I must admit I’m really not a fan of early shifts.
No matter how early I go to bed, I always seem to struggle to get my body out of it when that dreaded alarm clock decides to wake me up from my peaceful slumber.
Plus I don’t know about you, but the snooze button is always my friend on an early shift.
So by the time I get home, I’m often not really in the mood to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen whipping up some kind of exotic creation.
The solution? Whip yourself up a Green-Super-Smoothie-In-A-Bowl.
This smoothie makes the perfect post-early shift lunch because it’s packed with spinach leaves rich in carotenoids – potent anti-inflammatory molecules designed to help protect our arteries amongst a myriad of other health benefits. This fantastic recipe is adapted and inspired from Nutritionist Lola Berry’s 20/20 Diet Cookbook.
Benefits of Spinach:
* Loaded with phytonutrients which have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.
* An excellent source of vitamins C, E and A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, zinc and selenium which all help to reduce oxidative stress. It also contains vitamin K which is important for maintaining bone health.
* It’s a very good source of fibre, phosphorus, vitamin B1 (for energy), zinc, protein, and choline. Additionally, spinach is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, pantothenic acid, and selenium.
So how do you make this wonderful concoction of goodness? It’s easy …
Ingredients
1 frozen banana
1/2 rolled oats
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 cup coconut water
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/4 cup cashews
2 medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
1/2 teaspoon raw cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon bee pollen
Method
Throw all of the ingredients into a blender and combine until you get a thick, smooth consistency and all of the lumpy bits are gone. Pour into a bowl and top with raw cacao nibs and bee pollen. Grab a spoon and enjoy!
All in all a super nourishing food for an often under-nourished shift worker!
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