How to Make Your Smoothies Winter Friendly

Are you a big smoothie lova like me? They are quick, delish and packed with nutrition. But as we approach the cold winter season, you body craves and deserves to have some warming and comforting foods too. Eating too many cooling and raw foods during the colder months can can take a toll on your digestive fire and leave you quivering and unbalanced.

Just as you adjust your menu to include more seasonal foods, you can also adjust your smoothies to be more seasonal. The intention should be to make it warming and as local as possible. As you will notice, nature is always aligned with what our body needs.

Here is a list of foods and spices to add to your winterized smoothies:

Winter squash and pumpkin

Butternut squash is my favourite for it’s complex and sweet taste. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) winter squash are warming foods, which have the effects of raising the yang, energy (qi) of organs, improving circulation, and dispelling cold. It is also high in vitamin A, which helps to boost your immune system and ward off cold and flu symptoms. Roast or steam up a batch or your favourite squash or pumpkin and keep in in the fridge throughout the week.

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes are another way to add some immune boosting vitamin A, fibre and antioxidant power to your smoothie. If you have a powerful blender you can use raw veggies, but if not I would suggest steaming the veggies first.

Winter greens

Save those spinach and dandelion leaves for spring and summer and opt for cold weather greens instead! Winter greens include kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, and turnip greens. They are loaded with minerals, like calcium and iron, as well as cancer fighting phytochemicals. They help to keep your liver happy and the chlorophyll content boosts your energy levels. If you find them too bitter or you’re worried about the oxalic acid or goitrogens found in some cruciferous veggies (which can negatively affect thyroid function and block mineral absorption) you can steam the greens first for a couple of minutes. This helps to neutralize these chemicals. It’s a good idea to switch up your greens and try a variety that you haven’t tried before!

Avocado

Avocados are a superfood for so many reasons. They are high in B vitamins, which help to combat stress and help to boost your mood. They are high in fibre, healthy fats, and water content, which helps to keep things moving along, helps to balance blood sugar levels and increase satiety, which helps maintain a healthy weight. They also help to create beautiful velvety smooth blended drinks.

Apples and pears

These are your fall fruits so use them up! They can last in the fridge for a couple of months and they blend up nicely with green veggies. I would suggest using some warming spices with these fruits because according to TCM, they have a cooling effect on the body. Apples and pears contain many health boosting antioxidants as well as pectin fibre, which helps to detoxify the colon and keep unwanted pounds from packing on during the colder months.

Dried fruit

Since fresh fruit would naturally be hard to obtain in cold climates, unless you’ve done a fabulous job of stocking your freezer with summer fruits, the other option is to use dried fruits. My favourite ones to use in smoothies are dates (especially medjool), which are high in fibre, as well as energy and immune boosting minerals iron and zinc. Dried apricots are also a great source of iron, which helps to prevent anemia. Make sure your fruit is organic and free of additives such as sunflower oil, sulfates and sugar. Soaking your fruit ahead of time in filtered water helps to ensure your smoothie is super smooth!

Coconut

Coconut is another warming food, and although not local to me (in Canada) I like to use a small amount of this superfood for so many reasons; it’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial, it’s a great source of easily digestible protein, and healthy fast burning medium chain fatty acids. All this equals energy, fast metabolism, help with maintaining a healthy weight and combating all sorts of bacteria and viruses. You can use a tablespoon of coconut butter, or use coconut water or milk to blend your smoothie. Adding a dollop of coconut yogurt will give your digestion some healthy fuel as well!

Goji Berries

This superfood is high in antioxidants, especially vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system and helps to build collagen. Collagen is essential for beautiful youthful skin and healthy strong bones.

Ginger

Ginger is perfect for the colder months as it creates heat and improves circulation. You can add a tsp of fresh ginger root to your smoothie to reduce inflammation and can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during a cold and flu. Read more about the healing properties of ginger here.

Cinnamon

This warming healing spice is also great at balancing your blood sugar levels, which in turn help to keep those extra pound off and your energy levels up! Other spices to consider are nutmeg, clove and cardamom, which all have their own warming and healing properties.

Nuts and Seeds

Walnuts and pine nuts have a warming effect, but almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are great too as they are neutral but pack some powerful minerals such as calcium, zinc and vitamin E. You can use nut/seed milk, butter or just throw in a handful of soaked nuts or seeds. (find out why your should soak your nuts and seeds here)They help to give your smoothies some healthy fats and proteins so that your nutrients can be properly assimilated and absorbed.

Warming Apple Ginger Smoothie

This is one of my favourite cold weather smoothies and a great way to use up some leftover squash. Apples and chia are a magical combo that will help to give your liver a boost. A healthy liver helps to give you beautiful glowing skin and helps to build happy healthy hormones.

• 2 small apples
• 1/2 cup butternut squash (cooked)
• Handful sunflower sprouts
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup apple cider (sugar free)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder ( I used Genuine Health Vegan Vanilla Protein)
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp raw honey

Blend it up and drink it down!

Wild Blueberry Walnut Smoothie

This smoothie is not only warming and energizing, but also gives your brain a bit of a boost. Walnuts are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which help to fuel your brain, reduce inflammation and help with cognitive function. Blueberries are known to help with memory recall and are a great source of vitamin C, which helps to keep your capillaries strong and healthy. Maca and bee pollen will give you energy and boost your libido too, how sweet is that??

• 1 cup walnut milk (or another nut milk)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup wild blueberries
• 1 ripe pear
• 2 large kale leaves
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 scoop vanilla protein (I used Genuine Health Vegan Vanilla Protein)
• 1 tsp bee pollen
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 2 medjool dates (soak in hot water first if they aren’t soft enough to blend well.

Blend it up and drink it down!

Winter Chocolate Goji Superfood Smoothie

This is like warm hug in a mug, or a mason jar if that’s your thing. Raw cacao is know for its super antioxidant power, which will help to keep your cells nice and lively. It also boosts your mood due to its phenylethylamine (PEA) content, a neurotransmitter that is released by neurons at moments of emotional euphoria, including feelings of love. Aww:) Read all about my ode to chocolate here.

• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1.5 cup water
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Genuine Health Chocolate Protein Powder)
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup wild blueberries (frozen)
• 1 cup kale (or other winter greens)
• 1 Tbsp coconut butter (not coconut oil)
• 2 Tbsp goji berries
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blend it up and drink it down! You might also love this Butternut Squash and Spice Smoothie recipe. Need some help mixing up your own perfect blend? Here are the steps to create your superfood smoothie!

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