This is one of our sweeter smoothies that blends antioxidant superfoods like cherries, blueberries, cacao and chia seeds. All of the flavors mingle together nicely without overpowering each other.

There are so many health benefits in this smoothie. The cherries, cacao and blueberries are full of antioxidants. The chia seeds offer healthy omega-3′s and the celery is good for lowering cholesterol.

Wait, did I just say “celery”? Yes, and it’s really good in green smoothies. Just give it a try. I didn’t have spinach on hand, but if you want to add greens to this smoothie, I would recommend 3-4 cups of fresh baby spinach or romaine lettuce.

You can either use unsweetened, commercial coconut milk (the kind that you find in the dairy section) or blend up the meat and 8 ounces of water from a green or young Thai coconut.

Chocolate-Berry Smoothie Recipe

• 8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 banana, peeled
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds, soaked for 10 minutes
• 2 teaspoons cacao nibs (or 1 tablespoon cacao powder)
• 1 or 2 large stalks of celery
• 3 cups of fresh spinach (optional)

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender, (I use a Blendtec) and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

NOTE: If you do not have a high-speed blender, you will want to grind the cacao nibs in a coffee grinder before adding them to your smoothie or use finely ground cacao powder instead.

Nutrition Information

NOTE: Nutritional information is going to vary based on the type of coconut milk you use. The nutritional value is based on 1 cup of Coconut Dream brand coconut milk at 60 calories per cup. The nutrition information below includes 1 stalk of celery and no spinach.

Calories: 363
Fat: 13g
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 58g
Fiber: 14.4g (48% RDA)
Calcium: 34% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 20.3mg
Vitamin A: 32% RDA
Vitamin C: 26% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of vitamin K, copper, manganese, phosphorus and potassium.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

What’s a pluot? It’s a hybrid of a plum and an apricot. The pluot is actually the result of cross breeding, so it is not a product of lab-induced genetic modification. They’re very sweet and are more like a plum then an apricot.

This is a great meal-replacement smoothie as it ads a bunch of calories, protein (10.4 grams!) and healthy fat in a small serving – about 20 ounces. You can also use this recipe to fuel a workout.

This smoothie is also a great source of omega-3′s. It has 164% of your daily recommended value.

Acai-Pluot Smoothie Recipe

• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 packet (100 grams) of Amafruits frozen acai berry puree
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds, soaked for 10 minutes
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
• 3 medium pluots, pitted (if you can’t find pluots you can use 2 plums and 2 apricots)
• 4 to 6 ounces of filtered water

Add all the ingredients to your blender, (I use a Blendtec) and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 634
Fat: 14g
Protein: 10g
Carbohydrates: 121g
Fiber: 23.7g
Calcium: 11% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 19.8mg
Vitamin A: 39% RDA
Vitamin C: 63% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamin B2 – B6, vitamin K, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

I drank this smoothie just before I did a 3-mile run and it kept me going strong. It’s great for a pre-run smoothie or morning pick-me-up!

I added raw maca powder to give this smoothie an extra boost of energy! Maca has a distinctive flavor so if it’s your first time using it, start with 1/2 tablespoon and gradually increase to the recommended serving size on the label as you become accustomed to the taste.

Berry-Avocado Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries (or fresh blueberries if in season)
• 2 bananas
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 head organic romaine lettuce
• 1/2 teaspoon maca powder
• 4 to 6 ounces filtered water

Add all the ingredients except for the lettuce to your blender (I use a Blendtec) and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the rest of the lettuce and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 468
Fat: 10g
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrates: 98g
Calcium: 21% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 7.8mg
Vitamin A: 1828% RDA
Vitamin C: 198% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamin B1 – B6, vitamin K, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Maca Nutrition And Health Benefits

Maca is widely eaten in Peru as a root vegetable and marketed elsewhere in the world as a supplement for increasing energy, stamina, strength and libido. Maca root contains calcium, iron, magnesium and selenium as well as essential fatty acids and 19 amino acids. While widely considered an aphrodisiac, maca does not increase sex hormone levels in humans, but acts on them instead. It contains phytochemicals that act on the central nervous system as well.

Maca is among a variety of plants that contain glucosinolates (like broccoli, cabbage and radishes). In large doses, glucosinolates can affect thyroid function and cause goiters. It is not believed that eating maca will affect thyroid function as most food doses, and especially supplement doses, are small enough to be safe. It is always good practice to ensure you get adequate amounts of iodine in your diet which is essential for proper thyroid function. Sea vegetables such as kelp and dulse are both rich sources of this mineral.

Using Maca In A Smoothie

I recommend that you find a raw, powdered maca supplement if you cannot get access to the dried roots themselves. In most places in the world, you will have to rely on powdered supplements, extracts or “gelatinized” maca. Due to processing, gelatinized maca is not raw.

I find that the powder dissolves well in a smoothie. It has a distinct flavor so if you add more than a tablespoon at a time, you will notice the flavor. The powder itself smells something like butterscotch ads that flavor as well as a hint of nuttiness to your smoothie. It’s not necessarily unpleasant, but I don’t care for the flavor when mixed with certain fruits or if I add more than a tablespoon. Try a little bit and maybe add a banana or some berries to mask the flavor further if it bothers you.

My Experiences With Maca

I have been using maca in my morning green smoothie for a couple of months now. I can attest to the energy and stamina boost I get from it. I add about a tablespoon of Navitas Naturals brand maca root powder that I found at Whole Foods. It is certified organic and raw (it’s been processed at low temperatures). Sunfood brand maca powder is also excellent.

Since I no longer drink coffee, it’s wonderful to get a energetic boost in the morning from my green smoothie. This boost of energy doesn’t have the downsides that caffeine has such as jitters, racing heartbeat and nervousness. It gives me a sustained energy throughout the day – at least it feels that way to me since I don’t “come down” from it like I would from an energy drink.

As for it’s aphrodisiac properties, I can also vouch for it’s potency there as well. I definitely felt a higher-than-normal increase in libido when I started taking it. While it is sometimes called “nature’s viagra”, there have been no clinical studies showing it’s effectiveness for men with sexual dysfunction. Both men and women, however, claim to have an enhanced sex drive from taking maca and my wife and I both found that to be true.

Where To Find Maca

You can get maca pills and powders at certain health food stores. It can be hard to find maca, though. Even in a large city like Chicago, I have found it difficult to find it even in the largest Whole Foods Market. Your best bet is to order it online from David Wolfe’s Sunfood Nutrition.

Raw Chocolate (Cacao/Cocoa) Nutrition and Health Benefits

Antioxidant Powerhouse! Cacao provides a powerful dose of antioxidants including polyphenols, catechins, epicatechins and flavanoids. According to David Wolfe, an expert on raw food nutrition, raw cacao contains more antioxidants by weight than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji berries combined.

Vitamins and Minerals. Cacao contains magnesium, iron, chromium, anandamide, theobromine, manganese, zinc, copper, vitamin C, Omega-6 fatty acids, phenethylamine, tryptophan, phosphorus and calcium. Cacao is a good source of healthy fat and contains protein. There are four different varieties of cacao beans (aromica, criollo, forestero and trinitario) which can vary in overall mineral content depending on the plant variety, growing conditions and region. Sunfood brand organic cacao is made from the aromica bean and is very high in iron (314% per serving).

Total Body Wellness. Raw chocolate contains a variety of nutrients which help support the heart, brain, pancreas, liver, skin, digestion and immune systems as well as build stronger bones and healthy blood.

Eat Chocolate, Be Happy! Cacao is a mood-enhancer. Both anandamide (AKA “The Bliss Chemical”) and phenethylamine (AKA “The Love Chemical”) are found abundantly in raw chocolate. Magnesium helps to balance brain chemistry and tryptophan, an essential amino acid, plays an important role in the synthesis of serotonin, which also helps regulate mood and sleep patterns.

Raw Chocolate/Cacao Controversy

Some health experts have come out against raw chocolate citing it’s stimulant effects. My personal experience with cacao is that while I enjoyed eating it at first, I too found it a bit too much for regular consumption. My recommendation is to think of cacao as an indulgence and use it occasionally, but not every day. It’s a fun food, but not necessarily a health food when taken daily.

Recipes

– Chocolate-Banana with Goji Berries

– Dark Chocolate

– Chocolate-Coconut Green Smoothie

– Chocolate-Peach

– Browse even more chocolate smoothie recipes with cacao!

Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie

– 1 cup cherries, pits removed
– 1 whole banana
– 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
– 1 ounce raw cacao nibs
– 1/2 – 1 cup water

Calories: 346 | Fat: 13.6g (grams) | Protein: 8.7g | Carbs: 61g | Calcium: 12% | Vitamin A: 82% | Vitamin C: 86%

Flavor And Sweetener

By itself, cacao is bitter. If you like extra dark chocolate, you should enjoy the flavor but it can be an acquired taste. The fruit in the recipes above helps sweeten the smoothies, but you can add additional sweetener if you feel you need it. I recommend using either stevia or agave nectar if you absolutely need a sweetener.

Why Raw Chocolate

To get the full health benefits of chocolate, I strongly recommend that you seek out certified organic, raw cacao. Several heat-sensitive nutrients in chocolate are destroyed in the processing of commercial chocolate including vitamin C, Omega-6 fatty acids, phenethylamine, tryptophan and flavanoid antioxidants. I do not recommend making chocolate smoothies with processed, sweet chocolate syrups or powders.

You can find raw cacao at most health food stores or online. You can either purchase whole cacao beans, nibs (broken pieces of cacao beans) or powder. Because heat is usually introduced to process the beans into powder, most powdered cacao is not raw. The only place I know of to find certified raw cacao powder is at Sunfood.com.

If you use the beans or nibs, you can add them straight to a Vita-Mix or Blendtec blenders. Otherwise, you’ll need to use a coffee grinder before you add them to your smoothie in most regular blenders or use the raw powder instead.