This berry smoothie is simple and easy to make. It’s a great way to start the day!
Coconut oil is the crown jewel of cooking oils in the kitchens of most Paleo chefs. But … *GASP* … I don’t like cooking with it. It can make things taste, well… too coconut-y … which works great with a select few dishes, but not for my day to day cooking. But, that is just personal preference. I much prefer the flavors of ghee, duck fat and lard.
Coconut oil is loaded with health benefits. It is great for skin and hair. It is also the highest source of Lauric acid (besides breast milk) found in food. Lauric acid has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It’s thought that people that consume coconut oil regularly get sick less often.
When I was pregnant, I was trying to get at least 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in my diet a day, so I started making this smoothie. Since, I was using a high-quality raw, organic, cold-pressed coconut oil, I preferred this method because it didn’t require me to heat the oil, ensuring that I was getting the most nutrients out of it.
Nutrient-Rich Berry Smoothie
This smoothie is packed with healthy fats and some protein, so it will keep your blood sugar levels stable and it will keep you full!
Instead of conventional protein powder, I use gelatin for a protein boost. 2 tablespoons of gelatin has about 12 grams of protein, which is less than most protein powders. However, it has a ton of other benefits. It is great for skin, hair, nails, the immune system, reducing inflammation and soothing the gut. Basically, it’s a superfood!
We use this green bottle of gelatin because it doesn’t gel, so you can easily add it to smoothies, water, coffee, or tea for an added nutrient boost. Plus, this brand of gelatin is from grass-fed cows!
If you are pregnant and experiencing nausea, you can add some fresh grated ginger (between 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon) to this smoothie. Ginger is commonly used to treat nausea and upset stomach. If you don’t have much of an appetite, this smoothie will help you get some nutrients and hopefully soothe the nausea a bit.
This smoothie also makes an awesome Paleo toddler snack. Indyanna loves it! We have been sharing one for a mid-morning snack lately. This might be TMI (sorry!), but it is also really helpful, if your toddler is having any trouble with bowel movements. The combinatin of coconut oil, avocado and berries really helps things move along!
Nutrient-Rich Berry Smoothie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon organic, cold-pressed coconut oil (I use this one)
1/2 an avocado
2 tablespoons gelatin (use this one because it doesn’t gel)
1 cup coconut water (you can substitute another liquid of your choice)
1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
1 cup frozen mixed berries
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Nutrient Rich Berry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon organic, cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1/2 an avocado
- 2 tablespoons gelatinÂ
- 1 cup coconut water (you can substitute another liquid of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
Instructions
- Blend the coconut oil, avocado, gelatin, coconut water and honey (if using). Once this is well blended, add the berries and blend until smooth. It’s important to not add all the ingredients at once because the cold berries, will freeze the coconut oil, and it won’t be smooth, you will end up with lots of little hard beads of coconut oil in your smoothie.
- Enjoy!
I use coconut oil to cook with that doesn\’t have a coconut taste. I get it from Tropical Traditions. I also have the one that does have a coconut flavor.
I use the expeller pressed one too! That stuff is awesome.
Mmmmm. This looks great! I love coconut oil, but I\’ve never used ghee or butter. I\’ve found that several varieties have less of a strong coconut flavor than others.
For cooking I use Organic expeller pressed refined coconut oil (refined doesn’t have the coconut flavor) and for my smoothies and oil pulling I use Organic unrefined coconut oil (which has the coconut taste)
I am newly pregnant (first one 🙂 ) and I was wondering if raw honey is safe? I love baking with it and have been craving it but was unsure if I could have it. This smoothie looks delicious and this morning sickness is killing me. I am going to have to try it 🙂
Congratulations! Is this your first? I ate raw honey all through my pregnancy. I was comfortable with it and so was my OB. You may want to check in with your OB first. You can make it in the meantime without the honey or you can sweeten in with a little maple syrup.
Sounds good. I would never thought of using an oil in a smoothie before.