I love the taste of tart, fresh strawberries mixed with deep, rich dark chocolate. I love them even more when I can drink the two in a delicious and healthy vegan green smoothie. This is the perfect healthy dessert that will hit your sweet spot without sending you into sugar toxicity. Go ahead and have seconds, they’re just that good.

• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1 cup Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Chocolate Nibs
• 1 large handful baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup ice cubes

Blend together and serve in your favorite margarita glass or serve it with a scoop of raw vegan ice cream.

photo credit: stu_spivack

Some days I want a smoothie that is creamy and milky. Vegans have the options of using many different milk options: soy milk, rice milk, and almond milk to name a few. Soy milk is a very popular choice, but with concerns about soy and estrogen, I like to use fortified rice milk with my smoothies.

Here’s a delicious creamy smoothie that I love on a hot summer afternoon.

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• 1 banana
• 1 cup rice milk

Blend this altogether and pour into a fun, summer glass. Then go relax in the shade and drink to your health!

photo credit: Rafael Kage

Ounce for ounce, spinach is one of the most nutrient packed vegetables you can eat, yet many people avoid spinach as much as possible. Adding a few leaves of this crisp green to your vegan smoothies will help you get all of the benefits, while avoiding the slimy, cooked spinach taste.

Spinach leaves are packed with Vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B6. There are also a ton of minerals, such as potassium, iron, calcium, and zinc. All of this comes with only 40 calories per cup raw and with twice the fiber of regular lettuce. Eating foods rich in Vitamins A and C can help prevent fat from sticking to the arteries and increase blood flow throughout your body. The riboflavin found in spinach is also thought to reduce migraines. Spinach truly is a super food.

Studies have shown that adding just 3 servings of green, leafy vegetables to your diet every day can reduce the risk of memory loss and mental decline with age. Spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard, turnip greens and bok choy are all healthy vegetables that you can add into any smoothie to give them a boost. And because of the high fiber, vegan smoothies made with spinach will fill you up faster and help you feel full longer. A perfect boost to anyone trying to lose weight.

Vegan green smoothies made with spinach are a perfect addition to a healthy daily diet. Even if you only add in one each day, that extra dose of green vegetables will make your body feel healthier and happier.

Drink up!

photo credit: Clearly Ambiguous

Smoothies can do more than just make us feel great, they can also focus on select areas that give us the most trouble. Those who suffer from stomach problems such as indigestion or pain, this is a great recipe to have.

• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 pear, sliced
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• half an avacado
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 1 cup water

Blend these ingredients together and enjoy when you feel your stomach is going to give you trouble. The ginger will provide stomach relief for almost any ailment, while the other ingredients give you much needed antioxidants to help process out toxins.

photo credit: erix!