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Make this wild blueberry tropical Smoothie!

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.

During the winter months, smoothies are a great way to get some of the 5-9 fruits and veggies recommended for good health. Smoothies are also a helpful way to start the new year off right after the holidays! And just because it’s February, it’s still not late to start or re-start! They are an easy, convenient solution to get lots of nutrition packed in a little glass! I am very excited to share one of my favorite smoothies as part of the 2017 Wild Your Smoothie Recipe Contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America .

Wild blueberries are the perfect ingredient for a winter smoothie! My Vine Ripe Nutrition blog often features local, seasonal foods where I live but in the middle of winter, I often need to supplement my local food choices with additional food. And I want these foods to be healthy! Wild blueberries are a perfect choice because their unique flavor is much more intense than cultivated blueberries and the wild ones contain twice the amount of antioxidants too! Which makes them great as an anti-inflammatory food which helps prevent chronic disease later on and boosts the immune system!

I love the fact that wild blueberries are a heritage to North American and are frozen close to where they are picked so all the nutrition is sealed in. This means lots more nutrition compared to fresh berries that are trucked across the country when berries are not in season where most of us live. Since wild blueberries are already frozen, I don’t even need to add no ice in my blender to make smoothies and this makes my beverage even more packed in nutrients!

To purchase wild blueberries, look for them in the your grocer’s freezer and be sure to look for the word “wild” on the package.

My wild blueberry smoothie recipe will make you think about sandy beaches and warm sun even when the temperature even if it is below freezing where you live! I hope that you love it!

Recipe for Wild Blueberry Tropical Smoothie

Tropical Smoothie make with blueberries
#wildyoursmoothie Add Wild Blueberries to your smoothie for lots of fiber, oxidants and flavor!

Wild Blueberry Tropical Smoothie

I love the pretty blue of these smoothies which come from the wild blueberries! This smoothie is easy to make and absolutely delicious! It contains lots of of Vitamin C, A, antioxidants and fiber. This recipe makes a delicious breakfast or even an easy dessert! As you can see from my pictures, I decorated everyone’s glass a little differently and used a variety of glasses which adds to the smoothie fun! The macadamia nut butter can be purchased or made from my recipe below. It adds protein, healthy fat and some tropical creaminess to your smoothie.

2 servings

1 cup refrigerated coconut milk (with calcium added)

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

1/2 cup mango, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch chunks

1 banana, and sliced into chunks

1 tablespoon of macadamia nut butter

Toppings: toasted coconut, chia seeds and extra mango and blueberries to thread on a skewer . You may also want to have on hand some colorful paper straws!

To toast coconut: In a small cast iron skillet, over medium heat-carefully brown the coconut stirring constantly but do not burn.

To chop the mango: Make sure that it is soft to touch but not overripe. Carefully peel the fruit and cut the flesh on cutting board as close to the see as you can. Then cut the flesh away from the other side of of the seed. There is flesh at the top and the bottom of the seed. Carefully cut the rest of flesh away from the seed and what is left is mostly the large flat seed.

In a blender, add chopped banana, chopped mango, wild blueberries and coconut milk. Blend the ingredients until blended and add to glasses.

To make macadamia nut butter:

Making this butter takes a little extra time but is super delicious and it makes extra so you can put it on your smoothie all week or put on a sandwich or cracker. It is absolutely delicious! Our friend Alan made it for us as a gift! I loved it so much, I had to learn to make it myself!

Homemade Macadamia Nut Butter
 
1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts
Pinch of salt if desired
 
Add macadamia nuts in a blender or food processor. Process for about a minute to get a smooth paste. Add a pinch of salt and process just enough to mix it in. Scraping sides if needed. Add to a small glass jar and refrigerate.

Add toppings if desired:

The following ingredients can be added in if desired to boost nutrient intake and taste great in the Wild Blueberry Tropical Smoothie:

2 teaspoons grated citrus peel

1 tablespoon whey powder

1 tablespoon yogurt

For an Alternate Version Wild Blueberry Garden Smoothie

For a more local sourced smoothie, I keep the wild blueberries as the main ingredient with the coconut milk and instead of the tropical fruit of mango and banana, and I use locally grown fruit strawberries and raspberries frozen from my garden. So this spring and summer get extra of these berries from your local farmers’ markets and freeze. I call this version Wild Blueberry Garden Smoothie. This is a great variation from the Wild Blueberry Tropical Smoothie when more local fruit is available!

Make a Wild Blueberry Tropical Smoothie

I hope that you enjoy this fun and tasty wild blueberry tropical smoothie recipe and try a bag of frozen wild blueberries whether you make the tropical or garden version! And be sure to keep a bag in the freezer to use when the wild blueberry urge hits you! As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, NC, I love to help my readers and clients stay well! If you are new to my blog, welcome and be sure to sign up so you don’t miss a single post! If you have been keeping up with what is going on in my kitchen, thank you for reading and please share with a friend! And check out my blueberry breakfast bars.

Check other great wild blueberry smoothie recipes when you use the hash tag #wildyoursmoothie and you can find even more delicious recipes made with wild blueberries at Wild Blueberry Association of North America

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Smoothie Ingredients for tropical smoothie
Here are the ingredients for a great smoothie!
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