Taro root — which comes from the Colocasia esculenta plant — is a white or purple-flecked veggie that’s as versatile as it is delicious. It can be roasted, mashed (like in the popular Hawaiian side dish poi), boiled, or fried. Taro can also be used to flavor, thicken, and add color to bubble tea and lilac-hued desserts.
But taro isn’t just known for its culinary benefits — it also has some impressive health stats. “Taro is a superfood because it’s nutrient dense,” says Cameron Fiorenza, BS-NDTR, and Culinary and Nutrition Specialist at Openfit. “It’s a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, folate, vitamin C, and beta carotene.”
Taro’s high fiber content makes it more filling than some other root vegetables, and research shows taro has antioxidant properties. (Just don’t eat taro raw — it can irritate your mouth and throat.)
And with its mildly sweet flavor — similar to a sweet potato — and starchy texture, taro root can be a creamy and delicious addition to a smoothie. This taro superfood smoothie recipe blends cooked taro with coconut milk for a creamy, almost milkshake-like consistency. “This taro smoothie will keep you feeling full with a dose of fiber and healthy fats from coconut milk,” Fiorenza says.
Because taro is sweet on its own, this smoothie has only 13 grams of naturally-occurring sugar — meaning you don’t need to add spoonfuls of sugar to sweeten it. “That’s less than half the sugar of what is added to a coffee shop latte,” Fiorenza says. The addition of peaches and lime juice make this taro superfood smoothie a tart and refreshing post-workout treat.
Peachy Taro Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup frozen peaches
- 1/2 cup cooked taro, chilled
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Instructions
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Combine coconut milk, ice, peaches, taro, and lime juice in a blender. Cover. Blend until smooth.
Recipe Notes
Taro is a tuber native to the Asian continent. This is found with the sweet potatoes in the grocery store. You may also check an Asian supermarket or a specialty food store.
The Nutritional Facts have been estimated for this recipe.
Openfit Blocks
2 Fruits & Vegetables
1 Fat
