How to make a Blueberry Kale smoothie that helps fight inflammation and promotes healthy gut flora (Nutrition information included)

Looking for a healthy antioxidant smoothie that will both satisfy your sweet tooth and provide incredible health benefits to help you fight inflammation, disease and contribute toward a healthy diet? Look no further. We got you covered!

Health Benefits of a Blueberry Kale smoothie

This powerful Blueberry Kale smoothie is packed full of antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to help the body remove unwanted toxins that result from natural processes and environmental exposures. Kale’s superpower is that it has an abundance of phytonutrients which can decrease inflammation and improve the livers’ detox ability.

Kale is high in nutrients and low in calories. In one cup of kale, you only have 33 calories but there is 684% of Vitamin K, 134% of Vitamin C, 206% of Vitamin A plus Iron, omega-3s, magnesium, folate, calcium, fiber, iron and 2 grams of protein. Now that’s what I call nutrient dense! This article: What are the health benefits of Kale will go into further depth on kale. After reading it, you may consider adding a little kale to your diet! I know I’m going to check kale out at my next grocery store trip.

Our next superfood ingredient is Blueberries and one of my favorite foods I eat daily. No one can deny the many health benefits of blueberries and its many uses in baking, smoothies and toppings on pancakes. But did you know that blueberries are another source of antioxidants with phytonutrients like flavonoids that are known to have anti-inflammatory effects that can prevent oxidative damage to your cells?

In every cup of blueberries, you get fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and potassium for about 80 calories. Combined with little to no fat and no sodium, you can’t go wrong with a daily mix of blueberries in your diet. Blueberries promotes health in other ways. Check out this article on Everything you need to know about blueberries and you’ll walk away with a good basic understanding on how powerful blueberries can be in your diet.

Not to be outdone by Kale or Blueberries, bananas are another superpower food that has amazing benefits for your health. Not only does it have magnesium, potassium, folate (B9), choline and pectin (a type of fiber), bananas encourage a healthy gut flora and act as a natural detox throughout the intestines. Check out this article on Bananas for more amazing health benefits!

So grab your Kale, Blueberries and Bananas and blend it together with additional ingredients below to make one heck of an antioxidant busting superpower Blueberry Kale smoothie.  Perfect for summer! 

Blueberry Kale Smoothie Recipe

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1          cup kale, raw

½         medium banana

1          cup blueberries

2          tbsp walnuts

1.5       cup almond milk, unsweetened

½         teaspoon cinnamon

ice       (optional)

Directions:

1. Place kale in blender first, then cover with the rest of the ingredients.

2. Process at high speed until well combined (you may need to carefully press the kale down a bit).

3. You may want to add ice (or cold water), depending on how cold and thick you like your smoothie. Enjoy!