Start your morning with a simple smoothie with an exotic twist. The mix of prickly pear and wild blueberries adds a burst of flavor while packing in antioxidants to start your morning off right.
Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
Did you know there are two different kinds of blueberries? The two different varieties are regular, cultivated blueberries and Wild Blueberries. While they may have a few similar qualities, they are quite different.
Wild Blueberries have a more intense flavor than regular blueberries. Wild Blueberry plants grow wild and are genetically diverse with thousands of interlocking plants spreading naturally across fields called barrens. It’s this diversity that gives Wild Blueberries their complex and delicious flavor — an extraordinary mix of tart and sweet.
I wanted to highlight Wild Blueberries’ unique flavor profile with another unique fruit – prickly pear! I was recently asked what my strategies were to add plenty of produce into my daily eating habits. My response was, make it fun! Try adding unique and exotic new produce to your regular routine so it never gets boring.
An item like Wild Blueberries, you won’t find in the fresh produce section. You can find Wild Blueberries in the frozen fruit section of your local grocery store; just make sure the package says “Wild”. The Wild Blueberry crop (99% of it) is frozen. These potent little berries are individually quick-frozen (IQF) at harvest, locking in their nutrition and taste.
Wild Blueberries have twice (2x) the antioxidant capacity of larger, cultivated blueberries. A growing body of research shows the potential health benefits of Wild Blueberries including gut health, diabetes, cancer and brain health.
It’s a no-brainer that I now always have Wild Blueberries stashed in my freezer.
Prickly Pear & Wild Blueberry Smoothie
- Yield: 2
Ingredients
- 1 prickly pear, peeled and diced
- 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tablespoon flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 banana, peeled
- Ice (optional)
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately.
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