Dark Grape, Apple, Banana and Walnut Smoothie

If you've seen my other smoothie recipes you might have noticed a trend here…I absolutely love my purple smoothies!

They are so tasty and fun to drink, but that's not the only reason of my obsession. I also love all the benefits that purple foods have to offer, and being able to pack them all in a smoothie is the easiest way to get my fix for the day. 

Here's is the thing with color purple in your food, the compounds that give them that color take care of free radicals in the cell, which means they make for great antioxidants. Some of these compounds also reduce overall inflammation in the body, the major cause of disease. You can find all these great benefits in eggplant, purple onion, grapes, purple cabbage, blueberries, amongst many others. 

For my smoothies, I used to use and abuse blueberries, but it got to the point that I needed a little bit of a switch to keep things interesting so I decided to give grapes a go and I am very happy I did! Grapes are a great alternative without compromising my usual morning antioxidant intake.

Another reason I like to use grapes in my smoothies is their high water content, which means they freeze like little and delicious ice cubes that I throw in there when it's hot outside and I need of something refreshing. When the summer hits the door, I stock the freezer with a bag of grapes (or two…they are like frozen candy! and I can't control myself around them so I always have plenty for both, the smoothies and my lack of self control!). 

Other than fruit I always like to add a little extra to the mix, sometimes nuts, seeds, sprouts. For this recipe I decided to go with walnuts since they add a creamy texture and counteract the sweetness of the apples, bananas and grapes in this smoothie.

Walnuts are great, they are good Omega-3 source, essential fatty acids that help prevent arthritis, they promote normal cholesterol levels and blood pressure and they protect your brain from degenerative diseases. Consuming them is a great way to add fiber and protein to ones diet too. The downfall of walnuts it's their high caloric content, which can lead to weight gain if you don't pay attention of how many you are eating. 

This smoothie is a great snack through out the day but it is also a great breakfast substitute, you can put everything in the blender and have it on the go, that's what I usually do when I am having one of "those" mornings and I need something that will keep me going for hours. It also means that by 9am I've had most of my recommended fruit servings for the day. One less thing on the list!