As you know, I blog a lot about juicing but not so much about smoothies!
Some smoothies can be difficult to digest if they have a lot of fibre but I’m always being asked about an easy to digest smoothie recipes.
Therefore I’m excited to share this gut-friendly smoothie recipe with you today; it’s full of lots of goodness and can be adapted depending on how sensitive you are to fibre.
I recently also made a delicious iced smoothie lolly version of this smoothie so make sure you check that recipe out too!
What makes it an anti-inflammatory smoothie?
The key to an anti-inflammatory smoothie is turmeric and ginger, both of which do amazing things for your digestion.
So always add organic turmeric to smoothies and add a pinch of black pepper to maximise absorption.
Turmeric is vital to anti-inflammation and I always recommend trying to supplement turmeric with black pepper in addition to putting it in smoothies.
You’re looking to find a mix of turmeric and black pepper and also have some kind of fat in the mix; as this helps with absorption too.
Ginger is another great anti-inflammatory. I always recommend buying it fresh- top tip if peeling; only peel very thinly as most of the goodness is located in the top layer.
How else can it help my health?
The chia seeds are great for getting a dose of gently absorbing soluble fibre and are also a source of omegas. Blending them ensures they’re not too tough to digest.
Banana also has soluble fibre which is much gentler on the stomach. Remember this type of fibre is quite easy to digest (instead of the insoluble fibre found in veggies etc)
Hemp Protein is a great source of non-dairy protein and omega 3 too. It can be a little tough to digest at first, so I’d recommend starting at a teaspoon and then building up.
Almond Milk provides calcium.
Cashew Nut Butter is a good way to increase your intake of nuts and fat (the fat, in particular, will help with the absorption of the turmeric).
If you can’t have nuts usually as they’re too solid, you might find that when they’re blended in nut butter, they’re fine.
You can use any decent blender or smoothie to make this drink. I personally use my Optimum Vacuum BLENDER which works particularly well for making batches of smoothies (as it’s vacuum technology prevents it from spoiling or rotting! It’s very clever!)
Gut Friendly Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon of cashew nut butter
- 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric and sprinkle of black pepper
- 2 thumb size pieces of ginger, chopped finely and peeled
- I added these extra ingredients but these are optional depending on how you tolerate them. Although the seeds might like really tough, once they’re blended in the smoothie, you should do just fine (especially with Chai since it’s mainly soluble fibre. If you are cautious, then please try them one at a time.
- 1 teaspoon of Chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon of Hemp Powder
- 1/4 cup of gluten-free Muesli or oats, I used Delicious Alchemy’s Gluten Free Muesli
- 1 cup of Almond Milk, I use Alpro Unsweetened because it’s one of the few that are carrageenan free- but Rude Health is also a good shout
Instructions
- Whizz all together in the Nutribullet for 30 seconds and voila….the perfect breakfast smoothie.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Saturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 36mg
Is this smoothie suitable for those on a low residue?
If you are on a low residue diet, it could be worth eliminating the chia seeds or introducing them very slowly.
The rest should be suitable for a low fibre or low residue diet.
If you enjoyed my gut health smoothie, you might also want to try my ‘Gut Rest and Repair Soup’ or my ginger and mango rehydration smoothie.
Where next?
Want more tips on smoothies for digestive health? Sign up to my newsletter to receive my free ebook on juicing and smoothies for digestive health!
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