When Life Gives You Lemons...

Vegans aren’t what you think. Although you’ve heard rumors, they’re not a gang of angry people who created the tick that makes you allergic to meat, or people who will throw themselves at you to slap the ice cream out of your hands. They’re a bunch of loving, warm-hearted humans who are trying to save the world one step at a time. I started saving the world with this smoothie.

This smoothie is my happy place. Yogurt free, concentrate free, and all of the nutrients you need for a thorough, but EXTREMELY satisfying, breakfast. I don’t have a sweet tooth; I have sweet teeth. In other words, I’m an absolute sucker for that sugary, tangy drink to start the morning off and get me happily prepared for the day. This smoothie is enough to uplift my mood, whether I’m sitting in the sun soaking in the Vitamin D after just awakening, or if I’m on the road on my way to work. Any of my coworkers will tell you they’ve seen me bring in countless smoothies to work, always asking me what today’s concoction was. I love watching people’s face as I read off my smoothie ingredient list with 8+ separately amazing things, combined into one power food. Let’s get to this lovely drink’s ingredients, shall we?

Always putting the fresh ingredients at the bottom, we start with these incredibly tasty organic blueberries. Personally, I think you can tell the difference between local organic blueberries, and your everyday blueberries you buy from your everyday, mainstream store. Definitely would 10/10 recommend to a friend to try your best to find local fruits and vegetables, if you want that rich, natural flavor fruits and vegetables have. Next are strawberries and raspberries. As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of the berry family. They just give that mind boggling flavor you don’t want to miss out on. I’m not a huge fan of the seeds, which is why I leave it up to my Vitamix blender (not pictured) to get the job done. Two of my other favorite fruits to put in are frozen pineapple and frozen peaches. The pineapple gives it that tartness that just enhances the flavors, making you not want to put your smoothie down for a second. Do I even have to explain myself with the peaches?? They’re good in any shape or form, let alone with other sweet flavors that just compliments them. I know what you’re probably thinking with the frozen peas, frozen broccoli, and spinach (I forgot about it which is why it’s with the frozen things in the picture)—“Uh, why would you ever mix that with fruit??” Trust me, it’s an entirely unregretable experience. They have so much protein and nutrients in just a small amount when you can’t even taste it, it would be almost silly to have them laying around and NOT put them in your smoothie! Three of the most important ingredients are chia seeds, spirulina, and lemon juice. Chia seeds carry the fiber and protein you need to help you get through the day, because let’s be real. Pooping is so important in everyday life to get rid of toxins, and you’re correct; chia seeds carry a lot of the fiber that can help you stay regular! Now you’re probably thinking, “What in God’s name is spirulina??” It’s actually a very healthy type of algae that your body will thank you for. This is one of the superfoods that you can add to get some extra greens in, which I personally think makes the smoothie even just a little bit sweeter, and you get a little bit more protein too. Now last but not least (besides the water), it’s the lemon juice!!! This brings out all of the flavors and marries them together to complete this incredible smoothie combination. It’s honestly the star of the show, filling in for any yogurt flavor you may have used before. I squeeze the lemons fresh, making sure to not drop any seeds in, because that can make your smoothie bitter. I also don’t mind fresh orange juice in it, that’s another one of my favorites. After this you just add some cold water and viola!! Your masterpiece is complete, after blending of course!

There you have it, my ideal smoothie. Of course you can add other powders to make it more flavorful and nutrient packed, such as maca powder, which is great for hormonal balance, or açaí powder, which has tons of antioxidants, and would be totally delicious! There’s an endless amount of combinations you can do. It’s all about experimenting with your ingredients to see which flavors tickle your fancy, and bring out the best you that you can be. I always feel amazing after a hardy smoothie like this one that ends up with at least 12 grams of protein for the win. Thank you, plants, for making me feel better than ever!!