Beet Smoothie - a power-drink that's packed with iron, Vitamins, anti-oxidants and gives your skin a healthy glow.
I make smoothies every day. My Avocado Smoothie is a favorite, along with the Vitamin C Booster Smoothie.
I am about to tell you to throw a raw beet into your blender and turn it into a smoothie. Berries - no problem. Most likely, they are already the basic ingredient in your smoothies. Same for bananas. But beets? Not so much. You may know how good beet juice is for our bodies, but it can be hard to drink. That's why I created a concoction that is super simple (only 3 ingredients) but makes this smoothie absolutely delicious! The berries and bananas help to mask the earthy taste of beets. As someone that had anemia since my teen years, I drink this smoothie every week. It's delicious and even the kids love it!
Ingredients
- fresh beets
- strawberries (frozen or fresh)
- banana
- water (you can use almond milk or yogurt too)
How to make Beet Smoothie?
- Wash and peel the beets. You can use the greens in the smoothie, reserve them for other dishes (great with pasta just like spinach!) or discard.
- Place beet chunks in a blender with water. Blend until smooth. Strain the pulp.
- Add banana to the blender, add beet juice you just made and berries.
- Blend until smooth.
- Drink right away.
Beet smoothie vs. beet juice
For a week, my Hubby and I would do daily shots of straight beet juice and it wasn't pretty. He would always reach for water or fruit juice to wash it down. So I decided to mix the fresh beet juice with sweet strawberries (you can also use a mix of frozen berries for a more frothy drink) and a banana (a staple in our diet) and I took the hard-to-swallow beet juice to a sweet and enjoyable smoothie that everyone in our family loves. Even our kiddos! And they know there are beets in it!
Why are beets healthy?
- All of my research shows that beets are the answer to my anemia problems. They purify the blood, cleanse the liver, lower blood pressure and are proven to reverse hypertension.
- Beets improve your blood flow, help deliver oxygen to the parts of your body that need it, including the brain.
- They are the sweet vegetable that is low in calories but high in good carbs and gives you the right kind of energy.
- They are rich in folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium.
- They replenish iron in your body, which for me is really important. It's rich in antioxidants that help fight cancer and reduce inflammation.
- I even found out that betaine from beets aids depression and the tryptophan relaxes mind just like chocolate!
We have been drinking this smoothie every day for a couple of months now and we see and feel the benefits. We can definitely feel the good energy that we get after the smoothie. My check-up is coming up and I have a feeling that my level of iron will be great! I also started making more veggie smoothies for us and the kiddos. I think once you make one healthy decision - others follow because you learn.
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Skin Glow
There was also something I didn't expect to see. One day, after washing off my makeup, I noticed that there was no (normal for me) difference in tones of my skin. I actually looked like I still had my makeup on! My skin had a healthy, glowing look! And it wasn't just me! My Hubby, that has been my partner in the beet juice/smoothie diet - said the same thing about his skin. But even that's not all! During his checkup, the nurse asked him if he golfs because he looks so tan. Call me crazy, but I believe that the beets or more accurately - betanin, the red pigment in beets - is the source of this change. Now, that the sunny warm weather season is almost here, I believe it will help with getting the gorgeous tan that we love!
Can I use canned beets to make this smoothie?
I do not recommend canned beets for this recipe as they have a lot of sodium. Find frozen instead or chop a bunch of fresh ones and freeze.
Can I make this smoothie ahead of time?
I recommend making the smoothie and drinking right away for the most benefits. Each fresh fruit and vegetable oxidizes as it sits and loses minerals.
Other fruits and veggies you can add:
- pineapple
- beet greens
- ginger
- mango
- peach
- spinach
More healthy recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Beet Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh beet root peeled, cut into chunks
- 4 fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 banana
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- If using fresh beet root: place beet chunks and water in a blender and blend until pureed. Strain the mixture over a fine mesh strainer, gently pressing the mixture to extract as much juice as possible. Wash the blender. Discard the pulp. Return the beet juice into the blender.
- Add berries and banana and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
- You can use other veggies and fruit to make this smoothie: spinach, beet greens, pineapple, mango, almond milk, yogurt, etc.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published on April 8th, 2015 and updated on January 5th, 2020.
Catherine says
Such a fantastic drink...beautiful color and so wholesome. Love it. xo, Catherine
amanda says
Girl, I am anemic and forever looking for ways to avoid an iron pill. Ick, those things KILL me. I don't like beets but I'm definitely trying this! It's so pretty so I know I'll like it!
Emily says
What a beautiful colored smoothie! I love this flavor combo Anna
Krista says
I am obsessed with beets so this isn't a hard sell at all! Its amazing how a small nutritional change like this can do wonders for our body!
Erin says
Such lovely colors and photographs - Can't wait to try this one!
Amy Rempel says
OK, so I am not a beet lover, but tried this today. First pureed 1/2 root beet in the blender and pressed in strainer to get the juice then added all other ingredients and blended. This tasted awesome, maybe too awesome?? So I decided to go for it and added all the puree/pulp into the Vitamix and a few more strawberries. This tasted a little earthy for a first timer like me. Somewhere in the middle would make me want to drink every day. Thanks for sharing, would have never tried a beet smoothie without your story!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
This makes me so happy, Amy! I don't usually get so personal on my blog and I am blown away by the response. It means so much! Thank you for trying the smoothie and for coming back to leave the comment. You made my day!
Bobb says
WOW I never knew that beets were so good for you! On the plus side my guy loves beets too, and I am planting candy cane beets in my garden this year. He had extremely high blood pressure, and I suffer from pernicious anemia so this would be a great thing for us to do too. Hopefully I can get him to try one. If not, at least I know that cooking more beets will be good for us both.
Tara says
this recipe literally popped into my Pinterest feed at the perfect time. My daughter wanted a "pink" pop (what we call our homemade Popsicles) and I immediately thought of beets. I always try to add some vegetables to the mixture for added vitamins. Wasn't sure how I was going to prepare the beet so glad I saw you using it raw. Io always use our leftover smoothie mixtures for the pops! Thanks again and look forward to trying.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Oh my gosh! I totally love your idea! I need to try it for my kiddos too! Thank you, Tara!!
Alice says
Anna, thanks so much for sharing your story!! I had no idea you had three kids, and homeschooled them!!!! Wow! and hey, more and more I am learning the effects food has on us. . good and bad. . so bring on the beet juice!! You got me when you mentioned the difference in skin tone!! I need this smoothie! Totally making this!!!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
Haha! I know, right? 🙂 Let me know if you try it and how you like it! Thank you so much, Alice!
Ashley says
This is one gorgeous smoothie! So glad you're feeling better!
Nancy says
Thanks for sharing your story, Anna. I have low blood pressure and low iron levels, which makes me feel tired a lot (plus my high stress job, blech). If you say that beets have made a huge different to the lives of you and your husband, I say "sign me up!" I love how simple and delicious this juice is. I adore beets but don't eat them that often. I'm going to start making this juice and cooking more beets!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
Oh my gosh! And I thought that it was just me! I hope you will give it a try, Nancy! Let me know! Thank you so much! xoxo
Ramona W says
I am so glad you are feeling better Anna! As women and especially mothers, we always put ourselves last on the list. I was the healthiest during my pregnancies because it was all about taking care of the baby and not so much me. Taking care of our bodies is important because we are the machine the runs our home.
This juice sounds great and I like that you strained the beat pulp first. I like smooth juices... so that works for me. 🙂
Liz says
Good for you taking a proactive approach to living your best life. It really is amazing how powerful the foods we eat are and how making a few simply changes to our diet can really improve our quality of life. I want a sip of this right now!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Liz!
Senika says
I almost clicked away when I saw beets but I was intrigued enough to keep reading & I think you've convinced me to try this out! I've struggled with anemia too and never thought to try beets... Here goes!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! That's fantastic! Let me know what you think, Senika! Thank you!
Rachel says
I don't know if I could get past the earthy flavor of the beets--They taste like dirt to me! The smoothie looks gorgeous, though, and I have a juicer I don't use nearly enough. I might (might being the key word here) give it a try. As for the greens, I believe you can sautee them, so you wouldn't have to toss them out.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
I totally understand, Rachel! I tested this smoothie on my Hubby at first since he has a strong palate and he had a hard time with the pure beet juice but he really enjoys this smoothie! The addition of strawberries and banana really masks the earthy/dirty flavor so well! You can use more berries (even double - they are good for you after all!) and decrease the amount every day just a little bit and see how you like it. I hope you will give it a try and if you do - please, let me know what you think! Thank you for the suggestion for the greens - trying it for sure!
Trui Liaw says
Thanks for the recipe! My mom just gave me 3 beets fresh from her garden, and I was wondering what to do with them! Just so you know, beet leaves are totally edible and delicious. A quick stir fry with olive oil and garlic and you have a great side dish.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Love your suggestion for the beet greens - I am definitely going to try it! Let me know if you make the smoothie! Thanks so much, Trui!