Mango Madness

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Mango Madness Smoothie with Lime and Cilantro

This smoothie is great for those days when you need a pick-me-up. The lime and cilantro give it an added boost of life with a hint of tartness. Added bonus, this smoothie freezes well for future use. Just be sure to leave one-inch headspace in the jar, so that it doesn't crack in the freezer.

Raw cashews bring creaminess with added calming effects and mood boosting properties. Containing 66% monounsaturated fatty acids, making cashews a great choice for heart health (much like olive oil). Cashews are extremely high in copper. Copper helps eliminate free radicals, supports bone and connective tissue development, joint health, and production of melanin (skin and hair pigment).

Mangoes provide many B vitamins, dietary fiber, beta carotene, and vitamin C. This juicy fruit is great for calming the nervous system and stocking up the adrenal preserves to combat future stress. Plus, they just taste so dang good!

Hopefully you have the genetic predisposition to enjoy cilantro because this pulls the whole smoothie together. Cilantro (and parsley) are incredibly powerful herbs that are filled with antioxidants and phytonutrients, have antimicrobial properties, support healthy blood sugar levels, and aide in heavy metal detoxification.  If you don't enjoy cilantro, then leave it out or swap with another fresh herb of choice.

Fresh herbs can be tricky little buggers because once you get home from the grocery store, they seem to fall limp and lifeless in the refrigerator. One way to keep them fresh and lively much longer is to place them in a glass with water, stored on a shelf in the fridge. I will also wrap a cloth napkin or produce bag over the leaves to decrease wilting. This will increase the shelf life to at least a week.

Mango Madness Smoothie

Mango Madness

Prep time: 5 min.

Makes: 2 servings

Note: double the recipe for 2 people, if using a portion for afternoon snack

 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ C. water
  • ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked and rinsed
  • 2 lg. handfuls of spinach
  • ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro, stems included
  • ½ frozen banana
  • 1 C. frozen mango
  • 2 Tbsp. hemp seeds (or unsweetened/unflavored protein powder of choice)
  • 1 Tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds
  • Juice from ½ small lime
  • 4 ice cubes (optional)

 

Directions

  1. Soak your cashews in a small bowl overnight. Drain and rinse when ready to make your smoothie. This is a must if you do not have a high-speed blender. If you do have a high-speed blender, soaking is still encouraged, but it’s okay if you forget once in awhile.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Mango Madness Smoothies

Pro Tips

Prep: wash and spin-dry your greens the night before for a quicker start in the morning. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to blend.

Prep: peel and chop ripe bananas into quarters and freeze in an airtight container for future use. This way, you always have ripe bananas for future smoothies or baking. Frozen bananas add that creamy factor to smoothies and cut down on waste.

Storage: airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours.

Snack Attack: this will make enough for 2 servings, so save 8-10 oz. of this smoothie in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. This will come in handy for your afternoon snack. Just shake before drinking.

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