Cherry Berry Recovery Smoothie

This blog is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. The content and opinions expressed here are that of my own.

Remember when I shared the AMAZING news that I was going to be working with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze® and get the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon?! I mean, it's hard to forget something as HUGE as that, right?! I'm still pinching myself! Well, anyway, seeing as they've been showing me the love (I mean, they got me an entry to the world renowned 2019 Boston Marathon for goodness sake), I thought it was time to repay the favor - it's the least I could do!

If you follow along on my Instagram stories, you've probably seen the inside of our fridge (and if you don't follow me on social media, you probably don't realize that I share some of my "food prep" and "meal prep" on a weekly basis after grocery shopping) and have seen it stocked with plenty of Almond Milk. Normally we use it in our cereal, but I've been enjoying doing a little more experimenting in the kitchen lately so thought I'd try my hand at a few fun recipes.

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Now that it's getting warmer outside (although, I'm sorry if you live in a location where Mother Nature is being fickle and you are still experiencing winter-like weather), it's time to break out the blender and get back on the smoothie routine!

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Note: Smoothies can sometimes get a bad rap due to the high calories and sugars in them, but I still find them 

a great way to get in extra fruit and veggie servings throughout the day (not to mention they are DELICIOUS!). 

When deciding on the ingredients, there were a plethora to choose from (especially coming into the Spring season). I decided to limit the number of things I threw into the blender, mostly because I hate recipes that call for 99 different items, but you can play around with it to make it your own (don't worry, I won't tell if you don't follow the recipe to the letter - feel free to add some protein powder, swap out the berries, top with hemp hearts, etc). I wanted to use plenty of spinach (for the iron, magnesium and fiber), cherries (research has linked cherry juice to the ability to fight inflammation, reduce swelling and strengthen the immune system) and blueberries (because they are nutrient-rich, antioxidant berries) so not only would it be scrum-didily-umptios but it'd be a great smoothie to drink while recovering from your run or workout.

Instead of throwing a frozen banana in (Pro tip: if you have bananas that are starting to brown, cut them up and stick them in the freezer for future smoothies... never waste the fantastic fruit!), I decided to use the new Almond Breeze Almondmilk Blended with Real Bananas. They blend the amazingly smooth, creamy goodness of Unsweetened Almond Breeze Almondmilk with real bananas for a deliciously satisfying treat that contains half a banana (470mg of potassium!) in each serving. It is absolutely perfect for smoothies (which means you need one less ingredient for the recipe - score!) - and it's actually even delicious on its own. Either way, it's a win-win!

So, without further ado, let me get out of my own way already and just share the recipe...

Cherry Berry Recovery Smoothie

Ingredients

• 3 cups spinach 
• 1 1/3 cup frozen (or fresh) dark sweet cherries
• 2/3 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries cherries 
• 1 cup Almond Breeze Almondmilk Blended with Real Bananas

Instructions

1. Place liquids, fruits and vegetables into a blender.
2. Blend ingredients until completely smooth.
3. Pour smoothie into glass. Garnish with additional fruit, granola or nuts if desired.
4. Enjoy.

                    Nutrition Information -- Yield: 1
                    Amount Per Serving -- Calories: 329 // Total Fat: 2g // Saturated Fat: 0g // Trans Fat: 0g // Fiber: 12g

                    Cholesterol: 0mg // Sodium: 221mg // Carbohydrates: 74g // Fiber: 12g // Sugar: 56g // Protein: 9g

Love sippin' this down post-run!

What is your favorite smoothie recipe?