6 Recipes for Smoothies Rich in Iron

Hey people!

It’s Mwaka again, with nutritional experiments and iron-proof smoothies for your plant-based diet. Recently I shared my recipe for a delicious Iron-Proof Salad and today we discover some smoooooth secrets to meeting your nutritional needs!

My struggles with cardiovascular disease and iron deficiency anemia have been a long battle. Moreover, I am quite a picky eater, and for this reason, I do struggle to give my body enough of what it needs. Finding a way - through smoothies - to meet my body’s nutritional needs is nothing short of a stroke of genius!

Let’s Do a Little Recap on Iron

Having read my plant-based iron article (if you haven’t, please do), you will learn: 

• Where to find iron
• How much iron you need to take
• The problems associated with iron deficiency
• How to get enough iron from plant-based sources 
• How to make my favorite, Mwaka’s ‘Iron Proof’ salad

One highly effective way to get enough iron from plant-based sources is to make yourself a glass of fresh, iron-rich smoothie. Let’s get to it!

Benefits of Drinking Smoothies

Approved foods in the Dr Sebi’s Nutritional Guide like amaranth, seeded raisins, quinoa, walnuts, oregano, and all the approved greens are great iron sources. These are the best ingredients for making smoothies rich in iron, but, do you know why smoothies?

• Great to keep you hydrated.
• Easy and quick to make with minimal equipment.
• Increased satiety reducing cravings.
• Partially pre-digested (the blender ‘chews’ it) which enhances nutrient absorption.
• Smoothies are delicious and can disguise bitter flavors.

So, let's get smoothie-ing!

1. Orange-Green Combo Smoothie

Combining any approved greens (amaranth greens, dandelion greens, kale, turnip greens, purslane, watercress, wild arugula) which are all iron-rich with seville oranges, that promote optimum iron absorption, makes this smoothie a powerful pick. 

Ingredients

• 1 peeled Seville orange
• A handful of greens
• 2 pitted dates
• Spring water

Instructions

1. Add all your ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend!
2. Add  more water to make it your desired consistency.
3. Garnish with a slice of orange or chopped dates.
4. For the best experience serve when chilled.

2. Dr. Sebi’s Smoothie Bowl

This is one of my favorite smoothies inspired by Dr. Sebi’s Nutritional Guide (with a bit of modification to suit my taste, of course). This power punch of nutrition is made with ingredients that are rich in iron.

Why I call it a smoothie bowl is because it contains homemade walnut milk, I use bananas to thicken it and I pour it into a bowl, not a cup. In addition, you get to throw in your favorite toppings!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of any approved berry
• 2 tablespoon walnuts 
• 1 frozen burro banana
• ½ cup homemade walnut milk
• 2 pitted dates

Instructions

1. Add your berries, banana, homemade walnut milk, walnuts, and pitted dates to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Top with your favorite toppings.

What berry would you pick for this smoothie bowl? Tell me in the comments.

3. Mango Date Smoothie

Mangoes are one of my top 10 alkaline foods because they are juicy, tasty, and edible in any form. Because I would never turn down a mango, whether whole fruit, smoothie, or juice, I thought of incorporating dates in my mango smoothie to make it iron-rich, and it adds extra sweetness if your mango is slightly green.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango
• 3 pitted dates
• 1 freshly squeezed key lime juice
• 1 freshly squeezed Seville Orange
•  1 peach chopped in chunks

Instructions

1. Add all your ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved, add spring water if needed.
2. Serve in a glass and use dates as toppings. Enjoy.

4. Garbanzo-Walnut Smoothie

Okay, I know it sounds crazy adding garbanzo beans to a smoothie, but hear me out. If it’s warm where you live, you are inclined towards smoothies over soup. This may have made you neglect this nutrient-packed food you enjoyed in the cold weather. What do you say to reaping the benefits of garbanzo beans in a smoothie?

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked garbanzo beans
• ½ cup walnut milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1 pitted date or agave syrup to taste
• 1 frozen burro banana
• Clove (to taste) 

Instructions

1. Place all your ingredients into a blender and blend thoroughly. If too thick, you can add more walnut milk.
2. Serve in a glass and enjoy!

It’s a definite yes from me! How about you?

5. Green Smoothie

I used to recoil at the thought of having a green smoothie (green or anything for that matter), because I always believed the taste wasn’t for me. But one of my goals, when I turned plant-based, was to give green juices and smoothies a chance. Here we are after a lot of trial and error; one of the green smoothies I enjoy.

Ingredients

• A handful of approved greens
• ½ a slice of watermelon
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for your topping)
• 1 key lime (juice) 
• Spring water

Instructions 

1. Add all your ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. If you’d like it thinner, add more spring water.
2. Serve with a few ice cubes for the best experience.

6. Quinoa Blast Smoothie

This is not your typical smoothie recipe! But it is tasty and rich in calcium and fiber. Almost like a pudding this smoothie can be thick or thin. 

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked quinoa 
• 300 ml homemade walnut milk (or an approved alkaline milk you prefer)
• 1 cup grapes (remove seeds)
• 1 tablespoon 100% Pure Agave Syrup (or date sugar)
• Optional burro banana

Instructions

1. Place all your ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a banana to thicken and sweeten the smoothie if it’s too thin for your liking. 
2. Serve in your favorite cup.

This recipe was given to me by a mum-friend. My short three-year-old boss (aka my toddler) is not plant-based. However, being the good mum that I am (plus the desire to stop cooking two separate meals) I thought this would fill us both with tasty nutrition. 

I will try it and give feedback on how my toddler responds to this new recipe. You won’t forget to update me if you try it too, right?

One last reference to my iron article (I promise), Step Six of how to get enough iron from plant-based sources is iron supplementation. Dr Sebi’s Iron Plus is a liquid tonic you can pair with your smoothie to obtain even more minerals, nutritional metals and antioxidants to help your immune system focus on rejuvenation. It’s magical!

There you have it! I hope you enjoy these delicious smoothies rich in iron. Let’s be friends on Instagram and Facebook, the world is a global village after all! When you make any of these recipes (or come up with your own), take a photo and share it with us! 

Until next time,

Stay healthy!

Mwaka

“The cells of the brain are made up of copper and carbon. They don’t resemble the cells that make up carbon. They don’t resemble the cells that make up the bones. They are calcium, not to mention the cells that make up the blood. They are iron. They are different cells, and they do different things.” - Dr Sebi