Healthy Chocolate Smoothie - The Raw Vegan Way

Raw Vegan "Chocolate" Smoothie

Each morning Mark & I have a big green smoothie for breakfast that fills us up until lunch.  It is a very satisfying, delicious, healthy and nutritious way to start our day.  We LOVE our green smoothies!

Sometimes I need my chocolate fix. So for an afternoon snack I'll make my Raw "Chocolate" Smoothie, which is made with raw organic cacao powder.  A healthy superfood that is filled with antioxidants and an abundance of magnesium and iron. And yes, it is gluten-free too.

Here's what you need to make this satisfying and guilt-free smoothie.  This makes 1 very large smoothie to hold you over until dinner - or you can share... if you want:

1 1/4 cup water
2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach (3 oz.)
1 Tbsp cacao powder
1 Tbsp Hemp Hearts/Seeds
1 Date, stone removed (I use Medjool)
*1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (no sugar added)
*1 frozen banana

Place all ingredients in order into a high power blender (I use a Vitamix - awesomely powerful machine!) and blend on high until you have a yummy smoothie consistency.  In the Vitamix, that's about 30-45 seconds. More water *may* need to be added, but you'll have to be the judge while blending.

*Note: if you don't have frozen berries or banana, fresh is perfectly fine.  Just add about 1 cup of ice for the last ingredient to help give it a thick consistency.  Also, if you don't have Hemp heart seeds, either omit or replace them with ground flaxmeal.

Okay, now pour this delicious dark chocolately mixture into a big tall glass (well, unless you're sharing), stick a straw in it and take a sip.  Isn't that awesome?!  You wouldn't even know it is a healthy green drink! 

Now, sit back and enjoy the rest of this yummy smoothie until you make that noise with the straw like you did as a kid and was told not to do.  I do.

Peace,
Rocki