Inspired by Bär Bar smoothie bar’s berrylicious smoothies, I’m sharing a recipe for my immune boosting sea buckthorn smoothie bowl. This smoothie is pretty much the perfect vitamin & antioxidant boost with some of my favorite super foods: berries, lemon, ginger & turmeric root. If you need a lil’ boost – its’ here!
To read this post in Finnish, click here.
Berries
When I think of healthy ingredients for a smoothie, berries are first on my list, always. Sea buckthorn is amazing nutritionally as it contains healthy fatty acids: Omegas 3,6,9 & 7, vitamins (especially vitamin C) and over 60 antioxidants. Pretty impressive! I don’t really enjoy eating them plain – they’re very sour – but they pair amazingly with creamy cashews and banana for sweetness.
Ginger
Ginger is a powerful medicinal plant with lovely warming flavor. I use it in many savory meals, especially in fall & winter, and it brings a lovely zing to sweet foods as well. Gingerol in ginger is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties which help fight infections. It’s great for digestion, too.
Turmeric
I use turmeric either as ground turmeric or if I’m lucky to find fresh organic turmeric root, I always buy it. I love turmeric so much! It’s been used in India for thousands of years, and it has proven medical properties. Turmeric contains curcumin, which like gingerol in ginger is a strong antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory effects. Just remember to add a little black pepper when you use turmeric, to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin.
Lemon
Lemon is another favorite ingredient of mine. I always use it in green smoothies, and often in smoothies paired with cashews. There’s something about the creamy lemony combo..it’s like eating dessert 🙂 I always use organic lemon, a whole piece of lemon with peels and all, to get even more health benefits, because the peels contain about 5-10 times more vitamins than lemon juice.
To make an immune boosting smoothie I’d suggest using at least two of the above mentioned ingredients, preferably three. You don’t need to use sea buckthorn, you can use any berry you like, because all (organic) berries are nutritional powerhouses and super good for your health.
With love & lots of berries,
Tiina
ps To read about the amazing Bär Bar berry smoothie bar and smoothies I designed for them, click here to read my post.
- 1 frozen banana, about 3,5 oz / 100 g
- 1,4 oz / 40 g (frozen) sea buckthorn
- 1 oz / 30 g (frozen) raspberries
- ¼ small lemon, about 0,7 oz / 20 g
- 0,2 oz / 5 g fresh ginger
- 0,2 oz / 5 g fresh turmeric root or 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 0,4 cups / 100 ml oat milk (I use Kaslink AITO)
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of salt
- Smoothie toppings: granola, quinoa pops, berries, herbs, edible flowers or whatever you wish 🙂
- Blend all smoothie ingredients in a blender until silky smooth.
- Pour in a bowl and add toppings of choice.
- Eat and enjoy!
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