Chock-full of healthy ingredients and almost-like-a-milkshake delicious, this spring green smoothie with pea shoots is a true nutritional powerhouse. It’s almost overflowing with Vitamins A, B, C and K, and provides the perfect balance of healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates to be nicely filling. Healthy has never tasted quite so good.
Smoothies are amazing. Let’s just agree on that and move on. You get all of the oh-my-gosh-so-decadently-delicious effect of a milkshake, with a hefty dose of I-am-a-super-healthy-superhero-and-I-am-totally-ready-to-take-on-the-world vibe of a salad.
This spring green smoothie with pea shoots is no different. It tastes, like most green smoothies do, kind of earthy, in a freshly cut vibrant green grass way, which totally doesn’t sound yummy, but actually really is. (I’m making a right hash of this, aren’t I?)
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The peanut butter gives the green smoothie its creaminess, and also contributes its own brand of earthy nuttiness. The banana and orange juice (freshly squeezed, none of that boxed stuff – we heart fibre!) ensure that the smoothie is pleasantly sweet – but you can always add a dash of maple syrup for an ultra-milkshakey green smoothie.
The green elements are wheatgrass powder and fresh pea shoots, and we’ll also add maca powder, because who doesn’t like to feel like a world-conquering super-healthy superhero? Added bonus: this green smoothie is vegan, paleo, gluten free, dairy free and sugar free!
Now, this smoothie is full of all the healthy stuff you need in order to keep healthy and happy – everything from healthy fats that keep you full and muscle-building protein, to energy-giving carbohydrates and fibre that keeps your digestive system in tip top shape. In addition, we have plenty of vitamins; pretty much the whole alphabet of them (Vitamins A, B, C, E and K to be specific)! On top of that, there are the minerals: iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc and many more.
So, yes, this spring green smoothie really is fit for a superhero. We’ve talked about the awesomeness that are pea shoots in the vegetable omelette post – and I’m sure we all agree that they are pretty damn impressive. With their abundance of Vitamins A, C and K, you most certainly want these microgreens… in pretty much everything. And they’re so delicious, that’ll hardly be a problem.
Now, let’s focus on Vitamin K for a bit. [Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional, and any supplementation, etc. should be discussed with your doctor.] You don’t hear a lot about it, which is a huge no-no, so we’ll correct this right here, right now. Vitamin K is important for blood coagulation, and is in conjunction with Vitamin D crucial for bone health. To shorten a long and highly complicated story, while Vitamin D helps our bodies to get calcium from the gut into the blood, Vitamin K directs the calcium to the right place – the bones.
There’s been a ton of hype about Vitamin D in the media lately, but all’s been silent on the Vitamin K front. Which can be a problem if everyone starts consuming Vitamin D supplements without also consuming sufficient amounts of Vitamin K, be it as supplements or in the much more yummy food form. Calcium is all well and fine, but you don’t want it anywhere near your arteries.
Now, supplementation is one way to get your Vitamins D and K. Whether you do or don’t go via that route, here’s my suggestion: become a super-healthy superhero by getting enough sunshine, and while you’re at it, drink this incredibly delicious spring green smoothie with pea shoots.
P.S. Here’s some additional reading about Vitamin K:
- This article highlighting the (often overlooked) importance of Vitamin K,
- An informative FAQ on everything Vitamin K,
- A balanced overview of Vitamin K supplementation, including the recommended dosages and potential side effects,
- A list of best food sources of Vitamin K.
SPRING GREEN SMOOTHIE WITH PEA SHOOTS
Ingredients
- juice of 1 orange
- 1 medium banana
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (natural with no added sugar or salt)
- 1 tbsp maca powder
- 1 tbsp wheatgrass powder
- 1 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk alternative)
- 1 packed cup pea shoots
- 1 - 2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Transfer into a glass, and enjoy!
Looking for more yumminess with pea shoots? Then you’ll love this…
… Vegetable Omelette with Pea Shoots (it’s gluten free, dairy free, paleo, with vegetarian option)!