It’s springtime and all the vibrant colors blossoming in the garden is truly breathtaking.

Although I’ve written about my concerns about smoothies being meal replacements and their impacts on digestion (read more here), I’m not completely against them. I still think that we can enjoy them from time to time and that they are actually a great way to get some extra veggies in to our diet. Every time I whip out our NutriBullet, my son asks me for a specific color smoothie. It’s actually become quite the game in that we talk about what color we think each ingredient would turn the smoothie. And then I got this crazy idea. Could I make a smoothie in every color of the rainbow?

hmm..  challenge accepted.

So while creating these recipes, I had a few criteria for these smoothies. I wanted them all to include vegetables. Pure fruit smoothies, especially those with fruit juice, can drive erratic blood sugar. Also, I wanted them to contain a healthy fat source such as nuts, seeds, full-fat yogurt, coconut milk, or coconut butter to further balance the smoothie for optimal blood sugar regulation.

A few notes before we begin,

• I didn’t precisely measure out the ingredients, so these are all eyeballed measurements. In other words, don’t be alarmed if your smoothie turns out a slightly different shade than pictured. Think of it as unique!

• Each recipes makes roughly one 16 ounce smoothie.

• For the liquid, feel free to swap out coconut milk, almond milk, or water. I do not suggest juice. My preferred choice is coconut milk because of the fat content. This helps stabilize the blood sugar, provide some healthy fats, and adds some extra creaminess!

• I’ve listed the ingredients for each color below. Directions remain the same:

Directions:

1. Pick your favorite color!

2. Add all ingredients together in blender.

3. Add desired liquid. Start with about 1/4 cup and add more until you reach your desired consistency.

4. Blend until smooth!

One final note, I wrote these recipes with the intentnion of them providing a starting framework. There are so many ways to get a purple smoothie… find what you enjoy best and don’t be afraid to play around!

Here we go! In order of appearance on the rainbow…

 

Red

“firetruck red”

Ingredients:
1/2 red apple
1/4 cup strawberries
1/3 cup watermelon
1/3 cup beets, peeled
1/4 cup red bell pepper
Full-fat coconut milk, added to desired consistency

Orange

“orange dreamsicle”

Ingredients:
1 orange, peeled
1 banana (I like to keep frozen peeled bananas in the freezer for smoothies)
1/4 cup pineapple
2 large carrots
Full-fat coconut milk, added to desired consistency

Yellow

“sunshine on a cloudy day”

Ingredients:
1/2 banana
1/4 cup pineapple
1/4 cup mango
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup cauliflower
Full-fat coconut milk, added to desired consistency

 

Green

“Classic green”

Ingredients:
1 kiwi, peeled
2 handfuls spinach
1/2 cup cucumber
1/4 cup pineapple
1/2 avocado
Water, added to desired consistency

Blue

“robin egg blue”

Ingredients:
1 banana
1/4 cup zucchini
1/2 cup cauliflower (I used organic, frozen, “riced” cauliflower)
1 tsp spirulina powder
2 Tbsp coconut butter
Water, added to desired consistency

Dark Purple

“powerful purple”

Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 banana
1/3 cup zucchini
1/3 cup Butter lettuce
1 Tbsp sprouted pumpkin seeds
1 tsp spirulina powder
Coconut milk, added to desired consistency

Light Purple

“like purple, but slightly different”

Ingredients:
1/4 cup blueberries
1 banana
1/4 cup zucchini
1/2 cup cauliflower
1 Tbsp sprouted pumpkin seeds
1 tsp spirulina powder
Almond milk, added to desired consistency

Magenta

“antioxidants galore”

Ingredients:
1/4 cup beets, peeled
1/4 cup purple cabbage
1/2 cup mixed cherries, blueberries, blackberries
1/4 cup full-fat plain yogurt (read shopping for yogurt)
Water, added to desired consistency

 

Pink

Ingredients:
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup dragonfruit or 1 smoothie pack, as shown (optional, but gives a more vibrant pink)
1/2 cup cauliflower (I used organic, frozen, “riced” cauliflower)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup coconut yogurt
Water, added to desired consistency