Immunity Boosting Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Immunity boosting frozen fruit smoothies!  This is one of my favorite fruit smoothie recipes that has triple the amount of vitamin C with the addition of orange juice, strawberry, and cranberry! Plus it’s rich in antioxidants and vegan friendly with a whole 30 option.

And just like that, I’m sharing another POWER smoothie recipe. But for good reason! So stay with me here for one hot second. Mmm k?

Let’s discuss.

Question! How many of you have a TON of frozen fruit in your freezer? If you’re like me, I don’t like to throw away any food. Therefore, we freeze almost everything. For example, we had a bunch of cranberries left over from this fruit salsa , and being that they are seasonal, I decided to freeze them. Comes in handy when you want to add a little sweet and tart flavor (without a ton of sugar) to your recipes, ya know? Cranberries (or any berries in general) are so versatile and AMAZING for our health. Speaking of health…

 

Question number two of the day! How do you view your health right now? What’s the one area you want to improve or “be healthier” in? Believe it or not, I have my own. Stress (aka immune system) and gut health as always. You’d think I’d be better at this by now, but I’m not. I always need a reset and more gut health recipes. Be it as it may, almost all health issues stem from poor gut health and low immunity. Ahhh… the gut. The second brain!

Can real fruit smoothies help boost immunity?

I’m not complaining, I promise. In fact, I’d have to agree that a sensitive gut is due to our crazy lifestyle and quick fixes. Um, yes, been there, done that. Still struggle. And unless we win the lotto and buy a mansion on an island without any pollution, I think our life will always be a little stressful from time to to time! Which is why I think it’s important to do a weekly or monthly immunity boost for the gut and body, even if you aren’t stressed.

So, here is today’s TLC recipe for the gut and immunity. It’s a triple whammy of Vitamin C without a ton of extra sugar. We’re using only unrefined sugar and fruit sugars to make this orange smoothie sweet and tart! It’s antioxidant rich, it’s anti-inflammatory, it’s dairy free, and it tastes pretty darn delicious. It would be perfect for breakfast or post workout in order to keep that IMMUNE system and GUT in tip top shape. Well, almost.

What can you put in a frozen fruit smoothie?

When I first made this smoothie, it reminded me of one of those smoothies I used to guzzle down after school. The smoothie shop shall rename nameless, but let’s just say it was LOADED with sugar, condensed juice, and commercial dairy. Oh dang!

Fast forward 25 years later and my smoothie making days have changed – and for the better. We’re focusing on making smoothies with just real deal ingredients. Which in actuality, also saves us money! Winning at life all around here folks. 😉

Let’s dissect this Immunity Boosting Frozen Fruit Smoothie a little more, shall we?

• Fresh Orange Juice – Natural sweetener and loaded with of course… VITAMIN C. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means it dissolves in water.  What’s not absorbed with then leaves the body through the urine. You know what that means? —> YOU NEED a continuous supply of Vitamin C in your diet. But not a whole lot at once. Make sense?
  • BONUS –>  Research has found that loading up on Vitamin C may actually help shorten the length of time you’re sick and reduce symptoms.
• Lemon Juice ->  More good Vitamin C and other vitamins. Can help ease stomach and indigestion too. I still have my essential oils from Blend retreat and loved using this in this orange smoothie. More facts on the lemon juice essential oils here.
• Banana (fresh or frozen) – This is optional but a great thickener!  Banana is rich in potassium, magnesium, and can contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. To reduce sugar and boost protein, try replacing banana with Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt.
• Frozen Cranberries and Strawberries. But feel free to use whatever berry is in season! (Fresh or frozen).
  • First, these berries are an excellent source of Vitamin C (again) and Folate, plus a slew of other antioxidants! They are also rich in the mineral  manganese.
  • Cranberries (Raw) only have 5 grams of sugar per cup! That’s impressive!
  • Research has shown that cranberries may actually help balance the bacteria in your gut by increasing your bifidobacteria (good bacteria). Did you know that your good gut bacteria can be thrown off just by stress or extreme diet/workout alone? Pretty cool!
• Coconut or Almond Milk – I paired a non-dairy milk with fat in this smoothie so that both water and fat soluble vitamins could be absorbed. So… more absorption, more nutrients, better immunity = WINNING!
• Lemon Juice – Yes, I added lemon juice to this smoothie! This is optional, but I add this in for a extra burst of zest, vitamin C, and to aid in digestion.

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Cheers to a week with a little TLC, an immunity boost, and a new way to enjoy a regular ol’ breakfast smoothie.

Favorite immunity boosting smoothie recipe? Do share! 

LC

 

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MORE IMMUNITY BOOSTING RECIPES HERE!

This recipe is part of our 10 Best Immunity Boosting Recipes collection. Check it out!