Kale Smoothie with Blueberry

Here at vegan.io, we are absolute fans of smoothies. I rely on them to keep me properly fuelled when I have an early start and especially if there was a good workout session involved. I find a kale smoothie to be perfect in these cases, so much nutrition blend in together that keep my belly full. 

We have many reasons to root for green smoothies and make them a regular thing. To start with, green smoothies can help you stay on track with your leafy green consumption. For some of us, it can be hard to consume the recommended amount on a regular basis. Sometimes, it can feel like a chore and, who needs another chore in life?

A kale smoothie can quickly solve those issues! As many other leafy greens, kale is a nutrient-rich vegetable packed with fibre, antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins K, A, C, Cooper, and a ton of other nutrients that nourish your body and help it recover after working out.

Kale has a strong flavour which can be a bit much for some people. The key is to blend it with other ingredients that balance out its somewhat bitter flavour. Berries work like magic! The flavour comes out perfect, not too bitter and not too sweet.

I've come across some picky eaters that get discouraged with the colour of a kale smoothie. I really don't mind it but I can see why it can be a problem for some. When I made a Baby Spinach Blackberry Protein Smoothie I realised berries hide the green colour perfectly and you can hardly tell there are any veggies in there. 

Aside from helping us sneak in some veggies, blueberries are a great allay to keep us healthy. By adding a handful of berries to our smoothie we are boosting our immune systems and fighting illnesses. Blueberries help us protect our bones, our heart, our skin and even improve our brain function. They also contain the highest amount of antioxidants compared to all other foods.

We know antioxidants are great when it comes to keeping the body healthy, away from degeneration and disease. But, recently some studies have surfaced which debate whether if is good or not to supplement with antioxidants straight after a workout. 

Some suggest you interfere with the body's own ability to adapt and properly recover when you supplement with high doses of antioxidants straight after working out. But there are also studies claiming there is no actual correlation. 

This information is quite new and there aren't enough studies to back it up. So, we rather stick to the basic principle of having a healthy well-balanced diet and consuming tasty and nourishing food such as this kale smoothie. 

To make it even more post-work-out-friendly I added a scoop of protein powder. You get almost 29g  of plant-based protein once all the ingredients are blended together. 

Not bad for the 5 minutes it will take you to make it!