When it comes to colorful beverages, you really can’t beat beets. This refreshing smoothie gets its bright pink hue from a mix of beetroot, cherries, and strawberries.
With zero added sugars, this beet berry smoothie is naturally sweet from the fruit, but not syrupy or overwhelmingly sugary. The cherries and berries offer some vitamin C to help support skin health — which is especially important in the summer months.
And since this recipe calls for dehydrated beet powder — peeled, dried beets pulverized into a fine powder — you’ll get the impressive health benefits of the ruby red root veggie without the stained cutting board.
“Beets are a powerhouse of vitamin C, potassium, betaine, magnesium, folate, and nitrates,” says Cameron Fiorenza, BS-NDTR, and Culinary and Nutrition Specialist at Openfit. Beetroot has also been found to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardio-protective properties.
And while you can enjoy this summery smoothie any time of the day, you may want to sip it before a sweat sesh, since studies suggest beets may improve exercise efficiency and performance.
To make this smoothie, you can use any form of milk or yogurt you’d like — just keep in mind that it may affect the protein content of the smoothie. When it’s made with reduced-fat (2%) milk, the beet berry smoothie offers an impressive 28 grams of muscle-building protein.
“Reduced-fat dairy is a great way to incorporate protein and some healthy fat into the diet,” Fiorenza says.
Ready to give it a try? Read on for our quick and easy recipe.
Beet Berry Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
- 1 cup ice
- 3/4 cup reduced-fat (2%) Greek yogurt
- 8 medium strawberries, cut into chunks
- 10 medium pitted cherries
- 1 Tbsp. dehydrated beet powder
Instructions
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Combine milk, ice, yogurt, strawberries, cherries, and beet powder in a blender; cover.
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Blend until smooth.
Recipe Notes
Dehydrated beet powder is found in the health food aisle at your local grocery store. You can also check your local health food store, a specialty grocery store, or online.
Openfit Blocks
1 Fruit & Vegetable
2 Proteins
About Nicole McDermott
After graduating from Syracuse where Nicole studied magazine journalism and nutrition, she moved to New York City to write for the health and fitness site Greatist. She currently edits full time for Ghergich & Co. Nicole's work has appeared on TIME Healthland, Shape, USA Today, Men's Fitness, The Huffington Post, Refinery29 and Lifehacker, among others.
