Immune boosting orange green smoothie is here to help you get over that cold or stop you from getting one!
It truly works! Paul had a bad cold for a week and a half and I stayed healthy!!!
This is very exciting for me because I usually catch whatever is going around. I drank this orange green smoothie twice while Paul was sick and I stayed healthy!
Victory was mine!!!
Okay, this orange green smoothie wasn’t the only reason I didn’t get sick. I took all of the multi-vitamins, ate healthy, got some extra rest, and stayed as far away from Paul as I could. But with super healthy ingredients I bet this orange green smoothie did play a part in keeping me healthy and helping Paul to get better faster!
The power of whole foods are nothing to be taken for granted!
I love making smoothies during the summer. Refreshing and easy.
During the winter I have a hard time bringing myself to do it because cold on top of cold weather doesn’t make me very excited. For some reason when I honor the fruits that are in season I get more excited about turning those fruits into a smoothie.
We always have an abundance of oranges in our house this time of year, they are Paul’s favorite fruit and this is their peak season. My only issue with throwing oranges into a smoothie is that the fibers and pith of the orange never seem to fully blend up. I simply solve this by juicing the oranges and adding the fresh squeezed orange juice into the blender leaving behind all the chunky stuff.
During testing another problem came to the surface, without the bulk of the fruit the smoothie was too watery. Frozen banana added creaminess and sweetness that was needed to round everything out. Plus more nutrition! Yet, it still wasn’t quite enough to thicken things up to my satisfaction.
Chia seeds, soaked in some water before blending in the smoothie was the perfect solution. When soaked in water for just a few minutes they get all gelatinous. Delicious creamy orange green smoothie is perfected!
Not only does this orange green smoothie have loads of vitamin c from the fresh squeezed orange juice it has plenty of potassium from the bananas and spinach. Along with magnesium, vitamin K, calcium, iron, and B vitamins from that spinach.
Yes, you could leave out the spinach but why not add it in? It doesn’t alter the taste of the smoothie one bit but adds all those vitamins that our bodies crave this time of year. Plus it makes the smoothie a beautiful green color, something we all need to see in January…oh wait, February. It’s February 1st everyone!
Anyways, I also added nonfat plain Greek yogurt for a little protein, calcium, gut-healthy probiotics, and extra creaminess – this plus a touch of vanilla makes this smoothie taste like a dreamsicle.
Only way better because it isn’t loaded with refined sugars and artificial flavors and food dye.
Guys, this right here is why I love healthy food so much. This orange green smoothie is super nutrient rich food that only takes 10 minutes to make and tastes amazing!!
One of my main goals with this blog is to show people that eating wholesome foods can taste just as good as it can make you feel.
Dreamsicle heaven in an immune boosting smoothie? Who’s in?!
P.S. Want some more immune boosting drinks? Try these:
- fresh carrot juice (without a juicer)
- pear green juice (without a juicer)
- pineapple ginger turmeric smoothie
Immune Boosting Green Orange Smoothie
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1 large smoothie or 2 smaller ones 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Drink, Healthy, Superfood, Easy
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan
Description
Green orange smoothie is packed with immune boosting vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Bursting with orange flavor, creamy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 1/2 sliced bananas (previously frozen)*
- zest of two oranges (use organic when possible)
- Juice of 3 oranges – 3/4 cup
- 1/2 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- A few handfuls of spinach
- A few ice cubes, if needed
Instructions
- Soak chia seeds: Add the chia seeds to a small bowl along with 3 tablespoons of filtered water, mix and set aside while you prepare the rest of the smoothie ingredients. You will know the chia seeds are ready once they thicken and become gelatinous. This will help thicken our smoothie.
- Blend ingredients: To a blender add all of the ingredients including the soaked chia seeds. Blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed – add more banana slices for more sweetness or more yogurt for more tartness. If you want it colder or a bit thicker add 3 to 4 ice cubes.
- Serve: Enjoy the smoothie immediately so your body gets the most out of those fresh nutrients.
Notes
How to freeze bananas for smoothies: Peel and slice ripe bananas (can be overripe ones too) and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. make sure the bananas aren’t touching. Place them in the freezer for at least 6 hours. Once fully frozen transfer the bananas to a zip lock bag. Then you can pull out individual slices of banana as needed for smoothies.
Vegan/dairy free: To keep this smoothie vegan and dairy free swap the yogurt for plain vegan coconut yogurt or almond yogurt.
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