Certainly there must be at least 346,902,387 different types of smoothies one could make, with a list of ingredient options that is practically limitless. However, in my smoothies, I like to sneak in some secret treats that most folks would never even think to add to their smoothies. After years of drinking them almost everyday, I’ve learned some pretty awesome tricks to up the nutritional value of my smoothies without sacrificing deliciousness. Here’s a couple of my all time favorites:

Spinach: I know. Sounds totally gross, right? But, what is absolutely incredible is that throwing a big handful of leafy greens into the blender doesn’t affect the flavor of your smoothie AT ALL. I’ve also thrown in romaine, kale, chard or whatever greens I happen to have on hand, but I’ve found that spinach tends to have the most neutral flavor.

Raw Chocolate (Cacao): No, I’m not suggesting that you throw in a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. While that may be super delicious, raw chocolate is practically a different animal altogether. Raw chocolate, or cacao (kuh-COW), has been all the rage amongst raw foodists for years. It is most commonly found in natural food stores (or the Food Hole) in the form of little nibs which are actually the seeds directly from a cacao pod. This is chocolate in its purest form.

Not only are these little nibs of joy packed full of 9 grams(!) of fiber per ounce, up to 30 times the antioxidant levels of green tea, tons of magnesium, protein, and iron, but they also contain natural MAO Inhibitors to help elevate your mood and suppress your appetite. As if all that wasn’t enough, it also contains something called Theobromine which is a cousin to caffeine. This stuff definitely gives you a big boost of energy, but unlike caffeine, there is no crash and it’s not addictive.

However, a word to the wise: If you decide to add cacao to your diet, start slowly. Use only a Tablespoon to start with and work your way up. If you had never tried coffee before, you wouldn’t start with four shots of espresso, right? This is kind of the same idea. And, keep in mind, because this is pure chocolate, it is NOT sweetened. The lack of sugar takes some getting used to for some folks, but in a smoothie, you never know the difference.

For more information about cacao check out these sites:
The All-Knowing Wikipedia
The Brand of Cacao and Goji Berries I Use
The Brits Love It!
Links to Scientific Studies Done on Chocolate

Spirulina: I love it! It’s just an all around great product, especially for vegetarians and vegans because of it’s high concentration of B vitamins. Go ahead. Learn all about it.

Ground Flaxseed: By now, I think we’ve all heard plenty about the benefits of Omega-3’s and flaxseed. An added bonus to adding this to your smoothie is that it will thicken an otherwise too thin smoothie. To make these seeds easier to digest, be sure to grind them up in a coffee grinder before adding them to your smoothie. And, in case you want a little more info on flax, check out this article.

While there is a plethora of other things I add to my breakfast from time to time, I’ll have to get to those at a later date. In the meantime, try these and let me know what you think.

Here is what I had for breakfast this morning:

1 cup thin local organic goat yogurt (You can use any type of “dairy” you like here. Almond milk, rice milk, soymilk, yogurt, etc. all work well.)
1 super ripe banana
1 cup frozen organic mixed berries
1 big handful chopped spinach
2 Tbs. raw cacao powder
1 tsp. agave nectar (optional)

1. Pour the liquid in the blender first and add all the other stuff on top.

2. Blend until smooth and slurp it up!

P.S. Smoothies are also fantastic for folks who don’t like to eat breakfast. (Mom, are you reading this?) This way, they can get the most important meal of the day in their bellies without putting in a whole lot of effort. (Seriously, Mom. Go make yourself a smoothie. Do it for me.)