Get your day off to a colorful start with this vibrantly hued smoothie that also happens to be packed with nutrients.

Green vegetables, like kale, spinach and celery, aren’t the only smoothie-friendly vegetables out there. Somewhat more unusual, yet equally delicious and nutritious, are beets. There is a bit more work involved to use them, but it’s well worth it. Beyond the amazing color, beets offer a healthy dose of iron, fiber, folate, vitamin C and potassium. Additionally, beets have been found to help lower blood pressure and to help fight inflammation.

In this recipe, I use cooked beets. Cook them ahead of time yourself or you can buy pre-cooked ones at many grocery stores. Yes, you can use them raw, but I would only recommend that if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. Stick with cooked beets for regular blenders; otherwise, it will be a struggle to get a smooth consistency. In general, even with a fancy blender, smoothies with raw beets tend to not be as smooth.

 

Beet & Berry Smoothie

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup coconut water
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 5 ounces, steamed beets, diced

Directions

1. Starting with the liquids first, add all the ingredients into the blender.
2. Cover and puree until smooth.
3. Serve immediately.