Hold up, Kate. Carrots in my smoothie? Yes! Hear me out…

Carrots are a sweet vegetable, and when combined with some fruits and aromatics, they create a delicious smoothie. The other morning I woke up, and all I could think about was consuming a carrot-ginger combo. Honoring my cravings is an intuitive eating aspect that I adhere to: those cravings are trying to tell us something. If you’re craving a particular food or food group, stop and think, “what else could this mean?” 

5 Reasons we experience Cravings

Cravings can be caused from a variety of factors. If you’d like to explore whether these pertain to you, reach out to a health coach.

• Lack of nutrients
• Dehydration
• Food imbalances
• Seasonal preferences
• Hormones

How does this Carrot Smoothie improve your health?

So, there I was, wondering how I could satisfy my carrot-ginger craving when I found myself creating this Carrot Smoothie. Before I get to the ingredients, let me tell you how making this smoothie will help your body.

Anti-inflammation

Inflammation is the root cause of all chronic diseases. Fighting inflammation helps lower your risk of almost every chronic disease and should be a big focus of an overall healthy lifestyle. The following ingredients all help fight inflammation in the body. 

• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Cauliflower

Digestion

Your gut health is a major factor in many of the other categories listed: immune function, energy, mental health, weight management, and others. The following ingredients help improve digestion in the body. 

• Ginger (also helps with nausea)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Mango

Energy

I love when my meals leave me feeling more energized – as opposed to sluggish and tired. Smoothies generally do that due to all the plants. But this particular smoothie gives an extra dose of energy. If you’re having a sluggish morning, this Carrot Smoothie is the perfect way to wake up! And if you’re trying to cut back on caffeine, this smoothie is a must-try! The ingredients that increase energy are:

• Ginger
• Mango
• Bee pollen

Heart Health

Improving our cardiovascular system is a goal for most, and this Carrot Smoothie can do just that! Ingredients that improve heart health are:

• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Cauliflower (love those sulforaphanes!)
• Mango

Oxidative Stress

I think by this point, we’ve all heard of “free radicals” that are causing oxidative stress all throughout our bodies. Luckily, plants are filled with antioxidants, which eliminate free radicals in our bodies, which is a very good thing (nature is so smart!) Ingredients that help with oxidative stress are:

• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Mango

Other areas (cell function, metabolism, immune function, weight management)

In addition to the above areas, there are so many other areas that each of these ingredients is improving our bodies (and minds). Including:

• Ginger: blood sugar
• Carrots: eye health, protein and fat metabolism, weight management, immune health
• Cauliflower: immune health, cell and DNA function
• Mango: eye health, immune health

Without further ado, let’s get to the recipe!

Carrot Smoothie

This recipe is super adaptable. If you want more sweetness, increase the mango or even add banana. Love ginger? Add more!

But the basics are as follows:

1 cup plant-based milk (I use coconut or cashew milk)

1 scoop Vanilla Complete

2-3 raw carrots, peeled and broken into large pieces

1″ or so of raw ginger, peeled

1 t (at least) turmeric powder

a few turns of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c raw cauliflower

1/2-1 c frozen mango (add banana if you’d like)

Blend everything in a high-powered blender. Adjust the amounts above to suit your personal taste preferences and to make the smoothie your desired consistency. Sprinkle with bee pollen for extra energy and adaptogens

Future Recipes

This is just one example of a delicious, healthy smoothie recipe you can expect from me. Check back here often for more options!

In the meantime, check here for other gluten-free recipes.