This smoothie is a great option if you want to boost your fruit and vegetable intake but also want a burst of sweetness to satisfy a desire for something sweet at the same time.
It might be a bit of a challenge to eat two whole beetroot, an apple, some blueberries and ginger separately throughout the day, but combined in this smoothie, they offer a sweet and refreshing drink to re-energise you if you notice a mid-morning or afternoon slump.
Not only are blueberries and ginger filled with antioxidants, but beetroot is beneficial in supporting healthy blood pressure too.
Most fruit and veg, like apples, contain a lot of nutritional value in the skin so if you can leave the skin on (just give them a good wash first), you'll get way more nutritional value than if you peel them first. You need a powerful blender if you're going to do this though - or you need to accept there'll be some lumps of skin in your smoothie!
(Recipe for one)
Ingredients
2 small, raw beetroots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small apple, roughly chopped
50g blueberries
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
300ml water
Method
Put all the ingredients in a blender, including the water, and blitz until smooth. You can add more or less water depending on what consistency you like.
Recipe credit: Good Food magazine, June 2014