Acai Nutrition Smoothies
May 11, 2006 Robin R. - Editor
About
Acai is the fruit of palmberry trees that grow wild in the Amazon. It has been called one of the top superfoods in the world for its powerful synergy of antioxidants, healthy fats (omegas), protein and fiber. The taste is that of rich berries with a hint of chocolate.
While not naturally sweet, acai is delicious when combined with other fruit or a touch of sweetener. The smoothie recipes below use cherry juice or banana for sweetness and are packed with other nutrition boosting ingredients.
The Acai Berry Cherry Smoothie contains both acai and blueberries making it an antioxidant powerhouse! When these fruits are blended in a base of black cherry juice, the result is an absolutely decadent taste with no added sweetener.
The Acai Banana Cherry Smoothie is a delicious blend of acai, banana and black cherry juice. When frozen, bananas give a wonderful creamy texture to smoothies.
Acai Berry Cherry Smoothie
| Pure black cherry juice | 10 oz | |
| Frozen blueberries | 3/4 cup | |
| Sambazon Pure Acai frozen smoothie pack | 1 ea | |
| Flax oil | 1 Tbsp | |
| Spirulina or unflavoured mixed green food powder | 1 tsp | |
| Protein powder of choice | 1 serving |
Place all ingredients in a blender and run on high speed until smooth. Serves 1.
Acai Banana Cherry Smoothie
| Pure black cherry juice | 10 oz | |
| Banana, frozen | 1 ea | |
| Sambazon Pure Acai frozen smoothie pack | 1 ea | |
| Flax oil | 1 Tbsp | |
| Spirulina or unflavoured mixed green food powder | 1 tsp | |
| Protein powder of choice | 1 serving |
Place all ingredients in a blender and run on high speed until smooth. Serves 1.
Helpful Hints
- To freeze your banana, simply peel, wrap in cellophane, and leave in the freezer overnight.
- Looke for Sambazon frozen smoothie packs at your local Health First natural food store. For these recipes choose the unsweetened version. If you can’t find this product in your area you can add powdered acai to your smoothie such as Navitas brand. These are available at health food stores as well as online.
- For regular blenders you will need to break up the banana and frozen smoothie pack. If necessary, you may wish to thaw the acai pack before using. For the best creamy texture however, the banana should be frozen.
- If you own a Vita-Mix, you will have no problem with the load, and do not even have to break up the smoothie pack. Simply walk the speed up to 10, switch to high, and press the frozen ingredients into the blades using the tamper.
Palmberry Trees with acai fruit. © Sambazon. Uploaded to this site with permission.
Acai fruit from the Palmberry tree.
© Sambazon. Uploaded to this site with permission.
This recipe has been placed in the Raw Food category. If you are following a Raw Food Diet be sure to choose an appropriate protein powder. Alternatively you could add a few tablespoons of raw hemp seed.
Acai is rich in healthy Omega 6 and Omega 9 fats. Flax oil adds Omega 3, another healthy fat that is needed by the human body.