Smoothies and smoothie bowls are the ideal grab-and-go breaky or snack that pack a nutrient-dense punch and can be ready in under five minutes. They’re the easiest way of cramming in heaps of wholefoods, fibre, vitamins and minerals to your diet—and with the right ingredients, they can also taste pretty damn delicious.
But, more often than not, they’re blended with something frozen and are thus cold AF. While that works to refresh you during the summer months, it’s not so appetising during winter. According to both Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, cold things work to dampen your digestive fire, so warmer foods and drinks are always encouraged to kick-start your morning.
Here’s how to winter-ify your smoothie concoctions for the colder weather:
1. Root vegetables are where it’s at
Imagine yourself ensconced by a cute little fireplace with snow falling outside while you live your best damn Hygge life. Which foods do you gravitate towards when you conjure up this image? I’ll wager that it ain’t frozen blueberries and mango, but more warming things like soups, stews and apple crumble with custard (willing to bet I’m not the only one here).
So sweet potato, hola! Yes you can add warming root vegetables to your smoothies and yes they do taste absolutely amazing. Just make sure you cook ‘em first. Try adding pumpkin, sweet potato or roasted beets to your smoothie to amp up the warming factor. Add them in freshly roasted if you’re after a warm smoothie (go on, we dare you!) or let them cool and serve at room temperature. Either way, it’ll be a cosy and comforting hug from the inside.
2. Go heavier on the fruits
Sorry to all you sweet-tooth fiends, but by heavier we don’t actually mean more. We mean choosing heavier types of fruits, like coconuts, avocados, apples and pears. Turns out that foods grown in more temperate climates are better for colder weather; which means ditching your more tropical options like mango and bananas until summer rolls around again.
Try and stick to one fruit per smoothie (or none if you’re feeling brave enough), as adding in a concoction of different fruits could quickly up the sugar-count and sabotage those blood sugar levels of yours.
Lastly, make sure your fruits are ripe. They’re a hell of a lot easier to digest when nature has pre-warmed them for us (she thinks of everything our Mother Nature).
3. Go all out on the fats
Coconut butter, nut butter, avocado oil and ghee are ideal ingredients to add to smoothies during colder weather. They help your body stay warmer and pack a healthy-fat punch while they’re at it. Plus, if you frequently have smoothies without avocado thrown in; where is the creaminess coming from?! #askingforafriend.
4. Spices are everything
Adding warming spices to your smoothies will work wonders in terms of digestion and they take your creation from meh, to YEH, with just a few shakes. Cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves all promise to give your smoothie that super-warming finish which will tingle your tastebuds. And don’t skimp. Herbs and spices are a great way of peaking a dish’s nutritional factor, and certain ones can boost your metabolism, benefit your complexion and help your body burn more fat. Thank us later!
