Tag: smoothie

As summer heats up, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as this Cherry Almond Smoothie to help you cool down and nourish your body–and takes less than 5 minutes to make!

This Anti-Inflammatory Cherry Almond Smoothie is especially great since it harnesses the power of anti-inflammatory ingredients that packs a punch of flavor while promoting your overall well-being.

😎🍉THIS CHERRY ALMOND SMOOTHIE RECIPE IS FEATURED IN OUR SUMMER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PREP SESSION + GUIDE! CLICK HERE TO SEE IT IN ACTION AND GET THE FREE MEAL PRINTABLE MEAL PREP GUIDE!

Ingredients

Cherries

Cherries, the star ingredient of this vibrant smoothie, are not only a delectable summer fruit but also a nutritional powerhouse. Bursting with antioxidants and phytochemicals, cherries boast potent anti-inflammatory properties.

By incorporating these luscious berries into your diet, you can help combat inflammation and potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

But- another lesser-known fact is that tart cherries have specifically been studied for their ability to boost sleep. So if you’re having trouble sleeping, maybe opt for this smoothie as your dinner or after-dinner snack on those hot summer nights!

Almonds

Almonds not only add a delightful nutty flavor but also offer a wealth of nutrients. Packed with healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin E, almonds have been known to reduce inflammation and support heart health.

What makes this smoothie even more appealing is that it’s sugar-free. This is important since sugar is one of the most inflammatory foods you can eat.

Substitutions and additions

Milk

The almond milk should be unsweetened and with as few thickeners as possible. If you don’t have almond milk, you can easily sub regular cow’s milk if dairy isn’t inflammatory to you, unsweetened coconut milk, or any other unsweetened non-dairy milk.

I don’t recommend oat milk because it’s straight simple carbs, and raising blood sugar levels is inflammatory.

Protein powder

Don’t skip this ingredient!

Protein in smoothies is SO important because of the usually high carb content from fruits. The protein (and healthy fats) are what complete the ‘trifecta’ of macros to create this balanced and anti-inflammatory Cherry Almond Smoothie.

Many people prefer whey protein powder because of the studies showing it’s more beneficial at muscle assimilation than other proteins. However, it is derived from dairy. If you’re dairy-free, you can absolutely use a plant-based protein powder or even egg white protein powder.

If you opt for plant-based, it can get thicker than whey protein powder, so keep in mind you may need to add a little more milk.

If you opt for egg white powder, keep in mind that it may not come with the vanilla flavoring. You may need to test and see if this means you add a couple drops of vanilla extract as well, or if the almond and cherry flavors are beautiful on their own.

On ANY protein powder substitution, be aware of the sweetener component. Many protein powders contain some type of sweetener. So make sure it’s not an artificial sweetener.

If you choose a protein powder that doesn’t have a sweetener, keep reading for what sweeteners you can add.

Sweetener

If you do add sweetener because the protein powder isn’t sweetened or just want it sweeter, make sure you use an anti-inflammatory option. This means aiming for natural zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, allulose, or erythritol.

Almond butter

Although the almond butter really helps kick up the almond flavor in this recipe, if you don’t have any, you can easily substitute a different nut. Pistachios, coconut, hazelnuts, or pecans are amazing flavor pairings with cherries. You can sub in the same amount of nuts as nut butter.

If you’re avoiding nuts, use a seed like sunflower, pumpkin, or tahini (sesame).

Peanut butter is also an option!

Almond extract

Although the almond butter gives a small amount of flavoring overall, almond extract can really boost that popular almond punch that pairs so beautifully with cherries for this healthy smoothie. (Especially if you’re using a different type of nut butter and still want that almond flavor to shine through.)

Instructions

For any smoothie, the best way to make sure it isn’t easily clumped is to add the liquid in first, then everything else. Blenders need a lot of moisture to help blend and chop at the same time, while ensuring proper movement of the whole smoothie.

I have to say, every time we make this smoothie the kids are in love. I’ve found that it’s definitely cheaper to buy frozen tart cherries than fresh in the summer (which is a total bummer), but we do still buy fresh and make some seriously yummy summer creations (like this Cherry Almond Smoothie!)

What makes it super fun is adding shaved dark chocolate on top and a fun straw! 😋

😎🍉THIS RECIPE IS FEATURED IN OUR SUMMER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PREP SESSION + GUIDE! CLICK HERE TO SEE IT IN ACTION AND GET THE FREE MEAL PRINTABLE MEAL PREP GUIDE!

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