This might not be what you think of when you think of smoothies but if you’re looking for a variety of benefits to start your day, check out why you should give cauliflower a go:
- Creamy Texture – it gives smoothies THE absolute creamiest texture. By using riced or mashed cauliflower there are no large chunks after blending and it creates a really great base for other ingredients to blend with.
- Low Calorie – for me to be satisfied with a smoothie, it’s gotta have bulk. I like my smoothies a bit thick and the cauliflower does just that with a tiny amount of calories – only 20 per 3/4 cup!
- Slow Melting – smoothies made with ice as the “bulk” melt very quickly. There is nothing worse than your delicious refreshing smoothie turning watery so fast. When using frozen cauliflower as the coolant, it doesn’t melt like ice, so go ahead, take your sweet time sipping, no rush!
- Vitamin C – one serving of riced cauliflower provides 70% of the daily value for Vitamin C. WOW! This nutrient is helpful to protect cells from free radicals, collagen production, and protein metabolism – just to name a few.
- Feel Full Fiber – half of the carbohydrates in cauliflower are fiber. And fiber keeps you full. Need I say more?
- You’ll Use Less Fruit – You know I love fruit and that it’s super healthy. But if you add a lot, too much of a good thing is just too much of a good thing. You wouldn’t normally eat 3 cups of strawberries (or maybe you would) so why would you drink them? The cauliflower really soaks up the flavor and disperses it evenly throughout the smoothie, meaning you don’t need to add you entire fruit bowl to actually taste the flavor.
And you have a few choices when choosing how to prepare your cauliflower.
One, you can boil or steam fresh cauliflower and then mash it up with a fork. Place it in a ziplock bag and freeze before adding to your smoothie.
Two, you can simply “rice” up raw cauliflower in a food processor or blender and freeze (or buy the rice cauliflower right in the frozen section of the grocery store, already done for you). And add that directly to the smoothie before blending. (This second way might be a bigger challenge on the digestion, just as any raw vegetable is. So if you are sensitive, you might want to steam it first.)
Oh, and by the way, the Environmental Working Group says cauliflower is on the ‘Clean 15’ list and doesn’t have to be bought organic.
RECIPES
Preparation: Add all ingredients to blender plus a handful of ice. Then blend until very smooth. All recipes serve 1.
Blueberry, Cinnamon Cauliflower Smoothie
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1/2 cup loosely packed greens of choice
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
- 1 T. hulled hemp hearts
- 2 scoops Shaklee French Vanilla Life Shake
Strawberry Banana Cauliflower Smoothie
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup cauliflower
- 1/2 cup quartered strawberries
- 1/2 banana
- 2 scoops Shaklee French Vanilla Life Shake
Malted Chocolate Cauliflower Smoothie
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1 T. maca powder
- 2 scoops Shaklee Rich Chocolate Life Shake
- Optional: sprinkle 1 T. cacao nibs on top
Green Cauliflower Smoothie
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup kale
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 T. chia seeds
- 2 scoops Shaklee French Vanilla Life Shake
Peachy Cauliflower Smoothie
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1 cup frozen peaches
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 scoops Shaklee French Vanilla Life Shake
Cinnamon Bun Cauliflower Smoothie
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1 T. peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 scoops Shaklee Rich Chocolate Life Shake
Leave me a comment with your cauliflower creation.