With all the chocolate smoothies I make, vanilla is a nice change of pace. Native to the tropical rain forests of Central America, vanilla is one of the more popular spices, now used around the world.
Vanilla is more than just a flavoring agent though and imparts its own unique health benefits. First, it combats free radicals through its high levels of antioxidants. The active compound in vanilla, aptly named vanillin, is a polyphenol that provides the antioxidant punch.
Photo by emiline220
The inspiration for this smoothie came from a conversation I had on Twitter in which the other person told me they’ve been using lots of pineapple in their smoothies lately due to it being in season. Where I live pineapples are never in season, but featuring them in my smoothie is kind of like a quick trip to the tropics :)
Photo by rakka
For some reason it took me a while to try an avocado in my smoothie, but now it’s one of my favorite ingredients. Avocados give your smoothie a rich and creamy consistency while providing an array of health benefits.
Here are a few avocado health highlights.
