Here’s to Your Heart Smoothie

By Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN; Reboot Nutritionist

This Valentine’s Day be good to your heart and treat yourself to a superfood-rich, delicious smoothie. A diet rich in plant based foods and healthy fats may reduce the risk of heart disease. Apples, goji berries and dark chocolate are full of antioxidants to help protect your heart while hemp hearts have essential omega-3 fats. Potassium is an important electrolyte for helping to promote healthy blood pressure, provided by the bananas and coconut water. Nuts are more than just a tasty snack, they are also a key heart healthy food. Almond butter is rich in monounsaturated heart healthy fats and vitamin E, an important antioxidant.

Ingredients

12 oz (360 ml) coconut water
1 frozen banana
1/2 apple
1/3 cup goji berries
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp dark chocolate (garnish)

Directions

Wash apple and cut half off of core.
Place coconut water, banana, apple, goji berries, hemp hearts, almond butter into blender.
Blend on high for 45 – 60 seconds until smooth.
Pour into glass and garnish with dark chocolate, gogi berries and hemp hearts.

Servings: 1

Serving Size: 16 - 18 oz (500 ml)

Substitutions

Goji berries- raspberries, strawberries, dried cranberries (sulfite free)
Hemp hearts – chia seeds, flax seeds
Almond butter- any other nut butter
Apple – pear
Coconut water – almond milk

Calories: 310

Fat: 11 g

Trans Fat: 3.5 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 270 mg

Carbohydrates: 47 g

Fiber: 8 g

Sugars: 31 g

Protein: 8 g