With a distinct, a sweet/tart twang from the fruit – this Cherry Punch Smoothie is quite different from the ice-creamy flavour of smoothies made with whey protein—and it’s one of my favourites. Hemp protein gives smoothies a slightly earthy taste—but please don’t be put off by that—it tastes really good! Hemp protein powder provides n excellent amount of protein, making it great addition to your breakfast.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHERRY PUNCH SMOOTHIE

1 large portion

• Half a small banana*
• 100g–120 g frozen Morello Cherries (these are both sweet and tart). Asda stock them. Alternatively, frozen Dark Sweet Cherries are found in most supermarkets).
• 1-2 heaped dessert spoon of Hemp Protein (start with one: increase as you get used to the flavour)
• 1 or 2 heaped teaspoon(s) of Greens Powder (I use Udo’s Choice Beyond Greens)
• 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil (cold pressed, virgin oil), or flaxseed oil, or sweet almond oil.
• 200 ml almond milk or brown rice, milk. Brands that I use and recommend are: Rude Health, Plenish Organic Rice Dream or Ecomil.
• optionally, a small handful of fresh spinach leaves

METHOD

Place all the ingredients into the blender. If using melted coconut oil, avoid pouring this on to the frozen fruit as this will make the oil re-solidify.

* Adding some banana adds sweetness and a thickness to the smoothie. If you don’t like bananas and/or wish to reduce your natural sugar content, then simply using rice milk will (for most people) be sweet enough. Almond milk is nutritionally better for you – but not as sweet, so if it feels like you are missing the sweetness you crave, then add a micro-spoon of stevia extract – the purest of alternative sweeteners.

By-the-way, until you become accustomed to the slightly veggie/herby flavour of greens powder, stick to 1 teaspoon. And don’t skip the oil because you think it’s fattening: you need it! Good fats can help you lose weight and help reduce bad cholesterol.
If you are new to making smoothies, buying the speciality ingredients can be daunting, but I hope you will see it as an investment in your health. I am big fan of Udo’s Beyond Greens because it’s so nutritionally rich. It contains organic, fermented grasses, algae, spices, vegetables and seeds all which helps support your immune system. I buy Udo’s Beyond Greens and (other super foods such as whey protein) from Body Kind who are typically cheaper than Amazon or other health food shops.
Read my article Smoothies: Are they good for you?, which also includes how to make your own healthy smoothies.

Eat Well—Be Well 😊