Is it really possible to change your, and your family’s, health and life using only a blender? As someone who spends most of her waking moments thinking about the simplest and most enjoyable ways to get good nutrition into kids, Weelicious founder Catherine McCord says absolutely!
Chai Beauty Greens
Whenever I drink this smoothie I feel like I’m doing so many good things for my body. The collagen peptides help strengthen my hair, skin, and nails. The chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain function (and help me stay full until lunch), and the spinach is high in insoluble fibre and packed with so many important vitamins and nutrients. The chai spices (my favourite is a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves) aid digestion and have a warming effect in your body. This one is for anyone who wants a low-sugar smoothie that makes you glow from head to toe.
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups (45 g) fresh spinach
¼ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (optional)
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 serving collagen peptides
1 tablespoon chia seeds
½ teaspoon chai spices (or mix of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves)
1 cup (240 ml) almond milk or milk of choice
1 handful ice
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
“When my son started suffering from chronic nausea and family doctors couldn’t help, I turned to my experience with nutrition for an answer and discovered a surprisingly simple solution – replacing his normal carb-heavy breakfast with smoothies. Whether your goal is to feel better while pregnant, introduce a baby or toddler to new food, help cure an ailing loved one, or simply change what you put in your body at the beginning of the day, adding a nutrient-dense smoothie to your daily diet for just 28 days can be a force of positive change in your life.” Catherine McCord
#smoothieproject
Strawberry “Nice” Cream
My first “nice” cream experience was twelve years ago at the house of a friend who also happens to be a vegan with a sweet tooth. At the time, there weren’t many choices for vegan ice cream, and most options tasted chalky at best. The closest thing to ice cream she created was frozen bananas that she ran through a Yonanas machine. When I got home and tried the same basic recipe in my blender, I realised I could achieve the same effect, and even experimented adding other frozen fruits. The combo that stood out for me was this take on strawberry ice cream. The low-in-sugar strawberries also add an extra boost of vitamin C. To give it protein, I add collagen peptides and protein powder, but opt for the cashews if you want to keep it vegan. This is the kind of sweet treat you can eat any time of day and feel good about yourself, bite after bite.
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (150 g) frozen strawberries
½ frozen banana, peeled
1 serving collagen peptides
2 tablespoons cashews raw, unsalted* or 1 serving vanilla protein powder
2 tablespoons to cup (70 ml) milk of choice, depending on desired thickness
OPTIONAL SUPER BOOSTS:
Bee Pollen / Hemp Seeds / Flax Seeds / Maca Powder / Mct Oil/ Reishi Ashwagandha
Combine the strawberries, banana, collagen peptides, and cashews in a high-powered blender with a plunger tamper attachment and start by adding 2 tablespoons milk. Turn the blender to high and use the tamper to push down the ingredients until they just start coming together. Use more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed until it turns into ice cream.
*If your blender doesn’t have a tamper, stop the blender periodically and push down the ingredients with a wooden spoon. To make the texture even more ice cream like, place the “nice” cream in a bowl or cup and freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Catherine McCord is the founder of the weelicious website and family food brand One Potato. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. Smoothie Project: The 28-Day Plan to Feel Happy and Healthy No Matter Your Age by Catherine McCord (Abrams, £18.99) Photographs copyright © 2019 Colin Price