Friday, September 14, 2012

Sweet Saturday #20: Quinoa Smoothie

I got this idea for a protein-packed, super thick smoothie from the aptly-named, Green Thickies blog. I had heard about it being possible to make a smoothie using cooked quinoa, but after Katherine Natalia linked up her version onto Meatless Monday earlier this week, I decided it was high time I tried it!

I happened to have some recently purchased quinoa in my cupboard, along with other things that could easily be used to make a good-tasting and super healthy smoothie. No green stuff left (I had just made a big batch of kale pesto!), so this was all fruit, protein and omegas! The quinoa gave it a slightly nutty taste, but other than that, it tasted just fine!


Banana-Mango Quinoa Smoothie

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 banana
1 mango
1 cup coconut-almond milk, or milk or your choice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp shelled hemp seeds
Ice cubes (optional)

Cook the quinoa ahead of time according to package instructions; it is just like cooking rice. Toss all ingredients into blender and hit "Blend" or "Puree", depending on how smooth you want it. Pureeing will make it less "chunky", as the quinoa will create some minor lumps in the smoothie. I kind of liked that! Serve with ice is desired.


The smoothie came out so thick that the ice cubes rested right on top of it! I thought this helped to make it easier to drink, but if you like it extra thick, then this is the recipe for you! You can even blend the ice cubes right into it.

Other ingredients you can add:
  • vanilla extract
  • ground flax seed (this will give it an extra nutty taste)
  • soaked raw almonds and/or cashews
  • peanut butter (or other nut butter)
  • pineapple
  • peach
  • melon
  • spinach
  • just about anything that goes well in a smoothie!

Quinoa is considered a super food, and contains such a high amount of protein, it is called a "complete protein" since it contains all the amino acids needed to meet our nutritional needs. It is also high in other important nutrients, such as iron, calcium, copper, and manganese, to name a few. It is gluten-free and incredibly versatile to cook with, making it a great addition to soups, salads, breads, and even cookies!

This is a great smoothie for the whole family, perfect for enjoying with breakfast. It can easily replace your coffee with the amount of healthy carbs it contains to jump-start your day. Simply add whatever fruit you and your family enjoy most to make it work for you.

OK- now it's time for the hop! No guest-hostess today- sorry! I just didn't have time to organize that aspect this week. Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want! 
2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!
3. Hop around and say hi. 
4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby

Thanks so much for linking up, I really do love Fridays even more because of this :)

18 comments:

  1. Sounds yummy - and very healthy too.

    Thanks for hosting

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  2. Jessica, I love getting to meet you through Food on Fridays. I would never think to put quinoa into a smoothie, but what a great way to get some healthy protein! Thanks for the tip!

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  3. New follower here. Looking forward to looking around.
    Thanks for hosting the linky!
    nancy-of the crazy 9
    http://nancyvnjourney.blogspot.com/

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  4. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I'm now following you too. I love that you are all about being healthy. We are a very healthy family as well and I love finding others who share that. I added your blog hop button to my hop page

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  5. This looks yummy. I always wanted to know what to do with quinoa. Thanks for sharing.

    julie@ Naptime Review

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  6. Thanks for hosting, Jessica! Have a great weekend!

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  7. Thanks for the healthy recipe and for hosting, & God bless!
    Laurie

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  8. Banana and mango are a fantastic combo. Thanks for sharing this smoothie on foodie friday.

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  9. Mmmm... Sounds like a great smoothie! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  10. that sounds so good. I recently have discovered the quinoa and I love it!

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  11. I've been saving recipes with quinoa, but I still haven't tried any. I think I'm a little scared because I've never used this product, but I've heard wonders about it. I shall give it a try!

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  12. Thank you so much for the kind mention. I'm so glad you enjoyed quinoa in your smoothie. I really adore quinoa in my meal replacement green smoothies (Green Thickies) but quinoa is so much more expensive than oats here so I use oats most of the time (which I still love).
    Yes green thickies can be made in any blender but come out very smooth with a high speed blender.

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  13. I have a big bag of quinoa sitting in my pantry. It's been there for a while. I just haven't decided what to do with it. I never thought of using it in a smoothie! Great idea, I'll have to give it a try. Pinned!

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  14. Will it keep for a couple days in the fridge?

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    Replies
    1. It's best to drink it fresh, but would probably still be drinkable up to 24 hours. After that, it would probably start to turn brownish and not taste as good.

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  15. I am really enjoying reading your well written articles. It looks like you spend a lot of effort and time on your blog. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work.

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Thanks for stopping by! I love comments and always want to know what you think :)

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