Weekly Smoothie Challenge
2 Servings
Quinoa Blueberry Smoothie with Sunflower Seeds
2 Servings
Using quinoa in a smoothie may sound like an odd thing to do, but it's not as crazy as it may seem. In fact, adding cooked, chilled quinoa to a smoothie is a great way to give a smoothie a thicker consistency, a boost of fiber and minerals, and a kick of protein. This recipe combines quinoa with frozen blueberries and a fresh orange to create a light and delicious smoothie.
The basic recipe below uses an orange for a fruity flavor, but if you're planning to treat yourself to a quinoa blueberry smoothie on several days in a row, you may want to use other fruit on some of those days in order to keep things interesting. Use the Tweak It! section at the bottom of this page for inspiration.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked, cooled quinoa
- 1 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries
- 1 small orange
- 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 cups organic apple juice
- Water, optional
Directions
- Peel the orange, and rinse the frozen blueberries. Put the orange and 1 1/2 cups of the frozen blueberries in the blender (save the rest of the blueberries to top the smoothie). Pour in the apple juice, secure the lid, and blend until smooth.
- Remove the lid, and check the consistency. If the smoothie is too thick for your liking, add some water to the blender, replace the lid, and blend for a few more seconds.
- Pour the smoothie into glasses, and garnish with the remaining blueberries. Serve immediately.
- Tweak It!: Enjoy a slightly different version of this Quinoa Blueberry Smoothie every day the rest of the week by each day replacing the orange in the original recipe with one of the other ingredients listed below.
Tweak It!
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 orange | 5 oz fresh pineapple | 6 passion fruits | 1 cup raspberries | 1 apple | 1 pear | 2 mandarines |
