Looking for something to do with leftover cranberries? Cranberries have been on my must-add list for a while.
Why:
They’re packed with polyphenols (hello, anti-inflammatory), they’re great for gut and oral health, and they support the good gut bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila. “A. muciniphila contributes to the maintenance of a healthy gut barrier, thereby regulating immunity, and also limits the onset of inflammation, which is the root cause of numerous diseases” (Source). Some emerging studies have shown that the presence of A. muciniphila has major positive effects in preventing cancer and even increasing the success of cancer immunotherapy treatment (Source).
All of that sells me on including cranberries in my diet and whenever I’m looking to add a new fresh food in, smoothies are my go-to.
It’s been easy to find fresh cranberries in the grocery store as we’re in the midst of the holiday season. Hello, Cranberry Orange Smoothie. This smoothie recipe is refreshingly sweet, it’s fizzy fun and my new favorite addition to fueling the good bacteria in my gut.
Fresh cranberries are best for this. I’ve only been able to find these during the holiday season, so I’ll be stocking up and freezing them to use year-round.
This recipe makes around 32 oz of smoothie, depending on any recipe tweaks you make.
Prep + Blend: 5 -10 minutes
Freezing: This smoothie is best served very cold, so I’d recommend putting it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before enjoying it.
The Ingredients:
½ cup of water
1 cup of fresh cranberries
2 peeled oranges
1 banana
1 cup of coconut milk
Honey to taste
Tips:
Put the ingredients in the blender in the order that they are listed above; This will make blending faster!
Once again, this smoothie is best served very cold. Chilling it after is helpful since we’re dealing with fresh fruit.
Just a drool-worthy shot of the natural fizz of this smoothie!
Cranberries are bitter and I wasn’t sure how this would compare to some of our other smoothie recipes. The citrus and cranberry combination, along with the addition of honey, makes this a crave-worthy recipe.
If you’re interested in reading more about the benefits of supporting the healthy gut bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila, Dr. Mark Hyman does an excellent job of it here: Getting To Know Your Gut Bugs: Akkermansia Muciniphila
It’s always fun when wellness collides with deliciousness…If you try this Cranberry Orange Smoothie recipe, let me know what you think!