Wild Blueberry Avocado Energy Smoothie Raw Vegan, Paleo, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free

It’s green smoothie time again! I promised that I would start posting more of my favorite green smoothie recipes and this wild blueberry avocado energy smoothie is a keeper!

If you have visited my blog before you know that green smoothies are one of my favorite quick and healthy breakfasts. I drink a green smoothie almost every day to fill my body with energy and immunity! Green smoothies are an excellent way to get lots of fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables into your diet on a daily basis. To find out more about the benefits check out my post.



Breakfast means to break the fast. At night while you sleep, your body fasts, repairs, and rebuilds itself. In the morning your body needs to replenish and recharge. Green smoothies are perfect to fulfill this need and since they are easy to digest they free up energy that you can use to accomplish other things.

If you have a busy and demanding day planned, a healthy smoothie is one of the best ways to stay focused and alert in the morning. They are a much better choice for breakfast than just drinking coffee, energy drinks, or eating starchy carbohydrates like bagels.

Today’s yummy wild blueberry avocado green smoothie is full of antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber which all work together to rebuild, protect, and strengthen your body.

Wild Blueberries
Wild blueberries pack a lot of flavor and nutrition in one tiny berry! Wild blueberries are a wonderful source of phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber which you need to stay healthy. When you eat antioxidant-rich berries they protect your body from damaging free radicals and toxins that you encounter on a daily basis.

Avocado and young coconut water are two of my favorites and their amazing health benefits and great taste are a welcome addition to this smoothie.

The avocado also adds a wonderful creaminess to the smoothie along with healthy fat to keep you satisfied for hours. The coconut water is full of electrolytes which help you stay hydrated.

I added a scoop of plant-based protein to add additional healing nutrients to the smoothie but feel free to make it without this addition.

Enjoy this fantastic green smoothie a few times a week and see how great it makes you feel!

Serves 2
2 cups frozen wild blueberries
1 banana
2 cups organic green oak leaf lettuce
1 small avocado– pitted and peeled
3 cups coconut water
2 pitted soft dates or ⅛ teaspoon stevia
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 scoop of plant-based protein–optional ( Check out this source) or 2 scoops of collagen protein (Check out this source)


1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more stevia or an additional date if you like the smoothie sweeter. Enjoy immediately!
source:http://aharmonyhealing.com/wild-blueberry-avocado-energy-smoothie/

LASAGNA STUFFED PEPPERS – LOW CARB, GLUTEN-FREE

This Lasagna Stuffed Peppers recipe is so good that you won’t even miss the noodles.  The Tomato Meat Sauce Recipe used in this recipe is a great recipe to make ahead of time.  It keeps well in the freezer and can be used for so many different dishes. If you are a big fan of stuffed peppers like I am, check out my round up of 36 Low Carb Stuffed Pepper Recipes.

Lasagna Stuffed Peppers – Low Carb, Gluten-Free

Rate this recipe 

2 ratings

Prep Time: 14 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Makes 8 Servings

Serving Size: 1 Pepper Cup

Ingredients

1 large red bell pepper

1 large green bell pepper

1 large yellow bell pepper

1 large orange bell pepper

2 ½ cups Tomato Meat Sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds. Place pepper halves on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.
3. Remove peppers from oven. Fill each pepper with ¼ cup tomato meat sauce.
4. Next, spoon 2 tbsp of ricotta cheese on top of the meat sauce in each pepper cup. Pour an additional 1 tbsp meat sauce on top of the ricotta cheese.
5. Top each pepper with 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Bake on middle rack for 12 minutes.
6. Remove peppers from oven. Top each pepper with 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Bake 5 additional minutes on top rack.

Notes

Makes 8 Servings | Per Serving: Calories: 204 | Fat: 11g | Protein: 18g


| Net Carbs: 8g

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake Recipe (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

If you like zucchini, fresh basil, and cheese, you'll love this Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake. And for those who care, this tasty recipe is low-carb, gluten-free, meatless, and South Beach Diet friendly.

(Makes 4-6 servings; recipe adapted from a recipe by Karen Niessing in Penzeys Back to School 2011 Catalog, with suggestions from my sister Pam.)



Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-4 T chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
2 T thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used Pizza Cheese, which is a low-fat blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.



When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

This kept well in the fridge overnight, but mine was gone the next day so I don't know if it would last longer than that!
source:http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/07/recipe-for-easy-cheesy-zucchini-bake.html