Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Power Breakfast: Blueberry Coconut Smoothie


I'm very excited to share this with you because I had an "ah ha!" moment when it all came together. This is truly a power recipe because it combines three very powerful ingredients: Coconut, Blueberries and Agave Nectar. I've been reading a couple of books about the virtues of coconut and its "miraculous" kind of saturated fat which, according to many nutritionists and contrary to popular belief, is actually good for you. These books also poo-poo some of the other fats that are supposed to be good for you, such as Canola oil, saying they are very very bad. So, it's pretty confusing, and I am still trying to make my final judgements on which ones have red devil horns and which ones have glowing halos.

So, if you're worried about the 4 grams of saturated fat from the coconut in this recipe, you can check out the following sources for information on why it's so good:

As for the blueberries, I am sure you already know that they're super high in anti-oxidants which are necessary for preventing cancer and other diseases. And finally, the agave nectar is one of the best sweeteners you can get because it is all natural, unrefined, has a low glycemic index and is said to provide many other health benefits. If you don't have agave, no worries, you can use honey or any other sweetener you prefer or have in the house.

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie
1 serving, 155 calories, plus garnish

  • 1/2 cup light coconut milk (or regular, but adjust calorie total)

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar

  • About 5 ice cubes

Just mix everything up in a blender and enjoy! Another nice thing about this smoothie is that for some reason it doesn't separate, so it always looks great and lasts a while.

For the garnish: brush agave nectar around the rim of a glass and then dip in finely shredded (preferably unsweetened organic) coconut.

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