Simple Purple (Protein) Smoothie

My mother-in-law calls herself the “Purple” Grandma because she loves the color purple.  She loves to wear purple, lives with a lot of purple (lavender) in her home, writes letters on purple paper.  It’s her signature.  Purple is a really good thing in nature.  Purple or the combination of red and blue fruits and vegetables are some of the most nutritious foods around.  When I think purple I always think berries and grapes.

Most berries contain anthocyanin, an important phytonutrient that can help with memory.  Recent research suggests that individuals who consume a diet rich in berries may have improved behavior and cognitive function due to the ability of anthocyanin to seek and destroy offending toxins.  Another group of phytonutrients called ellagic acid found in berries may help slow the growth of cancer cells.  All good news for the color purple. Prunes, purple cabbage, eggplant, blackberries, black currants, purple onions, concord grapes all have a natural purple pigment that contains flavonoids, including reservatrol, which keeps blood pressure in control and boosts immunity from certain cancers.

I love the color of this smoothie, but you can vary it depending on the amount of berries or grapes you add.  I also threw in fresh oranges, a lemon, and some frozen pineapple to add some citrus flavors.  Feel free to vary the amounts to achieve the taste you want.  Because I’ve been doing a little more weight training lately, I added protein to the shake:  a cup of soy milk, 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder and a 6 ounce cup of my favorite Chobani Coconut Greek yogurt.  Each serving gives you around 18 grams of protein. So yummy!

 

You might also enjoy:

Simple Green Smoothie

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Orange Smoothie