Paleo Cooking - Elise Jones

Continuing to read my quarter two IRP book, Practically Paleo, I have used the information to make a smoothie following the paleo diet guidelines. To review, the guidelines of paleo, you are to cut out all refined/processed foods; for example, grains, dairy products, and most sugars. This way of eating has you go back to the basics of foods, for example, meats, fruits, and vegetables (Sanfilippo, 31).

Typically, when I go on paleo, I make a lot of smoothies; mainly because they are high in vitamins and nutrients, they fill me up, and they taste really good. Smoothies follow the paleo guidelines based on their content of fruits, and vegetables. For those who usually make their smoothies with milk and/or honey, you will have to substitute with water, ice, unfiltered juice, etc. Unfiltered juice can be used with paleo recipes because of its lack of refinement (aka lack of unnatural sugars added when processed). (Sanfilippo, 330)


My smoothie consisted of...

• two handfuls of a assorted berries (frozen)
• strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
• a handful of assorted greens
• kale, spinach
• ice
• unfiltered apple juice
• chia seed

Now I know what you're thinking, "wouldn't vegetables in a smoothie be gross?". Well, depending on how much you put in, there could be a difference in taste. But, typically the higher content of fruit should cancel out any bitterness of the greens. Chia seed is another ingredient I commonly use in the smoothies I make, is a usually flavorless, and once blended resembles seeds from fruit. This ingredient is mainly used to give the person drinking the smoothie, the idea and feeling that they are full. This is due to how chia seeds absorb liquid and expand. Thus, producing more substance to the smoothie and a more filling smoothie.


Would you use this smoothie recipe? Would you change or add anything?