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Healthy Cranberry Apple Smoothie

Pink smoothies are easily the best way to win kids over (like this berry pink smoothie). Okay, I love green smoothies too. Actually, I love ALL smoothies because they’re just such an easy way to take in a bunch of healthy nutrients in a yummy way! And cranberry apple is an awesome combination.

In my opinion, there are really only two times that people consume cranberries:

• When they have kidney or uti issues
• Over the holidays in the form of sugar filled cranberry sauce 😛

But cranberries have so many benefits that consuming them all year long can be great for your health!

As most people know, cranberries can help prevent urinary tract infections. To reap this benefit you need to either consume pure cranberries juice (not ocean spray juice) or the actual cranberries.

Obviously cranberries are low in calories but they’ve been shown to reduce inflammation, help out your digestive system and prevent heart disease.

They really are a great food to be consuming on a regular basis! And yet we ignore them so much. But not anymore! This cranberry apple smoothie is not only a great way to boost your cranberry intake but also comes along with many other health promoting foods!

This easy, pink smoothie is vegan, gluten free and absolutely delicious. It’s protein powder free (though it does taste pretty yummy with a scoop of vegan powder).

While free from protein powder it does contain a lot of healthy fats to help stabilize your energy.

Between the almond butter, flax and hemp hearts this vegan smoothie is full of anti-inflammatory omega three fats! This is ideal because with our food habits today we tend to consume too many omega six fatty acids which promote inflammation. So this gluten free smoothie helps balance it out.

Flaxseed in particular is a favorite of mine (okay, almond butter is my favorite but really just because I like to lick it off the spoon :P) because of its high fiber content it’s been shown to reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

On top of that, flaxseed is great for “staying regular” (check out this post on how to help kids poop!) and reducing inflammation!

For such a teeny little seed it has a lot of health benefits!

An even more awesome perk of this healthy smoothie is that all sugars are natural ones! This smoothie may not sound like it but thanks to the apple, date and coconut milk it is rather sweet.

I don’t personally allow baby bear to have processed sugars (I can still get away with this right now!) but this smoothie makes her think she’s having a “treat”. It’s super thick and creamy also so it definitely works for a smoothie bowl too for when you want to switch it up. Top it with your favorite “mixings” (hello homemade granola!) and it seems even more decadent.

And lastly, this cranberry apple smoothie rocks because it’s pink. And yes, that is a valid reason! While it is full of healthy, nutritious ingredients, the fact that it is brightly colored makes little kids want to devour it. And healthy meals are only good as long as they’re consumed!

Healthy Cranberry Apple Smoothie Ingredients

• 1/2 apple
• 1/2-2/3 cup frozen cranberries
• 1 Dates
• 1/8 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon Almond butter
• 1 tablespoon Flaxmeal
• 1 tablespoon Hemp Hearts
• 2/3 cups almond milk
• 3 ice cubes

Note: all of these health boosting ingredients can be purchased through my favorite retailer Well.ca– and the best part is that they offer free shipping!

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Vitamix
• Silicone spatula

How To Make This Pink Vegan Smoothie

Chop the apple and place it into a powerful blender.

Add the remaining ingredients except milk.

Pour the milk over top of the ingredients.

Blend on high until smooth.

Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Makes one large or two small

Don’t forget to pin this cranberry apple smoothie

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This vegan smoothie is full of health boosting ingredients. Cranberry apple is not only a tasty flavor but helps improve digestion also. It’s thick, creamy and pink so kids love it!