kale smoothie – Nat's Ladle

Summer is finally here in Melbourne! Yay! That calls for light and delicious detox juices and smoothies with loads of goodies in! Juice cleanses are all the rage now – and rightly so. There is just no better way to reboot your digestive system, reset your tastebuds and alkalise your body than one to three days of light soups, smoothies and juices. Unfortunately, commercial juice cleanses are pretty dear, so if you can have your own little juice cleanse, why not? The few minutes of extra work are worth the extra dollars in your bank account, I think! And even if you don’t need or want a complete cleanse, this spicy detox juice is just the right thing to enjoy on a warm and sunny afternoon on your balcony, or to rehydrate after your workout.

It’s a great way of getting a considerable part of your daily serve of fruit and veg in even if you don’t feel like eating much. Turmeric, chili, cayenne and ginger fire up your digestive system and your circulation while mint and cucumber provide coolness on a hot day. This cocktail is brimming with vitamins, fibre, and antioxidants, a great anti-ageing potion and helps your body to flush out toxins. I love it on its own, but it also goes well with light, summery fare.

Antioxidant Cocktail with kale, mint, apple, orange, carrot, cucumber, turmeric, ginger, cayenne and chili

Spicy Detox Juice

Serves 1

1 small apple, cored and cubed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup filtered or coconut water
a handful of ice cubes
half a cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
handfull of kale
1 tsp of barley grass or your favourite greens powder (optional)
fresh mint
a pinch each of turmeric, cayenne, chili and ginger

Blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender and…

Enjoy!

If you could eat gelato while taking in three serves of veg and two serves of fruit, does that sound to good to be true? Well, you’re in for a treat! With this beetroot acai smoothie bowl, you’re not only giving your body five serves of fruit and veg with bucketloads of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre but also high-quality protein as well as omega 3s! And as long as you have some grated beetroot and kale ready (I’d recommend to always keep a serve in your freezer!), it comes together so quickly and easily that you don’t even have to get up early!

As you might have guessed from the hint I dropped above, this beetroot acai smoothie bowl contains beetroot, but wait! I totally understand that not everyone is as crazy as me (or Aussies in general) about beetroot, but you should really give it a try! Besides beetroot’s nutritional benefits such as for your blood, kidneys and skin, it imparts a lovely purple colour to this smoothie. If you use a good-quality vegan protein powder, the earthy taste really shouldn’t be too pronounced. If you’re still skeptical, start with a small serve of beetroot and then work your way up. It’s a great addition to your morning routine and also a colourful change to the ubiquitous green smoothies. Or add a frozen banana – this will make your smoothie bowl even sweeter and creamier and bring this smoothie up to three serves of fruit instead of two!

While the Australian recommendation today is to consume five serves of veg and two serves of fruit and no longer 3+2, I think getting in 3 veg and 2-3 fruit in the AMs is still a great achievement. If you want to take it up a notch, feel free to add some more veg to this, such as zucchini which also adds some bulk without altering the flavour, or sweet potato (yes, you can have raw sweet potato!)

Beetroot Acai Smoothie Bowl

Serves one

1 cup plant milk
2 cups mixed berries raspberries
a handfull of roughly shredded kale
a handful of spinach
half a cup handful of grated beetroot
frozen banana (optional) (more carbs, but also more flavour and nutrition!)
1 tbsp dry acai powder
3 tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder
Toppings: chia seeds, hemp seeds, granola, goji berries, coconut flakes etc.

Blitz all ingredients bar the toppings in a high-powered blender, scoop into a bowl, top with your favourite toppings and…

Enjoy!