Enjoy this fruit-packed smoothie made with chia seeds and coconut oil for an extra health boost. A great morning wake up; this smoothie will energise you for the day!
Since the arrival of “the beast” – my power blender – my morning smoothies have become more and more adventurous, and I have slowly been upping the amounts of green vegetables in them. By increasing the proportion of my diet which is raw I feel healthier and more energetic. When I am away and skip my raw green smoothies for a day or two I quickly notice an energy drop and tummy grumbles.
This strawberry coconut smoothie is entirely fruit based and any blender should be able to handle it, although the final result might not be as silky smooth as you would get from a power blender. If you use chilled, rather than frozen fruit, and grind your chia seeds in a spice grinder a stick blender will be able to handle this one.
Did you know there are names for the different shapes of strawberries?
Health benefits of chia seeds
Chia seeds have a large number of health benefits. As well as being a good source of omega 3 oils, they are hydrophilic, able to absorb 10 times their weight in liquid, making you feel fuller for longer and slowing absorption of sugars;  you can buy them from most health food shops. I find flax or linseed, available from most supermarkets is a good substitute, and as with the chia grind them as you use them.
Although coconut oil is high in saturated fats it is delicious and a little goes a long way. Adding fat to my smoothie makes me feel fuller for longer. Amongst many reported health benefits, new studies suggest coconut oil may help in slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.
Recipe: Strawberry & Coconut Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 tsp chia seeds (or flax / linseed)
- 1 banana
- 1 cup red grapes
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 cup water or coconut milk dirnk
Instructions
- Grind the chia seeds in a spice grinder or your blender, depending on its power.
- Add the other ingredients (my strawberries and grapes were frozen) and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a thicker, more substantial smoothie add some oats which you have soaked overnight in water or apple juice.
- If adding oats check they are certified gluten free it needed
Becs @ Lay the table
Looking forward to your forthcoming posts on organic vs normal fruit and veg. I agree with you completely on the price issue, and there is of course the ecological issue with organic as you need more land to grow as much.
Helen
It is a very interesting issue, some pesticides / herbicides are more persistent than others, and some smaller producers cannot afford the period of reduced yields when converting.
Producers such as Pipers Farm, to all intents and purposes do farm organically, but have never been certified as they think that the term organic has been hijacked for marketing purposes, and object to it becoming a box ticking exercise with someone who does not know them or their land.
Caroline
Well, I’ve learnt something there – I didn’t realise it was possible to have winter strawberries! Thanks for entering this into Simple and In Season.
Helen
Neither did I, just shows that the PR company are earning their keep by spreading the word!
Choclette
That looks like strawberry mousse it’s so thick. How delicious. I use chia seeds in my smoothies, but leave them to soak for a bit rather than grinding them first.
Helen
Thanks Choclette, that is useful as I didn’t realise that you do not have to grind them to be able to absorb the nutrients.
Jacqueline
It looks wonderful Helen. I love the first photo. Beautiful colours. Must try coconut oil.
Helen
Love coconut oil. All the flavour and you only need a tiny amount.
And as for the colours there was just a little tweak of the saturation slider! ;-)