A of carrots. It’s also high in protein, has anti-aging effects, and will pull toxins from your cells.

Eggs

Yes, we’re talking adding raw eggs to your morning smoothies, like Rocky. Eggs are a great source of protein and nutrients and putting them into morning shakes has long been a practice of professional athletes and regular people alike. Consuming raw eggs, as long as they are pastured, is safe. It’s the conventionally caged eggs that you want to avoid, because those are more likely to have trace amounts of salmonella in them. This even includes cage free eggs, because a lot of times, ‘cage-free’ doesn’t necessarily mean what we think it does. Eggs contain vitamin A, which helps with eyesight, tissue repair, blood health, etc. They’re also a good source of omega-3’s, which help with cardiovascular health. Here’s a smoothie recipe meant to boost brain power to get you started.

Fermented Vegetables

Never for a moment did we ever thing that fermented vegetables would be added to this list. But it turns out that fermenting veggies is a good way to ensure good gut health, curb sugar cravings and increase both your vitamin B and vitamin K2 intake. Fermenting is essentially pickling, and you can do this with just about anything, from caulifour to radishes to carrots to ginger. This is a great guide to how to ferment veggies in your home if you choose to do so. The way it works is that the salt brine kills off bad bacteria and allows good bacteria to covert sugars into lactic acid and produce more nutrients. If the idea of adding fermented vegetables isn’t exactly palatable as a smoothie, you can always add them to what we like to call ‘savory smoothies’. An example would be to add say, fermented cucumber and ginger to avocaodo, chia seeds, maybe some protein powder, kale and water. You end up with something like a cold spring soup. Add some herbs and you’ve got lunch.

Sweet Potatoes

Ok, we know we said we wouldn’t mention these, but how could we help it? Add a bit of cashew milk, a bit of honey or maple syrup, bit of orange, bit of banana, and you’ve got on seriously beneficial smoothie. Sweet potatoes are high in B vitamins, as well as vitamin C. They help with regulating heart health, and provide good source of vegetable based carbohydrates to give you enough energy for your day. Sweet potatoes are also high in a particular kind of antioxidant that especially helps with reducing the rate of oxidation in the body, which will in turn reduce the changes of developing cancer. They’re also full of fiber and excellent for promoting healthy digestion. Here’s an awesome smoothie recipe that include sweet potato if you’re feeling a little stuck for ideas.

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