Registered dietitian, health and wellness coach McKel Hill of Nutrition Stripped shares her healthy living tips and her favourite SUPER ELIXIR Nourishing Protein recipe.

We live in a modern world with amazing advancements in technology yet our soil suffers and lacks minerals that it once did causing whatever grows out of it (i.e. fruits, vegetables and whole food) to be devoid of nutrition or at least significantly lower in minerals than it once was. Not only is our soil different, but our food takes a long time to get to us! Unless we’re growing our own whole food in our gardens, picking it out with our bare hands and washing it off before eating- then most likely it’s been picked weeks before it reaches your grocery store, then is purchased by you. This entire process can take weeks and cause nutrients to be depleted from the whole food.

VERY BERRY.

Just like all my recipes, I encourage you to listen in to your body and give it what it needs. Craving more fat? Add in almond butter, full fat coconut milk, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, or avocado. Craving more protein? Add in your favorite plant-based protein, hemp seeds, or organic silken tofu even! Craving more fiber or greens? Add in more zucchini, spinach, or romaine. You can see there are many variations you can play with all within this one recipe. For example, if you’re in the mood for chocolate, add 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder, cacao nibs to top, and chocolate plant-based protein powder for an added chocolate boost.

My favorite trio of berries to use in smoothie bowls are raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries all for different reasons. First off, raspberries give smoothie bowls an amazing thick texture due to their high fiber content, and they boost an added bonus of being one of several fruits I consider low sugar. Strawberries give it a thick texture but with a beautiful sweet flavor, so you don’t need much. Blueberries on the other hand are loaded with antioxidants, far more than both raspberries and strawberries, especially wild blueberries. Now, I know some of you are not in the US (actually many of you- hi!), so you might not have access to fresh berries right now and that’s okay. The best option is to use frozen organic berries as much as possible, plus it’s a good thing that they’re affordable and available year round no matter where you live. If you’re using local and seasonal berries in your area, I like to give them a good wash, dry, and then pop them in the freezer in an airtight glass container or a baggie right before they get “too ripe” or go bad. This freezes them at their peak ripeness and allows you to get the most nutrition and flavor for your buck!

I’ve been LOVING and playing a lot lately with these SUPER ELIXIR Alkalising Greens from WelleCo (Elle MacPherson’s line) and have been using them daily as a way to sneak in even more veggies and greens to my diet especially with how busy things have been. The greens (surprisingly) taste delicious and are really easy to add to recipes like this smoothie bowl or I’ll stir it in water for a quick energy boost on the go. I also added the SUPER ELIXIR Vanilla Nourishing Protein to this smoothie because in addition to it also adds B vitamins, 9 essential amino acids, and even digestive enzymes. Plus it’s non-GMO, organic, vegan, and seriously DELICIOUS and NS approved.

Since we have a lot of fruit going on in this smoothie, I like to balance it out with a fiber rich vegetable that’s also great at giving this smoothie a smooth and creamy texture, and you probably guessed what that ingredient is – frozen chopped zucchini! I first shared this Blue Morning Smoothie Bowl last year using frozen zucchini to add fiber, water, and texture without adding up the calories or grams of sugar like frozen bananas typically do. Want to learn more about the nutrition and health benefits of these berries? Check them out in the NS Pantry: Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

ULTIMATE BERRY SMOOTHIE BOWL

You'll need 
2 scoops SUPER ELIXIR Chocolate Nourishing Protein
2 cups unsweetened or homemade almond milk
1 cup frozen chopped zucchini
1 cup frozen organic raspberries
½ cup frozen organic strawberries
½ cup frozen organic blueberries
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional garnishes: bee pollen, fresh mint, shredded coconut, goji berries, sliced bananas, sliced kiwi, edible flowers, and hemp seeds. 

To make
In a high speed blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth and thick. If the smoothie is too think, add more almond milk or water to thin; but remember this is a smoothie bowl and it should be as thick as soft serve ice cream and thick enough to eat with a spoon.
Add garnish toppings as desired, enjoy immediately.

Notes
To freeze zucchini, simple chop it up (you can leave peel on or off) and freeze it in a large container or bag just like you would bananas for a smoothie. Add to any smoothie for a low sugar option. 

Learn more from McKel at Nutrition Stripped here.