I’m a strong believer that the fuel we choose to start our day with strongly influences the choices we make throughout hours that follow. Which is why I begin almost every day with a big, happy, nutrition-dense smoothie. Health begets health, and packing the first meal of the day full of fresh fruit and vegetables typically results in more of the same goodness for lunch and dinner. I love smoothies for their ease and portability, and while I might delve into something more indulgent or time consuming on the weekends, during the week there’s nothing quicker than throwing a bunch of ingredients into my blender and toting my breakfast-in-a-glass around with me as I prep for the day.
My go-to smoothie recipe is usually filled with blueberries and spinach, with a banana and almond milk or green tea base, but lately I’ve felt the pull to switch things up. It’s a new season and there’s a bounty of exciting produce options available at the market. Basically, it’s the perfect time to experiment! The recipe I’m sharing today is a refreshing departure from the typical green smoothie, it’s fresh and incredibly creamy, with a hint of sweet thanks to tropical pineapple and exotic mango. But it harbors a bit of the unexpected, too: A kick of jalapeño spice!
Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small servings
1 cup coconut milk + filtered water if needed
Juice from 1/2 lime
Generous handful of spinach
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/4 jalapeño pepper, or to taste
4 small mint leaves + more if desired
A few slices of peeled fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
Optional add-ins: protein powder of your choice, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chia seeds
Add all ingredients to your blender and blend on high until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add some cold filtered water a little at a time to liquefy. This will get more spicy the longer it sits. Enjoy!
+ What’s your favorite smoothie recipe? Please share in the comments!
More healthy recipe ideas from BLDG 25
What a fun twist on a green smoothie! I’ll be sure to try this, I’m always looking out for new recipes!
http://www.westingwellness.com
OMG I’ve never thought about adding jalapeño pepper in a smoothie before, and I don’t even know why, because I’m the kind of person who adds pepper in everything. I love spicy.
And the rest of the ingredients are so affordable and easy to find here, that I’m totally going to try it tomorrow.
As I live in Brazil, it’s not that easy to find berries, for my sadness. My smoothies are usually made with spinach, pineapple, ginger and coconut water.
Thanks for the tip!
xo, Deborah
http://www.loveandeverythingblog.com
You can never go wrong with an acai smoothie! I like adding an acai pack, mixed berries, frozen pineapple, mangoes and banana!
I’m a big fan of green smoothies and I am definately going to try this too. I never knew you could add jalapenos in smoothies too. Wow!
Looks so good! Gotta give it a try! :)
xx
http://www.alinaermilova.com
I’ve tried all three diets- veganism, vegetarianism, and a meat diet and I’ve always felt the healthiest with a vegan diet. Eating meat always made my energy levels decline and milk and eggs did the same but to a lesser degree. Plenty of protein can be found in so many natural vegan sources so the myth that vegans don’t get enough protein is wrong too. Keep up your good work.
LOVE the idea of adding something spicy! It’s not something I usually do, but it’s an amazing way to add that extra zing to the morning and to get that metabolism kicking.
I don’t have any jalapenos at home, but might try and add some red chillies (seedless for me!) to my next smoothie. X
Extremely curious, first time reader and this recipe really caught my eye! Sounds great but I’m mostly curious about the jalapenos! :)
I made this this morning just to spice up my green smoothie and it was amazing! thanks so much :)
So glad you enjoyed it Liz!
Im drinking it right now…I accidentally used a banana instead of pineapple and added vanilla protein powder but its seriously my favorite smoothie recipe I have tried from BLDG25 :D
Kerrym – Mmm, your version sounds just as good! So glad you liked it!
I love the idea of jalapeño in a smoothie… so creative! :)
http://wellandfull.com/