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Blueberry smoothie, a tasty way of protecting your heart. A significant study by reputed medical universities link berry consumption with improved heart health. Blueberries and strawberries are rich in chemical compounds called anthocyanins. As per the research, anthocyanins lower blood pressure, and they make blood vessels more elastic. (Not medical advise.)

I have lost track of how many berry smoothies I’ve prepared & consumed far. It doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to prepare this healthy, nutritious, and delicious drink using a high power blender. I like to use Vitamix to make my smoothie fine in texture. Smoothies pack multiple servings of the good nutrients into a drink that’s quick to make and is easy on your gut. A great tip in including berries in your regular diet is never leaving the produce aisle without berries while shopping for your groceries.

INGREDIENTS & RECIPE

(Serves 2)

To prepare a blueberries smoothie,

• Blend one fresh or frozen berries,
• 1/2 cup hulled and quartered strawberries,
• 1/2 cup ice,
• 3/4th plain greek yogurt,
• A pinch of cinnamon,
• 1 cup chilled milk,
• 6 to 8 almonds,
• a pinch of cinnamon,
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and
• Optionally 2 tsp erythritol until smooth.
  (Erythritol is a zero-calorie sugar alternative to cane sugar. It’s naturally found in some foods and tastes sweet. Alternatively, if your diet permits, you can add a couple of dates in the smoothie while blending.)
• I use green mountain creamery’s 2% or 5% fat plain greek yogurt for this recipe. The yogurt is available in Sprouts and Costco.

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• For the variation, you can prepare smoothie bowls. Add chia seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and quinoa or amaranth puffs as toppings. I recommend using frozen fruits for preparing smoothie bowls.

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I prefer to add strawberries along with blueberries in my smoothie. You can also make a smoothie using just blueberries or combine it with blackberry. If your dietitian and doctor permits, you can add a scoop of protein powder and banana in the smoothie recipe to convert the drink to a well-balanced meal.