Probiotic Raspberry Smoothie

I’ve been trying to find lots of extra ways to get probiotics into my diet during this pregnancy.  I want to make sure I build a healthy gut for our baby.  I’ve been drinking lots of water kefir, eating sauerkraut, and taking my probiotics daily.  But, I wanted some other options too.  I don’t care for the taste of plain yogurt, but it’s loaded with probiotics and it’s good for your gut, so I wanted to find a way to consume it daily.  I’ve been adding it to smoothies – fruit smoothies, green smoothies, pumpkin pie smoothies … you get the picture. 

I know raspberries are not in season right now, but they are a low sugar fruit and I’ve been craving their tangy flavor.  Some of you are lucky enough to have harvested them during the summer and have freezers loaded with frozen berries.  If you do, this is a great way to use some of them.  For others like me, check your local natural foods store for frozen organic raspberries, my local co-op has sales on them regularly, so I like to stock up on them then.   

I hope you enjoy this tangy smoothie as much as I do. 

Probiotic Raspberry Smoothie

Equipment: Blender

·      2 ½ cups frozen organic raspberries

·      1 medium organic banana – fresh or frozen

·      1 – 1 ½ cups raw whole milk or full fat coconut milk

·      1 cup organic whole plain yogurt, such as St. Benoit or Straus Family Creamery 

·      1 tablespoon raw honey or sweetener of choice

·      1 probiotic capsule, empty probiotic, discard capsule (optional, See Note)

1.    Add frozen raspberries, banana (broken into pieces), milk, yogurt, honey, and empty probiotic powder into blender. 

2.   Blend until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. 

3.   Serve immediately or freeze for later.  

Note: I used Bio-Kult Probiotic.  It can be emptied from the capsule, which makes it great for kids – you can put it in drinks, smoothies, food etc.   

Yield: Makes about 5 cups.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Laura's Gluten Free Pantry, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health. 

Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding

Back in February I was honored to exchange guest posts with my friend Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama.  In case you missed the post, here's my Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding recipe.  Please head over and make sure to check out Hybrid Rasta Mama, her site is fabulous, she writes about conscious parenting, real food, natural living,  holistic health and more.  Check out her latest post The Ancient Art of Fermentation ... it's fabulous. 

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Decadent, nourishing, creamy and smooth, this chocolate pudding is so delicious!

Chocolate, raspberry AND avocado?  Really?  Yes!  Avocado is full of healthy fats, protein, vitamin E and makes the pudding so creamy and smooth.  The raw cacao powder adds a bold, chocolaty flavor, it’s full of antioxidants and very high in magnesium and iron.  The raspberries are also an excellent source of antioxidants and are high in vitamin C.

Enjoy this rich pudding as a snack or for dessert.  It makes a wonderful dip too. 

Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding

It’s a perfect snack for kids (or adults), cut up some chunks of fresh fruit and serve it as a cold fondue.  Don’t worry, the “green” flavor of the avocado will be masked by the other ingredients. 

Equipment: Food Processor, Fine Mesh Strainer, Medium-Size Bowl, Spoon

·      1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

·      1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice – use Meyer lemons if you can

·      1-2 tablespoons filtered water

·      2 ripe avocados, remove skin and pit, quarter

·      ¼ - ½ cup raw honey (I use local raw clover creamed)

·      ¼ cup raw cacao powder (I use Divine Organics)

·      1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

FOR THE FULL RECIPE visit Hybrid Rasta Mama