Smoothies are a great way to pack a lot of nutrition in one meal, but sometimes they are a bit of a pain in the butt to make. A few common complaints from clients are 1) feeling lost on what to include to make it a complete meal, 2) it is too early to have the loud blender going, and 3) they would rather sleep in the extra 10 minutes it will take to make the smoothie & clean up the mess. And let me tell you, I hear them. I often recommend pre-made frozen smoothie cubes for my clients – they’re convenient, way less mess and no blender needed. What I don’t love about them is the extra plastic packaging that goes with convenient foods, and they are not always made with the cleanest ingredients.
So, I decided to create a recipe for my own frozen smoothie cubes to prep on a lazy Sunday afternoon (or whenever else you can find the time). Pop them in a mason jar in the morning, top with water or liquid of choice, wait 20 minutes and BOOM you have a quick and easy, blender free smoothie. *Disclaimer – the smoothie isn’t completely blender free as you’ll need a food processor and/or blender to prep before you freeze!
I’ve packed this smoothie recipe with some delicious, brain nourishing ingredients. The addition of blue spirulina is what gives this smoothie its beautiful blue colour and if you have more of a sweet tooth, there is an extra option to add a little honey. Not always into smoothies? No problem, I also like to pop a cube into my chia puddings, plain yogurt or oatmeal for an extra brainy boost!
Brainy Blue Smoothie Cubes
Ingredients
- 4 small ripe bananas
- 3 small green apples, chopped
- 6 cups cauliflower, chopped
- 3 small green apples, chopped
- ½ cup hemp hearts
- 4 Tbsp spirulina
- 2 Tbsp Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 lemon, freshly juiced, about ¼ cup
- Optional: 2-3 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Turnip the Beet. Put on your favourite playlist & have a 2-minute kitchen dance party.
- Add banana, apple, and cauliflower to the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade and purée on high till smooth.
- Transfer the purée to a high-speed blender and blend with the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively, if you don’t mind a few bits in your smoothie, you can purée the rest of the ingredients in your food processor.
- Pour smoothie mix into silicone ice cube trays* and freeze overnight.
- Smoothie assembly**: for a snack, pop 3 cubes in a mason jar, add 125ml liquid of choice (I love coconut milk), wait 20 minutes, shake and drink! For a meal, pop 6 cubes in a mason jar, add 250ml liquid of choice, wait 20 minutes, shake and drink.
Notes
* I purchased silicone ice cube trays from Amazon that came with a lid, so I didn’t have to transfer the cubes if I wanted to make ice. If you do not want to purchase extra trays, you can use your current ice cube tray and then pop all the cubes into a mason jar or freezer bag and take out what is needed. Alternatively, you could also use muffin tins and pop them out once frozen as well.
**This recipe made about 800g of smoothie purée equalling to 6 full-sized smoothies or 12 snack sized. Depending on your tray size, you can adjust the amount of cubes you need in your jar when making your smoothie.
*** Although it takes away this smoothies’ beautiful blue, I personally like to add a scoop of greens and an extra tbsp of hemp seeds to my snack sized smoothie to make this recipe go further and amp up my greens count for the day.
Tuning in: brain nourishing ingredients
Banana:
Bananas contain potassium, an important mineral that transports serotonin in the brain. It comes as no surprise that a potassium deficiency can lead to depressive symptoms and emotional lability.
Potassium also delivers oxygen to the brain, helping improve cognitive function.
Another nutrient found in bananas is vitamin B6, a nutrient that helps convert the amino acids from protein into dopamine. This special vitamin is often used to elevate moods and calm anxious feelings.
Cauliflower:
High in vitamin C, cauliflower helps protect the body against oxidative stress. Our bodies use more vitamin C in times of emotional and physical stress, so make sure you amp up this vitamin when needed.
Hemp Seeds:
Rich in healthy fats, hemp seeds also contain the optimal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, about 2:1. Keeping your healthy fats in this balanced range helps reduce neuroinflammation.
Check out this blog to learn more about this brain-loving seed.
Spirulina:
Not just for looks, blue spirulina is a superfood powerhouse that comes from blue-green algae. It boasts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties nourishing your brain to the max!
Lemon:
The citric acid found in lemons helps aid digestion by boosting gastric acid in the stomach. Better digestion increases your body’s ability to absorb all the nutrients in this delicious smoothie.