Piña Colada Veggie Smoothie
Vegetables in a piña colada? Yes, you read that right! Tropical drinks are delicious, but can be pretty calorie-laden, even without the rum. I swapped the typical coconut cream for coconut flavored kefir, keeping all the flavor but cutting out SO much added sugar! Then I added lots of vitamin-packed vegetable like butternut squash and carrot juice, plus the natural sweetness of pineapple and mango. The results were EXACTLY what I’d been hoping for... creamy, refreshing and so good for my family!
Kefir is a fantastic alternative to yogurt! It’s a fermented milk (cow, goat or sheep) so it’s loaded with healthy probiotics and vitamins like magnesium, folate, calcium, B12 and biotin. It significantly improves gut health, which in turn helps aid our digestion & allergies and protect against carcinogens and pathogens. There are so many more benefits to incorporating kefir into your diet, click here to read on.
I usually add a banana to our smoothies for a little sweetness and a creamy texture, but found the combination of kefir and frozen mango chunks eliminated the need. Plus, by using 1 cup of butternut squash, the amount of potassium exceeds what the banana would have contributed! It’s sneaky, I know, but sometimes certain family members just need a little helpful deception in order to realize how delicious food can be!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen, diced butternut squash
- 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple tidbits
- 1 1/2 cups coconut flavored kefir
- 1/2 cup carrot juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1-2 scoops collagen protein powder (optional)
Blend everything together and serve... with a paper umbrella is a bonus!
yield: 4 smoothies
