Green Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Food Matters Smoothie Recipes

This green smoothie recipe tastes just like mint chocolate chip ice cream - sans bloating and sugar overload.

Serves: 1

Why It's Good For You

One of the star ingredients in this smoothie is raw cacao. Raw cacao offers amazing health benefits for your entire body!

Cacao is one of the healthiest foods you can consume. Cacao contains the mood improver anandamide -- known as the bliss molecule -- which creates a feeling of euphoria. Another mood-enhancing compound found in cacao is PEA or phenylethylamine, which triggers the release of endorphins and pleasurable opium-like neurochemicals.

It also helps protect you against heart disease, prevents premature aging, boosts energy, prevents sunburn, helps improve brain function and helps improve your metabolism.

Ingredients

(use organic ingredients where possible)

• Handful of spinach
• ½ avocado
• 1 banana
• 1 date, pitted
• 1 serving protein powder of choice (vegan, whey or hemp seeds)
• 1 handful mint leaves (or optionally 2 drops peppermint essential oil)
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder or nibs (or less if preferred)
• 12 oz (1½ cups) unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (coconut, hemp, almond, rice)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.