This vegan blueberry smoothie with spirulina is healthy and naturally sweet. It's a delicious smoothie that turns bluish-green from the spirulina powder and the blueberries. This spirulina smoothie is packed with healthy nutrients and is delish! This time I made it dairy-free.
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I love making healthy spirulina smoothies for myself and my children because in making a smoothie, I always feel so comfortable feeding it to my little ones.
I think on rare occasions you can find my fridge without some sort of smoothie in a Mason jar. Even in my house picky eaters do exist, so a smoothie can be used to sneak in a powerhouse of nutrients just by blending them up!!!
Today my smoothie recipe was inspired by another trip to a blueberry farm and we love picking local and seasonal produce.
That always causes me to think of my hometown and about my childhood in Ukraine. It brought back my memories about a school field trip to the factory in my hometown called Bar. The factory specializes in growing chlorella, which is more difficult to harvest than spirulina, and the health benefits in some ways are very similar. Unfortunately, there is bombing in this city and there is death of children every single day. Hopefully, peace will be restored so that children can create memories of going on field trips and learning about the health benefits of chlorella.
WHAT IS SPIRULINA?
Spirulina is a type of blue-greenish microalgae that grows in fresh and salt water that is consumed by humans and other animals. Based on the National Library of Medicine, spirulina is a very hot subject around the world with more and more research showing up.
So how exactly this supplement can impact your health?
Can help to detox your body from heavy metals especially arsenic.
Can help low blood pressure, based on a pigment, called Phycocyanin that is found in spirulina.
A 2020 study spirulina shows that it can be more effective than an antihistamine called cetirizine to deal with allergies, allergic rhinitis as well as decrease inflammation.
Spirulina is a powerful antioxidant
Spirulina platensis may “prevent the loss of memory possibly by lessening Aβ protein accumulation, reducing oxidative damage and mainly augmenting the catalase activity," based on study in 2015.
Many more health benefits this algae can offer, but my favorite overall is that spirulina is probiotic. Yes, it's not a very detailed description of this unique supplement, but it naturally contains good bacteria that can be very beneficial for our body. Also, being packed with other minerals and vitamins (Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin), it's a true powerhouse of goodness!
Spirulina is a plant and is also a bacteria. It contributes to our probiotic function within the digestive system. It is doing so not because of its bacteria status but because it holds tremendous amounts of protein (called amino acids) in it together with other alkalizes. Consuming spirulina is increasing the growth of other probiotics and good microbes in our gut.
WHAT SUPERFOOD INGREDIENT CAN YOU SNEAK INTO A SMOOTHIE?
In order to make a more nutrient dense smoothie, I love to add ginger root, turmeric root, greens such as spinach, bee pollen, chia seeds, flax seeds, spirulina, fermented beet powder, maca, collagen powder and kefir. And the list can go on and on.
Why Did My Vegan Blueberry Smoothie with Spirulina Turn Into Jelly?
If you’ve ever made a blueberry smoothie and then stored it in the fridge for a bit, then discover that it’s become super thick and gelatinous, you’re not alone. Many people have experienced this phenomenon and have wondered why it happens.
Have you ever wondered why your blueberries turn to jello?
Because ripe blueberries naturally contain pectin, which produces jams and jellies. Some fruits lend themselves well to jam making, and blueberries definitely fall into this category!
So, if you’re looking to avoid this problem, the best solution is to consume your smoothie right away!
MORE SMOOTHIE RECIPES:
Lets make it...
Prep time: 2 minutes
Making time: 3 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 glasses
Author: Inna of innichkachef.com
Ingredients
1 &1/2 cups blueberries
1 inch of fresh ginger root
4 small or 2 large bananas
1 cup frozen peaches or pineapple
1 can coconut full fat milk or plain kefir
1 teaspoon green or blue spirulina
Blueberries for garnish (optional)
Directions
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for a few minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender once in a while.
Pour in the glass and garnish, as you desire. I like to garnish with ingredients that I used to make the smoothie to showcase the contents of the smoothie!
ENJOY!
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