Very Berry Pomegranate Smoothie
1/2c. of 100% pomegranate juice
1c. of frozen mixed berries
1/2 of an orange
1 banana
1 tbsp of ground flax seeds
water as needed
Makes 1-2 servings depending on your appetite. Since I have a big one I use this as my post-swim-pre-breakfast nutrient bomb. This smoothie is refreshing and packs a big nutritional punch. At a total of about 300 calories you get 3.5 servings of fruit for the day. I always water down my juices when I buy them. Juice tends to have a lot of sugar so I add all the ingredients to my high powered blender and then just add water until I get the consistency I want. If I buy single oranges I will likely only use half of each one but bagged oranges are usually smaller and a lot more flavorful. Sometimes I toss in a full one and add a scoop of vanilla protein powder just to help keep my appetite at bay. Adding the extra orange pieces and protein powder increases the calorie count to about 400 and needs a bit more water.
Cost analysis:
- 1/2c. of 100% pomegranate juice ($4.50/5 = $0.90)
- 1c. of frozen mixed berries ($1.99/2 = $0.99)
- 1/2 of an orange ($0.80/2 = $0.40)
- 1 banana ($0.20)
- 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds ($3.99/68 = $0.06)
Total cost comes to roughly $2.55. The biggest expense is the pomegranate juice. I can buy a bottle at Trader Joes for about $3.99 but I often see it at much much higher prices, ie $8-13 range. Whole Foods sells it at a pretty good price point as well.Most of the juice is from concentrate, the higher the price the less likely it is from concentrate but price is not always a great indicator. Make sure you read the bottle. The key is to get 100% pomegranate juice, not a mix or an artificial "juice drink."
