Nutrition:

I was asked to teach a local class within a vegan cooking series. I went with smoothies because they are a wonderful way of incorporating the protein that so many vegetarians and vegans miss in their diets. Below you will find five of my favorite go-to smoothie recipes. I hope you enjoy them and I welcome any comments!

Harvest Smoothie

½ c Cooked Sweet Potatoes/Yam/Pumpkin
 ½ t Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
 ½ t Roasted Matcha
 2 T Pea Protein (or other protein of choice)
 2 T Monk Fruit Maple Syrup
 Water to fill line

 Nutrition: Calories/serving: 185 (Carbs: 31 g, Protein: 19 g, Fat 0 g) Fiber-rich, energizing, filling, yummy.

Molasses Boost Smoothie

2 T Organic Molasses
 4 T Pea Protein
 1 T Dextrin Powder
 ½ t Cinnamon
 ½ Banana
 Water to fill line

 Nutrition: Calories/serving: 335 (Carbs: 21 g, Protein: 29 g, Fat 2 g) Mineral-rich, heart-healthy, gut-friendly.

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

1 Scoop Chocolate SunWarior Protein Powder
 (or other protein of choice)
 2 T Peanut Powder
 1 T Unsweetened Cocoa
 1 t L-Glutamine Powder
 1 T Xylitol (See Notes)
 ½ Banana
 Water to fill line

Nutrition: Calories/serving: 275 (Carbs: 35 g, Protein: 27 g, Fat 5 g) Nutrient rich, energizing, yummy.

Note: Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from American Hard Wood Trees. It is beneficial for remineralizing teeth and

has half the glycemic impact on the blood that sugar has; however, it is known to be toxic to pets.

Berry Blast Smoothie

1 c Welches White Grape Cherry
 4 T Pea Protein (or other protein of choice)
 1 Scoop Power Beats
 1 T Dextrin Powder
 ½ c Blueberries
 Water to fill line

Nutrition: Calories/serving: 354 (Carbs: 51 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat 2 g) Fiber rich, energizing, filling, yummy.

Green-a-Colada Smoothie

1 c Pineapple Coconut Juice
 1 T Dextrin Powder or Ground Flax (Flax thickens)
 1 T MCT Oil
 3 T Hemp Protein (or other protein of choice)
 1+ t Spirulina Powder
 ½ t L-Glutamine Powder
 Water to fill line

Nutrition: Calories/serving: 379 (Carbs: 45 g, Protein: 17 g, Fat 17 g) Fiber-rich, healthy fats, mind, & muscle building.

Recommendations: If you wish to incorporate fresh vegetables and more fibrous fruits such as pineapple in your smoothies, a good food processing blender is recommended. This requires more horsepower than standard blenders. However, the recipes provided above can be used in standard blenders since we are using pre-juiced, canned, and/or cooked ingredients which makes them easier to incorporate.

 There are many smoothie recipes online, however, I recommend getting an app such as MyNetDiary, to track nutrient information if you are going to make your own smoothies at home. This is because calories, protein, carbs, fats, or any micronutrient can get away from you if you are not aware of what you are putting into your recipes. The app I use to create my recipes and calculate the serving, calories, and nutrient information for the above recipes gives very detailed information, even in their free version of the app. See the screenshot to the right to see some of the information this app provides.

Ingredients available to use in your vegan nutritional Smoothies are endless:

· Non-dairy milk of your choice
 · Spices (ginger, cayenne, clove, etc.)
 · Berries
 · Citrus fruits
 · Tropical fruits
 · Seasonal fruits
 · Yogurts
 · Juices
 · Supplements
 · Chia and other seeds
 · Ice cubes
 · Avocados
 · Greens
 · Cooked root vegetables
 · Oats

And the list goes on. The sky is the limit. We are only limited by our imagination, sensible discernment, and food allergies or intolerances.

With that said, we recommend you consider being tested for your own personal food intolerances, modern-day medicine can forewarn us of the silent but rampant and deadly pandemic of leaky gut.

Because of the way modern agriculture has been conducted over the last few decades using herbicides, pesticides, and genetic modification, many of the “healthy” foods we eat are being rejected by our bodies. This is a major cause of symptoms ranging from mid-section bloating, uncontrollable weight gain, heartburn, indigestion, and other maladies. If we do not recognize the symptoms but keep eating these foods that our bodies reject, they start to damage the lining of our intestines. Hence all the recent talk about gluten intolerance, and celiac disease, but there is more to it than just one rogue protein in three grains (wheat, barley, and rye).

It is important to eat organic when possible and find out if any “foods” considered by the general populous are actually poison to you.

Tamara Ruckdeschel - 3am-ministry.org