Raq’n Recipes: Purple Power Smoothie

I think part of anyone’s dance journey is some sort of fitness regimen, so as part of my dance life, I wanted to share the occasional healthy or culturally relevant recipe.

Today, I’ve got for you the Purple Power Smoothie, a vegan nutrition-packed breakfast (or any meal option) for dancers and non-dancers alike. I’m a picky girl and have never been good at getting in my fruits and veggies. Smoothies are a great way for me to make almost anything palatable.

Except bananas. I can’t even with bananas for some reason.

Everything in this smoothie is a fresh whole food with no refined sugars. Anything I could find in organic locally, I got, but non-organic options also work, of course.

• 1 cup baby spinach
• 3/4 – 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2/3 cup blueberries (frozen)
• 1/2 cup raspberries (frozen)
• 1/2 medium hass avocado (preferably chilled or frozen)
• 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
• 1 tbsp whole chia seeds
• 1 tsp raw honey (or 100% maple syrup/agave nectar)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Add spinach and almond milk to blender and run until spinach is minced well. Add all fruit next and blend for a bit before adding the seeds. You might need to use an icing spatula to scrape the sides and fold in the seeds a bit before blending again. Lastly, add your honey and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Serve in an insulated cup to preserve texture longer. The lemon juice is optional, but I added it to cut through the sweetness of the blueberries.

This may seem high calorie, but it is meant to be a meal by itself. I’ve provided the nutritional info according to My Fitness Pal below. Packed full of fiber, healthy fats, protein, and other nutritious goodness, I think it makes for a good, high-energy breakfast.