Artery-Protective Berry Smoothie

Serves 1

Prep time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup / 75g frozen wild blueberries

• ½ cup / 65g frozen raspberries

• ¼ cup / 25g walnuts

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

• ½ small cooked beetroot / about 40g (pre-cooked and cooled)

• 1 cup / 240ml unsweetened oat milk

• 1 teaspoon date syrup (optional)

Method:

1. Add the oat milk, beetroot, and walnuts to a blender. Blend for 10 seconds to break down the walnuts.

2. Add the frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, ground flaxseed, and date syrup if using.

3. Blend until smooth and thick. Add a splash more oat milk if it's too thick to blend easily.

4. Pour into a glass and drink straight away.

Notes:

• Use wild blueberries if you can find them. They have a higher polyphenol content than cultivated varieties and are widely available in the frozen fruit section.

• Pre-cooked beetroot is sold vacuum-packed in most supermarkets. Or roast a few beetroots on the weekend and keep them in the fridge for the week. 

Nutritional Breakdown (per serving):

Macronutrients:

• Calories: ~320 kcal

• Protein: ~7g

• Carbohydrates: ~38g

• Fiber: ~8g

• Sugar: ~18g (naturally occurring from berries and beetroot)

• Fat: ~16g

• Saturated Fat: ~2g

Key Micronutrients:

• Manganese: ~45% DV

• Omega-3 (ALA): ~2,800mg

• Vitamin C: ~30% DV

• Magnesium: ~18% DV

• Copper: ~15% DV

• Folate (B9): ~15% DV

• Potassium: ~14% DV

• Iron: ~12% DV

• Vitamin K: ~12% DV

• Phosphorus: ~10% DV

• Vitamin E: ~8% DV

• Calcium: ~8% DV

Note: Nutritional values are approximate and based on standard ingredient sizes.