BLACKBERRY BEAUTY SMOOTHIE

As far as berries go, I always thought blueberries and raspberries were my fav.  However, one of my middle chicklet's skating buddies absolutely adores blackberries.  I started buying them whenever she was over and quickly became a blackberry-loving convert!

Blackberries have a wonderful sweet-tart flavour.  They are rich in vitamins as well as soluble & insoluble fibre.  Better still, blackberries are absolutely bursting with chronic-disease and age-fighting antioxidants including lutein and ziaxanthin.

The base recipe makes a simple and wonderfully refreshing drink. I have suggested several “add-ins” for a more substantial snack or meal replacement.

For 2 generous servings, blend together:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

• 1 1/2 cups or more unsweetened almond milk, adjusted to desired consistency

• 1 frozen banana

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

• Lakanto sugar-free monk fruit sweetener, pure stevia, or raw honey (nonvegan), adjusted to taste (optional)

If serving as a more substantial snack or meal replacement, I recommend boosting this smoothie with additional fibre along with healthy fats and protein. Good options include:

• 1 to 2 Tbsp chia seeds (fibre & healthy fats)

• 1 to 2 Tbsp raw almond butter or nut butter of choice (healthy fats & protein)

• 1 scoop Nuzest Clean Lean Smooth Vanilla protein powder and/or 1 scoop Further Food collagen (non-vegan protein)

• 1/2 to 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (non-vegan protein); reduce almond milk slightly if adding yogurt

• 1/2 cup silken tofu (protein)