"Got milk" is a well known American phrase, I believe. Here in my healthy South African home, my son kickstarts the day with a green mouth and then, later, he wears a superfood smoothie moustache! He loves Barley Green and I pop it directly on his tongue when I have mine. Around the green grin he always says "yum yum"! It thrills me that he loves his fruits and veggies.
Smoothies are a wonderful way to nourish your body without the stress of your stomach having to digest a complicated meal. If you have fussy children (or spouse) you can sneak veggies and nuts into your smoothie. This makes for a really wholesome, yet sweet treat. While nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein and vitamins, it is very important to soak them before eating. This is Secret number one! Nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances found in nuts and seeds (as well as grains) will only be eliminated by soaking, for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Soaking nuts and seeds (and grains) will reduce the phytic acid and make the vital nutrients more readily absorbed by the body. Some people who are allergic to nuts could've prevented the intolerance by this simple method of soaking nuts overnight.
Another superfood smoothie secret I will share with you is; Freeze fruit. While I love seasonal fruit, we often have excess. This bounty I freeze in small portions to be used in coming months. For an extra thick and chilled fruit smoothie ensure more frozen than fresh fruit. I usually work on a 50/50 ratio. Another secret of mine is to make a larger than necessary fruit smoothie. And freeze little fruit "bites" in an ice tray. The colourful frozen smoothie "bites" are perfect for a child's hand. It'll last just long enough for a sweet nibble without melting in the summer heat. With a daily variety of fruits - frozen and fresh - you will also have a colourful variety. Add a few leafy greens or a dash of spirulina powder to your fruit smoothies and you will have a rainbow of colourful fruit "bites".
My favourite smoothies are enriched with superfoods. Moringa is very mild tasting and is chock full of goodness. We have young Moringa trees and I pinch off the tender tips to add to our smoothies. The benefits of Moringa are endless. They are full of folate and niacin, Vitamin A, K and E as well as amino acids. Research indicates that moringa has more iron that spinach, potassium than bananas and Vitamin C than oranges! This is indeed the superfood of the future! I like Maca in fruit smoothies. However Baobab powder is undoubtedly my all time favourite superfood. Baobab is one of the most nutrient dense fruits available. As for antioxidants it has the highest count of any fruit. The creamy citrus tang testifies to the fact that Baobab is very high in Vitamin C. However it also contains calcium, magnesium, potassium and traces of iron. It is my favourite form of Vitamin C and it really enriches a smoothie, giving a regular fruit smoothie that superfood boost.
Because ginger is a wonderful immune booster and cinnamon balances sugar levels I add both - in varying quantities - to all sweet dishes. My fruit smoothies also receive a pinch of lovely organic ginger and cinnamon. Currently we're at the end of winter. This means the end of the berries and citrus, but you can be sure I add 2 oranges or one grapefruit to my Vitamix. Our gooseberries should be bearing soon. Until then the frozen strawberries and blueberries - plus the few frozen figs and peaches - will keep us going. With fresh pineapple and pawpaw this is quite a delicious smoothie. I ensure I have plenty of frozen bananas as they make a smoothie really creamy. Freeze whole and simply cut off the peel to pop into your chopped fruit selection. Voila!
While it was an honour to win the 49th #fruitsandveggiesmonday and be the judge for the 50th week, I am relieved the pressure is off me this week. @lenasveganliving has initiated a really special weekly challenge. I hope Lena and all you other lovely readers have enjoyed hearing about my superfood smoothie secrets.
Having such an enthusiastic little helper and eater makes meal time extra special. Of course a lot of his enthusiasm is due to the wonderful noise these machines make. When his eyes sparkle and he claps his little hands I know he's happy with his healthy treats. Of course, being a hippie organic homesteader also means that I share the fruit peels between my goats and chickens - and that is my last secret! What remains goes to lovely compost which will ultimately feed the fruits and veggies that'll nourish us in the coming months. How marvelous is this symbiotic home sweet homestead!
Well, Dear Tracey, if you are going to keep writing such a great blogs, you may find yourself in the JUDGE'S seat again, lol. I enjoyed reading about your smoothie secrets very much. It is a very creative way to nurish your body and your little one all year round 🍇🍒🍌🍍🍑🌿🍓
Best I get over my panic about being a judge over fruity posts then, Lena! Thank you for the compliment. #fruitsandveggiesmonday is probably my Steemian highlight. I love seeing what wonderful creations - and garden delights - everyone is going to post.
Always a pleasure my Dear and don't worry, you are great JUDGE. It will be easier next time 🌸💖🌸
I like your posts, the way you put text and photos on the page. It would seem that you found your niche. It is seen that your value has been discovered. Congratulations! Thanks for tips for smoothies. I will apply them, thank you!
Thank you so much for your support @bluemoon. It's difficult to find your niche with so many options available. But, you are right, it seems like I have. I really enjoy the different people and umbrella groups on this platform
You're right about the difficulty of finding a niche. I am an example! I am absolutely upset by the many themes ... I run from one to the other.
Don't be upset! You take stunning photos. Maybe rotate every couple weeks the different challenges you take part in? There are definitely some I prefer (like this #fruitsandveggiesmonday is probably my favourite) But there are so many that I like that I can't always choose. I also have so little time. I keep missing the #marketdayfriday and #needleworkmonday and then there's the #petals which I gave up entering because they haven't even commented on my photos.
Thanks for your encouragement and advice. Of course I can participate in many contests and challenges ... but I have a little frustration, I wish more!
Everything sounds so delicious and Nurishing. I’m coming to your house for my next morning smoothie. Seriously though, I put maca and moringa in my smoothies everyday. The benefits I’ve seen just from the maca alone is incredible (balances my blood sugar as I’m hypoglycemic).
It’s great that your little one knows and craves real foods. Your symbiotic home is an inspiration to us all, way to set a wonderful example.
Aaaah. Thanks for your sweet respons @puravidaville. It's amazing that you can see the benefits of the maca. I actually used to prefer the maca - before my little one was born. But now I'm big on baobab. Moringa gets snuck into my homemade chocolate (shhhh, don't tell my husband ;)
Haha 🤫. I don’t think I’ve tried baobab, does it regulate hormones as well? I’ll have to look into it. It’s wonderful how we can sneak these healthy powders in so many things for our spouses to consume.
So funny! I always add moringa to my chocolate but the last batch I made I decided to replace it with hemp. And was rather heavy handed. My husband turned up his noise and immediately asked what I was hiding in there! I told him I dosed it with greens because then nobody else would steal my chocolate. It worked he didn't touch it! But now he wants his very own greenie free chocolate
Baobab is different to maca, which is renowned for it's hormone balancing power. Baobab I use instead of Vitamin C. So you could safely use both and get a healthy dose of goodness
Haha… I’ve mixed hemp with my husbands smoothie and he had the same reaction. He likes it in all other forms but not in his smoothie. Haha. I may have to employ your chocolate guarding tactic. :).
Baobab sounds like a perfect addition to my morning smoothies. Thanks for the info.
Beautiful post, with a wealth of information for smoothie lovers. I didn't know about baobob powder....something new to find! Your little helper is darling btw...those chubby little hands are just precious :) I would be making smoothies and frozen treats all day long for him lol
@birdsinparadise I'm glad you appreciate the information. I love the health side of writing a post. It's really amazing how powerful plants are! If only more people knew. Yes, cute chubby hands, although I think he'll start slimming down now that he's discovered the thrill of walking. And walking. And walking......
I love the idea of freezing some into bites for your little one! A much healthier version of a popsicle. I almost always put ginger in my smoothies, too. I have been rotating out maca, amla and maqui powder in my smoothies but I forgot about baobab. My boyfriend's mom had gotten us some one time, so thanks for the reminder to hunt some down again!
No problem! This is one great side to this platform - and in particular healthy challenges like Lena's. We can learn from each other (or remind one another).
ha! too healthy. is there a McDonalds nearby? hehehe. wonderful post and so informational and delish looking!
My husband asks the same question! Where's McDonalds. Funny
hahaha! well you can have some junk food every once in a while, lol. do you have them in the local cities I assume?
Junk food once in a while!! Perish the thought! I think there are McDonalds in the cities. We have our own variety of fast food joints but the only one I ever supported (as a rebellious youngsters) was KFC. You won't find me darkening their doors now. But it's a combination of my preference for health as well as my refusal to support the cruel meat industry
howdy again buckaroo! so nice to see you again so soon. oh so this is a moral thing also, I understand completely. well it's probably been over a year since I've had any kind of fast food and even then I think it was just a milk shake so they don't get any business from us.
I think Chick-Fil-A went to all free range chickens at least.
Well done @janton I'm always delighted to hear about people making healthy life choices. It interests me to know why? Is it a conviction or is it a necessity (as in due to illness or intolerance)
howdy again Ma'am! wow several visits the same day from buckaroo! lol. ok uh..yes we're as healthy as race horses and want to stay that way so it is totally self-control and not wanting to poison ourselves basically.
I love junk food and burger joints and things but never do them just to stay healthy. so I guess I;d say it's a conviction but I miss greasy burgers and french fries! lol.
aahhh what a lovely little man who loves his smoothie and the blender, his hand makes me want to see his happy face with smoothie mustache. oohh.. I don't know if I should keep the banana along with its peel in the freezer too, I used to peel it off and then put it in a food container and let it frozen before I use it. thank you @buckaroo your article is really informative and enjoyable.
@cicisaja the reason I don't peel the bananas is because it prevents oxidation. Once you remove it from the freezer you literally need 5 minutes and then the peel is just soft enough to either cut of peel
That's really something new to me @buckaroo.. now I know what to do when My FIL buy too many bananas because he feel sorry to the old sellers😊
Those are the best to pop straight into the freezer. I also like to use those over ripe bananas for muffins or banana bread. Yum
Yum.. yum.. your little man know how to say that "yum" right 😉 too bad that my father in law doesn't like banana smoothie, but I must try to make the banana bread 😉 imagine that 3 people in the house but 5-6 bunches of banana once a week😤
Extremely lush! If i could have one now. Lucky little fellow drinking yummy smoothies, and yes, moringa is a superfoods, dubbed as the most nutritious greens on earth, agree on that.
Thank you for your lovely post.
Thank you for your comment @sherylneil. Moringa is amazing. I like to hide it in my homemade natural chocolate. Not that my little boy has a problem with it, but my husband certainly turns his food up at "that green stuff"!
Woo! Love your post - we've given you a wee upvote and hope it helps you continue to write such amazing posts.
If you're a supporter of all things natural healing, and haven't already got on board our collective, you might like to read our introductory post here. We'd also love to welcome you on Discord here!!
These look so delicious! I made a smoothie this morning - such a good way to get nutrients in...
Thank you @naturalmedicine. Happy smoothie making!
I loved reading your post because off the enthusiasm and the positive attitude of yours. And incidentally I learned a lot about (for me) exotic fruits and their health benefits and so many more things. Especially what you said about soaking nuts were a real eye opener for me. Thank you! Congratulations to your happy mother-babyson relationship! Heartwarming!
Thank you for your sweet comment @pusteblume! Baobab is one of the few exotic fruits that South African's can actually claim! Although it doesn't grow in our area the magnificent trees are very common upcountry and along the northern border. When I first heard about soaking nuts and grains it was quite an eye opener for me too! I'm happy to share. This is a great platform for learning from one another
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I love how you hide some veggies in your child's smoothies 😁
The idea with the frozen fruits is actually brilliant! I recently froze up some jackfruit leftovers and during making my smoothies I munched on them - didn't know that this was so delicious 💚
Two of my favourite frozen fruits is grapes and mango (never tasted jackfruit) Grapes I freeze on the bunch and munch them like that. So refreshing and they actually taste sweeter. I freeze the mango whole. When I want to eat it I let it soften a little before cutting chunks. Then eat it like a hard ice-cream. It's heavenly
Frozen mango is indeed amazingly delicious! I've never tried frozen grapes though and it's actually hard for me to imagine the texture. But sounds very refreshing indeed! ☺️
Before you know it you'll be eating a frozen summer fruit salad @rawadventuress
I can totally imagine that 😁
Your originality and artistic display never ceases to delight me, my child! Congrats on your very well deserved win!
Thank you Dad! Can't believe I won and now second prize. This is by far my favourite competition
What an awesome post, full of secrets and informations ! ;-) Bravo ! ^_^
Oh cute! That is such a sweet little tootie fruitie to send me off to bed, here in Africa. Thank you so much @barbara-orenya
The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!Hello @buckaroo, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine.