Antioxidant-Rich Beetroot Smoothie

Antioxidant-rich Beetroot Smoothie - Looking for a healthy smoothie perfect for breakfast or after a workout session? This red beet smoothie is sure to satisfy your craving, boost your immune system with antioxidant-rich ingredients, and help your muscle recover quickly! It's made with red beet, banana, cherry, strawberry, pineapple, and lemon juice.

I know everyone (including myself) is a little more motivated to eat healthier and exercise more in January. Today I'm sharing my antioxidant-rich beetroot smoothie to help you recover from your workout sessions quickly and satisfy your hunger. Are you ready? Let's get to it!

Why the beets in the smoothie? (Health benefits of beetroot)

Did you know beetroot is high in fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C? This little vegetable is not only delicious but has many health benefits.

• Improve blood flow
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase physical functioning
• Fight inflammation
• Detox your body

If you are interested in finding out more about the health benefit of beets, I think you will find this article very helpful.

How to prepare beetroot for smoothie

Do you have to cook beets before making a smoothie?

No, you can either use cooked beets or uncooked beets. The cooked beets would give you a smoother texture (especially not using a high-speed blender) with less beet-y flavor.

But I prefer to use uncooked beets because it has a higher bioavailability of nutrients. Plus, I'm using different types of fruits to make this smoothie taste not so beet-y.

Here are different options to prepare your beets for making a smoothie:

• Whole, raw beet - Peel the skin and cut them up into small pieces
• Cooked beet - You can roast them in the oven or microwave your beet. Cooked beet makes a smoother smoothie and has a milder beet-y taste
• Frozen diced raw beet - This is what I used in this recipe. You can find them at your local grocery store. They are raw. So if you'd like to cook them, I recommend microwaving them for a minute or two.

What I do NOT recommend is the canned or jarred beet for the smoothie. They sometimes contain salt and other preservatives so I find them to be not appropriate for making a refreshing smoothie.

Ingredients to make antioxidant-rich beetroot smoothie

• Red beet (frozen or fresh) - Beetroot contains a group of antioxidants called betalains
• Banana (frozen or fresh)- Banana contains oxidants like dopamine and catechins
• Frozen pitted cherries - Cherries are rich in powerful polyphenol antioxidants like anthocyanins, flavonols, and catechins
• Strawberries (frozen or fresh) - Strawberries are rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins
• Pineapple (frozen or fresh) - Pineapple is full of phenolics, flavonoids, and vitamin C
• Fresh lemon juice - Lemon is full of vitamin C which is an excellent antioxidant

For the liquid portion of the smoothie, I like to use plain water. But adding a fresh orange juice or other fruit juice of your choice is a great addition to the smoothie.

Health benefits of beetroot smoothie

• High level of antioxidants - As mentioned above, every single ingredient in this smoothie are full of antioxidants
• Improve muscle recovery - High level of polyphenols found in cherries, strawberries, and pineapple will help your muscle strength recoveries in intense workouts
• Boost your immunity - Because this smoothie is very high in antioxidants, it will help boost your immunity, fight inflammation, and help detox your body

Helpful tips on making a smoothie

• High-speed blender - I know Vitamix is a pricy investment but it is so worth it. It blends the smoothie in a perfect velvety texture that you will love and appreciate. If you are using a high-speed blender, you won't have any issue using raw beet. Blendtec, Ninja Blender, and Nutribullet are all good options.
• Add ice if using fresh fruits or cooked beet - To have your smoothie cold and refreshing, add about a half cup of ice to the smoothie if you are using cooked beetroot or fresh fruits instead of frozen.
• Add healthy fat - You can add hemp seeds, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, or coconut butter to add healthy fat to your smoothie.
• Bulk it up with protein powder of your choice - To make your smoothie more filling, you can add a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder I recommend vanilla flavor so that it won't clash too much with natural flavors from all the fruits.
• Sweeten it with a splash of your favorite fruit juice - I love to add a splash of orange juice or apple juice for extra sweetness.

Are you looking for more delicious and healthy smoothie recipes?

• Good morning green smoothie
• Mood-boosting cacao smoothie

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