Once again, I would like to share an interesting, energetic recipe mushed in a delicious orange juice smoothie. I like having this mix, especially on Monday morning, to jump-start my senses and get me going in the face of the upcoming week.
While preparing to write down this recipe and share it with you, I remembered an interesting decoration. I used to do this when I was younger, mostly for fun. Nonetheless, it is a great way to cool down the smoothie and provide some funny aftertaste.
How to Make Lemon Ice Cube Decorations
So, let’s begin. First, we will need to prepare the decoration, as it will have to wait until the end of the recipe. For that, we need a couple of lemons and an ice tray. The amount depends on your personal preference. Start squeezing the lemon juice out and fill the ice trays until you fill as many cubes as you need. Once you fill the desired number of cubes, let the tray wait its turn and solidify in the freezer.
Pro tip: Mix in a little water in the lemon-filled cubes if you want to soften the acidic taste.
Health Benefits of Each Ingredient
Now, once the decoration is in place and waiting for its time to shine, let’s get to work! We need to prepare the base for today’s orange juice smoothie. For this, I will use regular whole milk as, to me, it is the best type to combine with honey and flaxseed. However, feel free to use your preferred or available one.
I fell in love with whole milk as a kid, spending a lot of time in the countryside on my grandparents’ farm. It supports bone mass and, with that, strong bones and muscles alike. It is also a great source of energy, which is exactly what we need today.
Mix 1/3 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of honey. Honey is also one of the most popular smoothie ingredients in my cookbook. It is a natural power bank, storing energy to be available for the body to use. It is also a very powerful oral health promoter, covering the mouth and throat with a protective layer that serves as protection.
Fun fact: Did you know that, when stored in the right conditions, honey never goes bad? It never spoils!
Blend it thoroughly and add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to this mix. Flaxseed is a highly beneficial ingredient that is recommended for consumption, even for newborns. This is due to its contents of Alpha-Linolenic Acid, which promotes regular brain development in infants.
Flaxseed also promotes bone health and cardiovascular health and bears a potential anti-cancer effect. And finally, flaxseed fights constipation and improves bowel processes and contains fewer so-called antinutrients than soybean!
Moving on to the basic ingredient in this recipe. We will need two oranges, squeezed. The energetic and nutritional value of the oranges always feels right combined with the milk and honey. It’s one awesome power pack. The oranges are packed with vitamin C and flu-fighting agents, and they also help regulate blood pressure.
The calcium in oranges assists blood distribution through the body, positively affecting almost all essential bodily functions. Due to their high contents of various B vitamins, oranges can positively affect mood and increase one’s ability to handle stressful moments.
Fun fact: Oranges almost never grow in nature by themselves. This fruit has been domesticated, so if you see an orange tree, there must be an owner around!
After all is mixed, proceed by adding 1 fresh, pitted, and chopped peach. While peaches are widely known for their rich vitamin C content, there are a myriad of useful nutrients to be found inside. Peach iron content helps transport oxygen from the lungs all over the body. They also contain flavonoids, which make them a vicious fighter against a multitude of diseases, even announcing potential cancer-prevention benefits.
Speaking of anti-cancer abilities, our final ingredient in today’s orange juice smoothie recipe adds some to the mix as well. We need two fresh and nicely rinsed apricots. Aside from the cancer-fighting properties, one apricot also provides the recommended daily amount of vitamin A. It contains powerful antioxidants and promotes eye health by protecting the eye from harmful UV rays.
Step-by-Step Smoothie Recipe
That was the last ingredient for this energetic orange juice smoothie recipe. Mush it all until you get the desired consistency, then proceed with the previously prepared decoration.
In the end, we’ll need to take the lemon ice cubes out of the freezer and, just before serving, throw them in the glasses. You can also try to dip the lemon cubes in honey right before you put them in the serving glass.
Enjoy!
That was my smoothie of choice for today; I hope you’ll try it and like it. Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below! If you like it, please share it with your friends!
The Orange Juice Smoothie Recipe
- 2 squeezed oranges
- lemons
- 1/3 cup of whole milk
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- 2 tbsp ground golden flaxseed
- 1 fresh, pitted peach
- 2 fresh apricots
Let me know if you’d like me to share more smoothie ideas or decorate-your-drink tricks. I’d love to hear from you!